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BoingBoing has some great Animated GIFs of the Iraqi Shoe Tosser:
http://www.boingboing.net/2008/12/15/iraq-shoe-tosser-guy.html
I think the Three Stooges one is my favourite!
BoingBoing has some great Animated GIFs of the Iraqi Shoe Tosser:
http://www.boingboing.net/2008/12/15/iraq-shoe-tosser-guy.html
I think the Three Stooges one is my favourite!
As my regular readers know, my sister, Nettie, is a medic in the U.S. Army, currently serving in Iraq.
And Erin Mansur, an old friend and colleague from my Kansas State Collegian days, is THE MOST AWESOME PERSON EVER. She's a 6th grade teacher in Brooklyn, NY, and after I expressed my anxieties on my blog about Nettie going to Iraq, she encouraged her students to "adopt" my sister!
She got them to send letters to Nettie! My sister is going to be sooooooo surprised when she gets a bunch of letters from 6th graders in Brooklyn! She has no idea what's coming.
Here's the message Erin sent me today:
Erin, you have no idea how much I worship you, now!
And Erin Mansur, an old friend and colleague from my Kansas State Collegian days, is THE MOST AWESOME PERSON EVER. She's a 6th grade teacher in Brooklyn, NY, and after I expressed my anxieties on my blog about Nettie going to Iraq, she encouraged her students to "adopt" my sister!
She got them to send letters to Nettie! My sister is going to be sooooooo surprised when she gets a bunch of letters from 6th graders in Brooklyn! She has no idea what's coming.
Here's the message Erin sent me today:
The first batch of letters from my 6h grade class are off in the post to Nettie today. I read through them. Some of my favorite quotes are:
"How long were you in training to be a metic"
"I hope you are doing well and are not worried about your job. You are going to be doing a dangerous job but you will be helping many people and I honor you for that."
"I hope you understand how many people appreciate that you are doing this, because I do."
"I hope you have amazing Thanksgivings with all of your friends around you"
"Here are some of my best drawings. I hope you enjoy them"
"Sometimes I go to independent films. But I can't go that often because I have a three year old sister and she doesn't behave well"
"The 6th grade and the whole middle school hold you in the light and wish you a happy holidays."
"P.S. you are always in my mind"
Thought you might appreciate knowing that.
Love, E
Erin, you have no idea how much I worship you, now!
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I am getting so sick of this Iraq/Iran confusion. It really burns me up how many Americans are idiots on this issue. Especially Americans who SHOULD know better. Did everyone in this country flunk grade 4 geography?
For example, take all this Bullshit "John McCain is best qualified to lead us in foreign affairs" rhetoric.
No, he's NOT, and just being shot down and interned in a Vietnamese prison camp for years DOES NOT qualify you to be President of the United States... And it certainly doesn't make you qualified to handle International Diplomacy!
McCain's latest demonstration that he has no concept of Middle Eastern geography and politics came this morning on ABC, when he stated that the Iraq-Pakistan border is a very dangerous place:
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/07/21/foreign-policy-expert-mccain-iraq-pakistan-border-extremely-dangerous/
Problem is, Iraq and Pakistan don't share a border!
I know, I know, he "misspoke." Problem is, SENILE OLD McCain does this all the time. Like when his AIPAC handler, Joe Lieberman, had to publicly correct him on his statement that Iran was training Al Qaida. ARRRRGH! The man has NO CLUE! NONE!
And lest I be accused of being partisan here, I'm really NOT impressed with Green Party Vice-Presidential candidate Rosa Clemente for exactly the same reason. On an interview on Democracy Now this morning, she said:
AAAAAAAAAAAGH!
This is my first exposure to Ms. Clemente. I have been seriously considering voting Green Party this year (voting against BOTH right-wing conservatives Barack Obama and John McCain), just as I have done in every Presidential election since 1996. But if this is the quality of candidate the Greens are running, not even the fact that they are the first party to run TWO women of color on their presidential ticket might be enough to get me to vote for her. I'll give her a pass for this first flub, but she is not inspiring me with confidence.
Sheesh, get me out of this country full of STUPID PEOPLE!
For example, take all this Bullshit "John McCain is best qualified to lead us in foreign affairs" rhetoric.
No, he's NOT, and just being shot down and interned in a Vietnamese prison camp for years DOES NOT qualify you to be President of the United States... And it certainly doesn't make you qualified to handle International Diplomacy!
McCain's latest demonstration that he has no concept of Middle Eastern geography and politics came this morning on ABC, when he stated that the Iraq-Pakistan border is a very dangerous place:
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/07/21/foreign-policy-expert-mccain-iraq-pakistan-border-extremely-dangerous/
Problem is, Iraq and Pakistan don't share a border!
I know, I know, he "misspoke." Problem is, SENILE OLD McCain does this all the time. Like when his AIPAC handler, Joe Lieberman, had to publicly correct him on his statement that Iran was training Al Qaida. ARRRRGH! The man has NO CLUE! NONE!
And lest I be accused of being partisan here, I'm really NOT impressed with Green Party Vice-Presidential candidate Rosa Clemente for exactly the same reason. On an interview on Democracy Now this morning, she said:
"And, of course, an immediate withdrawal from Iran. And we must not be duped that a troop withdrawal in Iran could also mean a troop transfer in Afghanistan and more young people, particularly white working-class youth, being used as cannon fodder."( http://www.democracynow.org/2008/7/21/first_all_women_of_color_presidential )
AAAAAAAAAAAGH!
This is my first exposure to Ms. Clemente. I have been seriously considering voting Green Party this year (voting against BOTH right-wing conservatives Barack Obama and John McCain), just as I have done in every Presidential election since 1996. But if this is the quality of candidate the Greens are running, not even the fact that they are the first party to run TWO women of color on their presidential ticket might be enough to get me to vote for her. I'll give her a pass for this first flub, but she is not inspiring me with confidence.
Sheesh, get me out of this country full of STUPID PEOPLE!
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Was Québec responsible for Canada's decision
not to participate in the 2003 war in Iraq?
Kevyn Jacobs
PLSC 445B
Québec Politics and
Québec-U.S. Relations
Western Washington University
2008.06.18
=============================================
( Click to read my final paper )
not to participate in the 2003 war in Iraq?
Kevyn Jacobs
PLSC 445B
Québec Politics and
Québec-U.S. Relations
Western Washington University
2008.06.18
=============================================
( Click to read my final paper )
Called mom this afternoon after class. She had just had more dental surgery, so she was really groggy.
Told her that I would be graduating June 14th. Turns out my sister is getting married on that day to her fiancé, Joe, and mom has already committed to being there for her. It's not a huge deal, though -- it's Nettie's 2nd wedding, we all did the big family wedding the first time around, and they're just going before a Justice of the Peace -- so I'm not stressing about not getting to go.
Mom, however, is stressing, because she can't be in both places at once -- at Nettie's wedding and my graduation. Just bad luck that they'll both be on the same day. I wasn't expecting her to fly up her for the graduation anyway, so I told her to put away the sack cloth and ashes. Catholic Guilt not necessary. She laughed when I said that. She's really happy I'm FINALLY graduating, though.
Dale's in Alaska on TDY, his second assignment away from Japan this year (he was in Malaysia earlier in the year). I know Cindy's gotta be going nuts with those two little kids in Japan all alone (she hates it there). Dale had a layover for a couple of hours in Seattle this weekend on the way up to Alaska, and emailed me, asking if I could drive down to visit. I had to explain to him that I'm almost a 3-hour drive from SeaTac, depending on traffic -- there's no way I could do it with no advance notice. Poor guy, to be so close, and yet so far.
The BIG news, and the reason Nettie and Joe are getting married in a hurry: Nettie's getting sent to Iraq in early October. Merde. Dale also might be going to Iraq next year -- looks like both of my siblings could end up in Iraq soon. I am worried.
DAMNIT! End this fucking pointless occupation!!!
Told her that I would be graduating June 14th. Turns out my sister is getting married on that day to her fiancé, Joe, and mom has already committed to being there for her. It's not a huge deal, though -- it's Nettie's 2nd wedding, we all did the big family wedding the first time around, and they're just going before a Justice of the Peace -- so I'm not stressing about not getting to go.
Mom, however, is stressing, because she can't be in both places at once -- at Nettie's wedding and my graduation. Just bad luck that they'll both be on the same day. I wasn't expecting her to fly up her for the graduation anyway, so I told her to put away the sack cloth and ashes. Catholic Guilt not necessary. She laughed when I said that. She's really happy I'm FINALLY graduating, though.
Dale's in Alaska on TDY, his second assignment away from Japan this year (he was in Malaysia earlier in the year). I know Cindy's gotta be going nuts with those two little kids in Japan all alone (she hates it there). Dale had a layover for a couple of hours in Seattle this weekend on the way up to Alaska, and emailed me, asking if I could drive down to visit. I had to explain to him that I'm almost a 3-hour drive from SeaTac, depending on traffic -- there's no way I could do it with no advance notice. Poor guy, to be so close, and yet so far.
The BIG news, and the reason Nettie and Joe are getting married in a hurry: Nettie's getting sent to Iraq in early October. Merde. Dale also might be going to Iraq next year -- looks like both of my siblings could end up in Iraq soon. I am worried.
DAMNIT! End this fucking pointless occupation!!!
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If the mess the United States created in Iraq isn't bad enough, today we have this news:
Turkey Launches Ground Incursion Into Iraq; U.S. Objects.
The Kurds in northern Iraq ("Kurdistan") and the Turks have been sniping back and forth over the border for some time now. Turkey is terrified of Iraq breaking up into three countries, because the Kurds could end up with a country of their own -- which is the last thing Turkey wants.
The Kurdish people -- who have no country of their own -- are found spread across the territory that marks the border between Iraq and Turkey. (Their territory also extends into Iran, Syria and Armenia.) The Kurds in Turkey, who have battled the Turks for independence for years, are able to operate with support from the Kurds in Northern Iraq.
Now Turkey is fighting back, sending tanks and troops into Northern Iraq, in order to stop the Kurdish rebels.
I've been afraid of this.
Without Saddam Hussein in power, holding the artificial country of Iraq together (Iraq was artificially created by the British), and holding back the northern Kurds, this was bound to happen.
That's not to say I want Saddam back. I don't. But I've been afraid that this would happen sooner or later, and anyone who knew a lick about the ethnic tensions in the region could have foreseen this one coming.
So. The Turks are invading. Expect massive bloodshed.
I just hope were not looking at the beginnings of a World War here.
*sigh*
Sometimes I wish I was just an ignorant American, unaware of what's going on in other parts of the world.
Turkey Launches Ground Incursion Into Iraq; U.S. Objects.
The Kurds in northern Iraq ("Kurdistan") and the Turks have been sniping back and forth over the border for some time now. Turkey is terrified of Iraq breaking up into three countries, because the Kurds could end up with a country of their own -- which is the last thing Turkey wants.
The Kurdish people -- who have no country of their own -- are found spread across the territory that marks the border between Iraq and Turkey. (Their territory also extends into Iran, Syria and Armenia.) The Kurds in Turkey, who have battled the Turks for independence for years, are able to operate with support from the Kurds in Northern Iraq.
Now Turkey is fighting back, sending tanks and troops into Northern Iraq, in order to stop the Kurdish rebels.
I've been afraid of this.
Without Saddam Hussein in power, holding the artificial country of Iraq together (Iraq was artificially created by the British), and holding back the northern Kurds, this was bound to happen.
That's not to say I want Saddam back. I don't. But I've been afraid that this would happen sooner or later, and anyone who knew a lick about the ethnic tensions in the region could have foreseen this one coming.
So. The Turks are invading. Expect massive bloodshed.
I just hope were not looking at the beginnings of a World War here.
*sigh*
Sometimes I wish I was just an ignorant American, unaware of what's going on in other parts of the world.
For quite some time now, I've been saying that one of the REAL reasons we are in Iraq is not about 9-11, or WMDs, or "bringing Democracy," or even the old left-wing standby, a war for oil.
I believe we are in Iraq because WAR IS GOOD FOR BUSINESS.
Just follow the money... ask the question: "Who is making money off this war?"
It's the defense contractors.
This war is being fought for the benefit of Halliburton (Vice President Dick Cheney's company), and Kellogg Brown & Root, Bechtel, The Carlyle Group... the list goes of war profiteers goes on and on.
Eisenhower warned us this would happen in his farewell speech. (Video here 2:26 mins, a clip from the EXCELLENT documentary, "Why We Fight" -- if you haven't seen it, you really should.)
In that speech, my fellow Kansan warned the American people about the rise of the "Military-Industrial Complex" (In his original speech, edited before he gave it, he called it the "Military-Industrial-Congressional Complex"), and how these people who make money off of war were a danger to America.
Ike's warning rings so true, now. So please, America, ask the questions:
What if our soldiers are actually just fighting to make some business executives rich?
What if the people of Iraq are dying to pad the pockets of Dick Cheney & friends?
What if all this is REALLY about is money?
I say I and say it and say it, but I feel like nobody seems to "get it." Certainly nobody in the mainstream media is talking about this, and neither is the public. The DemoPublicans and RepubliCrats certainly aren't talking about it -- they are bought and paid for. You average taxpayer has no clues as to what is really going on, or where their money is going.
Anyway, I just heard another voice echoing mine, when columnist Robert Scheer published a piece yesterday entitled, "Ike Was Right."
Reading it was like a cold drink in a hot, dry summer. Finally -- FINALLY! -- someone in the media is saying it aloud!
I believe we are in Iraq because WAR IS GOOD FOR BUSINESS.
Just follow the money... ask the question: "Who is making money off this war?"
It's the defense contractors.
This war is being fought for the benefit of Halliburton (Vice President Dick Cheney's company), and Kellogg Brown & Root, Bechtel, The Carlyle Group... the list goes of war profiteers goes on and on.
Eisenhower warned us this would happen in his farewell speech. (Video here 2:26 mins, a clip from the EXCELLENT documentary, "Why We Fight" -- if you haven't seen it, you really should.)
In that speech, my fellow Kansan warned the American people about the rise of the "Military-Industrial Complex" (In his original speech, edited before he gave it, he called it the "Military-Industrial-Congressional Complex"), and how these people who make money off of war were a danger to America.
Ike's warning rings so true, now. So please, America, ask the questions:
What if our soldiers are actually just fighting to make some business executives rich?
What if the people of Iraq are dying to pad the pockets of Dick Cheney & friends?
What if all this is REALLY about is money?
I say I and say it and say it, but I feel like nobody seems to "get it." Certainly nobody in the mainstream media is talking about this, and neither is the public. The DemoPublicans and RepubliCrats certainly aren't talking about it -- they are bought and paid for. You average taxpayer has no clues as to what is really going on, or where their money is going.
Anyway, I just heard another voice echoing mine, when columnist Robert Scheer published a piece yesterday entitled, "Ike Was Right."
Reading it was like a cold drink in a hot, dry summer. Finally -- FINALLY! -- someone in the media is saying it aloud!
Before Hurricane Katrina exposed the rotten core of the U.S. Federal Government in such a dramatic way this week, I had been mulling over an article I had read on CommonDreams.org a couple of weeks ago. The article stayed with me because it discussed what it called "The Seven Political Blasphemies of contemporary America," complex political issues that have been reduced to undebatable blasphemies.
These undebatable blasphemies are:
• Not every deployment of U.S. troops is, by definition, a noble exercise.
Premise: Commanders-in-chief make mistakes (and, sometimes, mislead). "Support the troops" is not, as clever neo-con partisans imply, the equivalent of "don't question the president."
• It is overly simplistic to dismiss all those who resist the American presence in Iraq as "terrorists."
Premise: As long as the militants targeting U.S. troops and allied Iraqis are lumped together as "terrorists" -- a step or two below "roaches" -- there is nothing to debate; they must be crushed. But doing so closes off discussion of their true motivations (which would help us understand what we're up against), as well as the possibility that the U.S. presence in Iraq is provoking the resistance.
• It can be argued that the world is not better off without Saddam Hussein.
Premise: Nobody likes a dictator, but sometimes, there is a short-term geopolitical benefit in the presence of a tyrant who keeps rival factions from colliding -- Tito in the old Yugoslavia, for example. This doesn't have to undermine the long-run goal of eliminating all despots.
• Not every society is ready for American-style capitalism and democracy.
Premise: Such transitions need time, planning and patience to work. Moving too quickly can create a politically volatile mess, such as in the old Soviet Union.
• The word of God is what one chooses to believe, not a universal truth that unerringly applies to all people.
Premise: Your belief in your particular version of God is not sufficient justification for you to impose your will on others.
• The American social model may not be every reasonable person's idea of a perfect society.
Premise: Other cultures are not necessarily inferior to ours simply because they are different. We, as Americans, should proudly promote our values, but our aim should be to persuade, not compel, others to embrace them.
• Criticizing the U.S. government is not synonymous with criticizing America.
Premise: Nonviolent dissent can be both patriotic and healthy for the nation.
-From Daring to Ask Blasphemous Questions by Robert Steinback, August 17, 2005. Originally published in the Miami Herald.
To this list, I would add an eighth undebatable blasphemy I have noticed:
• Criticizing the Israeli government is not synonymous with anti-Semitism.
Premise: Pro-Israeli pundits have successfully tarred almost all criticism of Israel's policies towards the Palestinians and its neighbours (as well as U.S. support of Israel) with the brush of anti-Jewish bias. In a culture highly sensitized towards discussions of racism in general, the politically correct crowd is afraid of speaking out frankly against Israeli policies for fear of being equated with the Nazis.
All eight of these non-debates are at the core of our presence in Iraq. Yet almost none of them have had much exposure in the sphere of public debate. I happen to agree that all eight undebatable maxims are, on some level, correct.
I believe that:
Sometimes U.S. troops are deployed inappropriately.
Not everyone fighting us in Iraq are terrorists.
The world may have indeed been better off with Saddam Hussein in power.
Some people are not ready for Western-style capitalism and republicanism (I don't like the phrase "Western-style democracy", because it's inaccurate).
Truth is probably not universal (I'm agnostic on the question of "God," a blasphemy in itself).
The U.S. societal model is not "The Best" (Personally, I hold Canada's to be better than ours).
Criticizing the U.S. government doesn't make one unpatriotic.
Criticizing Israel does not make one anti-Semitic.
There, I've said it.
Maybe someday this post will get me thrown in a reeducation camp or shot when (if) a totalitarian theocracy takes over the U.S. Government (read Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale" for the germ of this idea in my paranoid consciousness).
But at least I will not have been silent, suppressing these memes.
"Win in Iraq?" Give me a break. We can't even evacuate a major U.S. city in a timely and humane fashion. If the war in Iraq is being run ANYTHING like the relief efforts in New Orleans, then it's no wonder that we can't win in Iraq. Superpower my ass. And the whole world is watchng.
I am FURIOUS that the Louisiana and Mississippi National Guards are off in Iraq fighting Bush's manufactured war, when they should have been at home, prepared to respond to domestic emergencies. That's what they are for, not Imperial oil-grab excursions.
This whole affair has shown me that this country is collapsing in on itself. The idea that the government is here to help the people has been revealed as a lie. It's every man for himself.
Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!
I am FURIOUS that the Louisiana and Mississippi National Guards are off in Iraq fighting Bush's manufactured war, when they should have been at home, prepared to respond to domestic emergencies. That's what they are for, not Imperial oil-grab excursions.
This whole affair has shown me that this country is collapsing in on itself. The idea that the government is here to help the people has been revealed as a lie. It's every man for himself.
Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!
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