Saddam may not be hanging around anymore, Osama may or may not be dead, justice remains to be truly rendered.
The US have a great opportunity to clean the whole mess and restore their status of a great democracy. Actually, impeaching Dubya is its only way out of Iraq.
Don't get me wrong : the US can't abandon what's left of Iraq that soon. It's just that they cannot signify a change in their approach any other way. This country badly needs a regime change and I don't want Dubya to survive 2007 as the oldest G8 leader.
Both George W. Bush and Richard B. Cheney must and can be impeached. Treason could be a good start : 2006 was the year a wider audience than this lousy blog's came to understand this Administration's blunders were actually strategical successes for the true W.
George W. Bush didn't act in the interest of his country as a President of the United States.
George W. Bush didn't act in the interest of his party as a Republican.
George W. Bush did act in the interest of fundamentalism as a fundamentalist.
Once again, the war in Iraq was not masterminded by neocons for the benefit of oilcos : the war in Iraq was sold by neocons to SIGs which sold it to the Congress, but it was masterminded by a bunch of crazy theocons who planned from the start the collapse of Iraq and a final showdown between Israel and Iran.
Reelecting Bush-Cheney was an Historical blunder, not impeaching them would be criminal.
Showing posts with label war. Show all posts
Showing posts with label war. Show all posts
20061220
Rewriting history (reloaded) - IHT Letters To The Editor
Praise the International Herald Tribune. First for publishing another blogule of mine (even if slightly edited* to fit a wider audience than this utterly incorrect blog), second for giving it a title I've been mantrazing for a few years.
Actually, I mentioned "Rewriting History" in one of the few blogules published by "Le Figaro" before Sarkozy became Editor in Chief. Back then, I noticed the irony in the way Dubya compared himself to Roosevelt and Churchill ("Reecriture de l'Histoire - GW Bush le nouveau FDR ?" - 20040607).
I guess "rewriting history" could be considered today's international pastime on steroids.
Anyway... For those who missed my latest ranting on Abe** and/or reached their newstands to late, here is the letter as published in today's IHT*** :
* let's say I elaborated a bit on "declared his nationalist views"
** see "Red blogule to Shinzo Abe - another revisionist leader" (20060926), or the unedited blog spill in French preceding my letter to the IHT : "Blogule rouge a Shinzo Abe - l'Empire contre attaque" (20061216)
*** see iht.com/articles/2006/12/19/news/edlet.php (20061220)
Actually, I mentioned "Rewriting History" in one of the few blogules published by "Le Figaro" before Sarkozy became Editor in Chief. Back then, I noticed the irony in the way Dubya compared himself to Roosevelt and Churchill ("Reecriture de l'Histoire - GW Bush le nouveau FDR ?" - 20040607).
I guess "rewriting history" could be considered today's international pastime on steroids.
Anyway... For those who missed my latest ranting on Abe** and/or reached their newstands to late, here is the letter as published in today's IHT*** :
Rewriting History
Your Dec. 16 edition delivered two rather disheartening insights on the way history is being taught.
In "Confronting Holocaust denial" (Views), Ayaan Ali Hirsi reveals how the Holocaust is not only absent from textbooks in many Muslim countries but also still considered a great idea by many young people.
In the news report "Japan passes measure for patriotic education," an education reform is not only meant to keep the Japanese people in the dark regarding the terrible war crimes committed during Hirohito's reign, but also to revive ultranationalism.
Perhaps worst of all: None of this comes as a surprise. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran is on a permanent revisionist road show, while Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan has already declared his nationalist views.
I wonder what tomorrow's textbooks will tell the next generations about our time? In this sick medieval revival, even the president of the United States and the pope want to replace science and reason by an ultraconservative caricature of religion.
* let's say I elaborated a bit on "declared his nationalist views"
** see "Red blogule to Shinzo Abe - another revisionist leader" (20060926), or the unedited blog spill in French preceding my letter to the IHT : "Blogule rouge a Shinzo Abe - l'Empire contre attaque" (20061216)
*** see iht.com/articles/2006/12/19/news/edlet.php (20061220)
20061109
(debate) First withdraw from... the Bush doctrine
(debate on "our way out of Iraq")
No sane decision can be made before setting the house in order (the house beyond the House, that is - congrats for the Elections !). I suggest 3 steps :
First, America must clearly formulate some apologies to the Iraqi people and the international community for forgetting its own values. America will be respected again when America will be respectful again.
Second, quickly formulate the positions from all key players through a commission with a mandate to meet with all parties willing to talk (including Iranians). Iraqis should be open to new faces and ending the black / white talk should help hitting common ground / common sense. From America's point of view, that could also be a way of putting a friendly pressure : the US won't be the black sheep anymore, the scapegoat responsible for all trouble.
Once America repositions itself as a neutral force instead of an invasion / occupation force, the next steps will appear much easier.
But the US cannot leave Iraq without fixing the damage done. It is the hell of a burden but you cannot say you weren't warned of the consequences of this war.
No sane decision can be made before setting the house in order (the house beyond the House, that is - congrats for the Elections !). I suggest 3 steps :
First, America must clearly formulate some apologies to the Iraqi people and the international community for forgetting its own values. America will be respected again when America will be respectful again.
Second, quickly formulate the positions from all key players through a commission with a mandate to meet with all parties willing to talk (including Iranians). Iraqis should be open to new faces and ending the black / white talk should help hitting common ground / common sense. From America's point of view, that could also be a way of putting a friendly pressure : the US won't be the black sheep anymore, the scapegoat responsible for all trouble.
Once America repositions itself as a neutral force instead of an invasion / occupation force, the next steps will appear much easier.
But the US cannot leave Iraq without fixing the damage done. It is the hell of a burden but you cannot say you weren't warned of the consequences of this war.
20061006
Red blogule to 45 mn of war-hole fame - hopping without hope
If you want a good thrill you can either pay Richard Branson about $200,000 for a 5 mn wild ride in space or have the US Government pay you a $???M 45 mn trip to Iraq.
So Condolezza Rice enjoyed her 45 minutes of war-hole fame. The time to kiss Dr. Zalmay Khalilzad on a deserted Baghdad airport, expose a cute armored plate not much bigger than a Madeleine K. Albright pin, and be shot a couple of times. By embedded photographers and cameramen.
All smiles.
Like Kim Jong-il waving at an absent audience in a prefab North Korean program.
So Condolezza Rice enjoyed her 45 minutes of war-hole fame. The time to kiss Dr. Zalmay Khalilzad on a deserted Baghdad airport, expose a cute armored plate not much bigger than a Madeleine K. Albright pin, and be shot a couple of times. By embedded photographers and cameramen.
All smiles.
Like Kim Jong-il waving at an absent audience in a prefab North Korean program.
20060915
White blogule to The Best War Ever - Lies, damned lies, and the mess in Iraq
Spread the news folks. The actual news, not the Weapons of Mass Disinformation you've been carpetbombed with for years. If you really believe Lobby Dick when he tells you the US "War on terror" is making the world a safer place and insurgency in Iraq is reaching its "last throes", it's high time for you to activate your brain.
The truth is Iraq is about to collapse and US troops' main mission these days is to prevent this from happening before the mid-term elections. If they manage not to collapse themselves, that is (read the interesting Newsweek paper on the morale of the troops in Baghdad - "Straight to the Heart" - 20060918).
The truth is this war has always been about lies from the Bush Administration, and if you want to understand the propaganda campaign that led to it, you definitely have to read "The Best War Ever"*, by John Stauber and Sheldon Rampton who already brought us "Weapons of Mass Deception" or "Banana Republicans".
And remember : if you really want to wake up to the sound of soundness and rediscover a propaganda-free world, the closest thing to a safe haven you can find on the web remains PR Watch / The Center for Media and Democracy, where Sheldon, John and friends are working hard to make this world a truly better place.
America's worst historical mistakes in the past 20 years were this war on Iraq and the 2004 (re)election of George W. Bush. Both happened because the people of America was deliberately kept in the dark by a bunch of liars. You cannot let them go away with it this time again. Read, talk, donate to the CMD and don't forget to activate your brain before voting.
* also available in France through Amazon : "The Best War Ever".
The truth is Iraq is about to collapse and US troops' main mission these days is to prevent this from happening before the mid-term elections. If they manage not to collapse themselves, that is (read the interesting Newsweek paper on the morale of the troops in Baghdad - "Straight to the Heart" - 20060918).
The truth is this war has always been about lies from the Bush Administration, and if you want to understand the propaganda campaign that led to it, you definitely have to read "The Best War Ever"*, by John Stauber and Sheldon Rampton who already brought us "Weapons of Mass Deception" or "Banana Republicans".
And remember : if you really want to wake up to the sound of soundness and rediscover a propaganda-free world, the closest thing to a safe haven you can find on the web remains PR Watch / The Center for Media and Democracy, where Sheldon, John and friends are working hard to make this world a truly better place.
America's worst historical mistakes in the past 20 years were this war on Iraq and the 2004 (re)election of George W. Bush. Both happened because the people of America was deliberately kept in the dark by a bunch of liars. You cannot let them go away with it this time again. Read, talk, donate to the CMD and don't forget to activate your brain before voting.
---
* also available in France through Amazon : "The Best War Ever".
20060825
White blogule to UNIFIL v 2.0 - Touche, Mr Bolton
As expected, France will contribute with about 2,000 soldiers to the new UNIFIL. The Quai d'Orsay managed to get what it wanted : a stronger force, a stronger UN, a stronger Europe and above all (let's hope) a stronger Lebanon. Not a remake of the 1995 fiasco in Bosnia. Not the dirty quick fix the US diplomacy dreamt of.
Bush dared criticize France for doing nothing but there is a big difference between doing nothing during the bombing of Lebanon (follow my stare) and putting a positive pressure on peacemakers during the ceasefire. I tend to believe the second option to be more efficient for a durable peace in the region. Besides, I prefer the French position (send 200 troops first, add 2,000 once the conditions are confirmed) to the Italian (promise 3,000 troops first, send 2,000 once the frame is set).
As expected, some Israelis are starting to wonder what went wrong. Many do ask the right questions : did we have to wage this war in the first place ? why did we use forbidden US weapons against civilians ? can we trust our leaders ? what's wrong with our country at the national and the international level ?... Unfortunately, others speak louder with the wrong answers : victory was at hand but politicians failed the military and didn't go all the way, Israel needs a tougher regime.
Bush dared criticize France for doing nothing but there is a big difference between doing nothing during the bombing of Lebanon (follow my stare) and putting a positive pressure on peacemakers during the ceasefire. I tend to believe the second option to be more efficient for a durable peace in the region. Besides, I prefer the French position (send 200 troops first, add 2,000 once the conditions are confirmed) to the Italian (promise 3,000 troops first, send 2,000 once the frame is set).
As expected, some Israelis are starting to wonder what went wrong. Many do ask the right questions : did we have to wage this war in the first place ? why did we use forbidden US weapons against civilians ? can we trust our leaders ? what's wrong with our country at the national and the international level ?... Unfortunately, others speak louder with the wrong answers : victory was at hand but politicians failed the military and didn't go all the way, Israel needs a tougher regime.
20060718
White blogule to Lebanon - please do survive
Israel fuels terrorism as efficiently as the Bush administration : instead of acting carefuly and with the help of the international community after outspoken terror attacks (9/11, Hezbollah raid), they attack blindly and unilaterally, appear as the aggressors and bring chaos where it definitely wasn't needed (Iraq, Lebanon). Only military action is considered, all political options and all legal frameworks being nixed.
I wonder if Lebanon can survive now. People came back once but this looks even worse than civil war. The country is politically, economically and socially devastated. A week after the first Israeli riposts, half a million people have been moved and more than 200 civilians killed, half of them kids. Who cares ? There's nothing but culture to be saved over there.
Bush applauds, Europe remains silent, Arab countries fear for their own stability, the UN is as dead as John Bolton wants it. Welcome to Diplomacy's Ground Zero.
I wonder if Lebanon can survive now. People came back once but this looks even worse than civil war. The country is politically, economically and socially devastated. A week after the first Israeli riposts, half a million people have been moved and more than 200 civilians killed, half of them kids. Who cares ? There's nothing but culture to be saved over there.
Bush applauds, Europe remains silent, Arab countries fear for their own stability, the UN is as dead as John Bolton wants it. Welcome to Diplomacy's Ground Zero.
20060622
Red blogule to the reconstruction of Afghanistan...'s talibans
9/11 harmed all major airlines but two : CIA Airlines and United Terror. None can be dubbed "no-thrill" and in spite of what the former claims, only the latter is a low cost company with genuine Qaeda members as frequent flyers.
Code sharing allows Chechens and other exotic partners to flock in numbers in Somalia or Afghanistan, where Talibans rule again and whack entire families without much reaction from peacekeepers stretched to the limit by the Rummy Doctrine.
Terrorism is stronger than ever, thank you. US casualties in Afghanistan and Iraq will soon reach 3,000 - not even one tenth of all deaths caused by this so-called "war on terror". Even in Paris, it's getting more and more difficult for a Muslim woman not to wear a scarf.
And the beauty of it is everything was planned from the start : for a majority of neocons who actually thought they would change the World for the better, only a minority of fundamentalists knew exactly what the said change for the better would mean.
Code sharing allows Chechens and other exotic partners to flock in numbers in Somalia or Afghanistan, where Talibans rule again and whack entire families without much reaction from peacekeepers stretched to the limit by the Rummy Doctrine.
Terrorism is stronger than ever, thank you. US casualties in Afghanistan and Iraq will soon reach 3,000 - not even one tenth of all deaths caused by this so-called "war on terror". Even in Paris, it's getting more and more difficult for a Muslim woman not to wear a scarf.
And the beauty of it is everything was planned from the start : for a majority of neocons who actually thought they would change the World for the better, only a minority of fundamentalists knew exactly what the said change for the better would mean.
20060614
Red blogule to the US CENTCOM - paint it black
Sick and tired of listening to CENTCOM briefings with daily claims of a dozen so-called Qaeda members (half of which under 7 year-old "terrorists"), the US audience cheered the death of Abu Mussab al-Zarqawi, a genuine thug with a fake al Qaeda label.
Now the propaganda experts feel strange : the non-event of this death exposes a disgraceful vacuum. The top bad guy (Osama Broadcasting Laden) remains at large and the US army in Iraq lacks a marketable target... Unless the Pentagon decides to go after al Sadr and thus officialize the civil war.
They'd better sponsor some other suicidal wannabe, give some other thug his Warhol's 15 mn of fame. Prime time, live or dead.
Now the propaganda experts feel strange : the non-event of this death exposes a disgraceful vacuum. The top bad guy (Osama Broadcasting Laden) remains at large and the US army in Iraq lacks a marketable target... Unless the Pentagon decides to go after al Sadr and thus officialize the civil war.
They'd better sponsor some other suicidal wannabe, give some other thug his Warhol's 15 mn of fame. Prime time, live or dead.
20060319
White blogule to David Gregory - Welcome to the House of Fun
NBC News' chief White House correspondent denounced Operation Swarmer in Iraq as a political show made up as a military action. 40 so-called Qaeda members were caught but released a few hours later, and witnesses doubt seriously about the violence of the offensive. I must confess I was a little bit surprised by the target (an area without any previous history of intense rebellion), the images of the Iraqi soldiers preparing for the battle (all smiles), the publicity made around the Operation and its timing. To me, this looks like vintage War Propaganda, Fallujah style*. Look how swiftly did the Red Army react, carpet bombing poor David "Stretch" Gregory with all their Weapons of Mass Disinformation and lobbying for his firing. For them, the mother of all battles since march 2003 isn't "Operation Swarmer" but "Saving Private Bush".
Just like Michael Moore, David Gregory can be a clown and his caricatural attacks can be used by the defense to turn around the proof of credibility gap. But I don't like the idea of the palace's buffoon being sacrificed as a scapegoat. The joke should remain on the Bush Administration.
* remember that old 2004 blogule "Red blogule to the bombing of Fallujah - Bombing, for image's sake - Bush is only targeting the US audience" (20040429) ?
Just like Michael Moore, David Gregory can be a clown and his caricatural attacks can be used by the defense to turn around the proof of credibility gap. But I don't like the idea of the palace's buffoon being sacrificed as a scapegoat. The joke should remain on the Bush Administration.
* remember that old 2004 blogule "Red blogule to the bombing of Fallujah - Bombing, for image's sake - Bush is only targeting the US audience" (20040429) ?
20060214
White blogule to Dick Cheney - Shooting Star vs silver star
Unlike John Forbes Kerry, NRA fave Dick Cheney didn't get any silver star for his courageous behavior during the Vietnam war*.
So I'm pleased to unanimously award Richard B. Cheney a white blogule for his almost perfect shot at his hunting pal in Texas**.
This white blogule rewards Mr. Cheney's creativity and dedication to invent new reasons why he should be the most hatable, abhorrent and repulsive man in the US.
Training all day long with the toughest emulators does help. For an Administration to reach this level of ignominy, it takes more than one Architect.
* Mr. Cheney courageously supported the said war while serving the Nixon and Ford administrations, and later proved his courage by voting against the Martin Luther King, Jr day, against the creation of the Department Of Education, against the overriding of Reagan's veto (protecting South Africa from sanctions for maintaining apartheid) or against the liberation of Nelson Mandela. Even after joining the private sector, he lobbied against the US boycotts of Iran & Lybia because they didn't help the eradication of terror, nor the development of Halliburton.
** Despite 10 pellets in the torso, neck and face, 78 year old Attorney Harry Whittington shall survive and remain at the Texas Funeral Services Commission as a chairman - not a commodity.
So I'm pleased to unanimously award Richard B. Cheney a white blogule for his almost perfect shot at his hunting pal in Texas**.
This white blogule rewards Mr. Cheney's creativity and dedication to invent new reasons why he should be the most hatable, abhorrent and repulsive man in the US.
Training all day long with the toughest emulators does help. For an Administration to reach this level of ignominy, it takes more than one Architect.
* Mr. Cheney courageously supported the said war while serving the Nixon and Ford administrations, and later proved his courage by voting against the Martin Luther King, Jr day, against the creation of the Department Of Education, against the overriding of Reagan's veto (protecting South Africa from sanctions for maintaining apartheid) or against the liberation of Nelson Mandela. Even after joining the private sector, he lobbied against the US boycotts of Iran & Lybia because they didn't help the eradication of terror, nor the development of Halliburton.
** Despite 10 pellets in the torso, neck and face, 78 year old Attorney Harry Whittington shall survive and remain at the Texas Funeral Services Commission as a chairman - not a commodity.
20060114
Red blogule to W's preemptive counterstrikes
"43" said he was open to a debate over Iraq... provided it only did "bring credit to our democracy, not comfort to our adversaries".
So only he has a right to wage a dirty war at home, using all the illegal tools one dictator could dream of. And he denies politicians as well as medias the right to investigate, to use such terms as illegal eavesdroppings, abduction, torture or all of the above ?
This isn't what I call an open debate. Nor even a debate, for that matter. Actually, it rather looks like the denial of a genuine debate, the refusal to confront democracy, and once again, a shame for America.
I don't think history will "bring credit" to Dubya's democracy*. And I do think democracy's adversaries find a lot of "comfort" in seeing Amerika turn its back to its own values.
* Mercifully enough, Iraq will eventually move towards democracy. But this far, all major steps have been reached thanks to a lack of Bush doctrine : the UN made the first elections possible and the talks with insurgents are the only way of kicking Al Qaeda out of the country (yeah, those very foreign terrorists who came in after the US invasion).
So only he has a right to wage a dirty war at home, using all the illegal tools one dictator could dream of. And he denies politicians as well as medias the right to investigate, to use such terms as illegal eavesdroppings, abduction, torture or all of the above ?
This isn't what I call an open debate. Nor even a debate, for that matter. Actually, it rather looks like the denial of a genuine debate, the refusal to confront democracy, and once again, a shame for America.
I don't think history will "bring credit" to Dubya's democracy*. And I do think democracy's adversaries find a lot of "comfort" in seeing Amerika turn its back to its own values.
* Mercifully enough, Iraq will eventually move towards democracy. But this far, all major steps have been reached thanks to a lack of Bush doctrine : the UN made the first elections possible and the talks with insurgents are the only way of kicking Al Qaeda out of the country (yeah, those very foreign terrorists who came in after the US invasion).
20051122
White blogule to John Murtha - My kingdom for a horse
Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) : "I like guys who got five deferments and never been there and sent people to war, and then don't like to hear suggestions that what may need to be done."
VP** Dick Cheney (R-BA*) : "A few politicians are suggesting these brave Americans were sent into battle for a deliberate falsehood. This is revisionism of the most corrupt and shameless variety. It has no place anywhere in American politics, much less in the United States Senate." NB : Lobby Dick, who couldn't win any Purple Hart since he doesn't have any (last time he tried it attacked him) should know about revisionism, corruption and shamelessness, which take place anytime in Amerika's White House.
Scott McClellan (R-BA*) : (Murtha) "is endorsing the policy positions of Michael Moore and the extreme liberal wing of the Democratic party."
Michael Moore (I-MI) : "Is that the best you can do to persuade them to stick with you -- compare them to me? You gotta come up with a better villain. For heaven's sakes, you had a hundred-plus million other Americans who think the same way I do -- and you could have picked on any one of them! But hey, why not cut out the name-calling and the smearing and just do the obvious thing: Come join the majority! Be one of us, your fellow Americans! Is it really that hard? Is there really any other choice? George, take a walk on the wild side! Your loyal representative from the majority, Michael Moore."
Sen. Joseph Biden (D-DE) : "By misrepresenting the facts, by misunderstanding Iraq and misleading the war, I believe the administration has brought us to the verge of a national security debacle."
VP*** George Bush (R-BA*) : "I'm here (NB : in Mongolia) on an important international mission. Secretary Rumsfeld asked me to check on his horse." A horse, a horse! My kingdom for a horse!
Who said that ? Richard The Third ? Dick, The Turd ? I don't care : here comes the Debate, at last.
But so late. More than one year behind schedule. We knew all about the lies, the torture, the disinformation, the CIA Airlines FFPs..., yet Dubya got reelected.
* Bush Administration
** Vicious President
*** Virtual President
VP** Dick Cheney (R-BA*) : "A few politicians are suggesting these brave Americans were sent into battle for a deliberate falsehood. This is revisionism of the most corrupt and shameless variety. It has no place anywhere in American politics, much less in the United States Senate." NB : Lobby Dick, who couldn't win any Purple Hart since he doesn't have any (last time he tried it attacked him) should know about revisionism, corruption and shamelessness, which take place anytime in Amerika's White House.
Scott McClellan (R-BA*) : (Murtha) "is endorsing the policy positions of Michael Moore and the extreme liberal wing of the Democratic party."
Michael Moore (I-MI) : "Is that the best you can do to persuade them to stick with you -- compare them to me? You gotta come up with a better villain. For heaven's sakes, you had a hundred-plus million other Americans who think the same way I do -- and you could have picked on any one of them! But hey, why not cut out the name-calling and the smearing and just do the obvious thing: Come join the majority! Be one of us, your fellow Americans! Is it really that hard? Is there really any other choice? George, take a walk on the wild side! Your loyal representative from the majority, Michael Moore."
Sen. Joseph Biden (D-DE) : "By misrepresenting the facts, by misunderstanding Iraq and misleading the war, I believe the administration has brought us to the verge of a national security debacle."
VP*** George Bush (R-BA*) : "I'm here (NB : in Mongolia) on an important international mission. Secretary Rumsfeld asked me to check on his horse." A horse, a horse! My kingdom for a horse!
Who said that ? Richard The Third ? Dick, The Turd ? I don't care : here comes the Debate, at last.
But so late. More than one year behind schedule. We knew all about the lies, the torture, the disinformation, the CIA Airlines FFPs..., yet Dubya got reelected.
Both the Democrats and the Media hold a share of responsibility in this failure. To do the right thing, I'd expect them to lead the first double impeachment in History. A Late Summer Night's Dream ?
* Bush Administration
** Vicious President
*** Virtual President
20051025
White blogule to John McCain vs cruel, inhuman, or degrading Amerika
The Reps have their moral leader back on time for 2006 and 2008. Karl Rove managed to ruin his 2000 campaign but Senator John McCain once again proved how great he could be as the commander-in-chief.
His amendment specifying no "cruel, inhuman, or degrading" treatment should be performed by the US against detainees puts the Commander-in-thief in front of a dilemma : if I veto the bill (since, as McClellan put it, it "would limit the president's ability as commander-in-chief to effectively carry out the war on terrorism"), I may have to renegociate a $400bn check. If I don't veto it, I'm losing the face as a commander-in-chief.
McCain said : "The enemy we fight has no respect for human life or human rights. They don't deserve our sympathy. But this isn't about who they are. This is about who we are. These are the values that distinguish us from our enemies." How about Saddam's trial ?
Saddam Hussein's trial is only about who he is, not about who we Western democracies are : the only charge is about a massacre of villagers. Relevant, but nothing about gassing the populations (with gas manufactured in Germany or in Iraq with French & US facilities). Nothing about the ugly war against Iran (sponsored by the US and "old Europe"). Nothing about the post Gulf War I retaliation on Kurds (abandonned by Dubya's father). Nothing about the honoris causa Doctor Hussein behind the evil Mister Saddam.
His amendment specifying no "cruel, inhuman, or degrading" treatment should be performed by the US against detainees puts the Commander-in-thief in front of a dilemma : if I veto the bill (since, as McClellan put it, it "would limit the president's ability as commander-in-chief to effectively carry out the war on terrorism"), I may have to renegociate a $400bn check. If I don't veto it, I'm losing the face as a commander-in-chief.
McCain said : "The enemy we fight has no respect for human life or human rights. They don't deserve our sympathy. But this isn't about who they are. This is about who we are. These are the values that distinguish us from our enemies." How about Saddam's trial ?
Saddam Hussein's trial is only about who he is, not about who we Western democracies are : the only charge is about a massacre of villagers. Relevant, but nothing about gassing the populations (with gas manufactured in Germany or in Iraq with French & US facilities). Nothing about the ugly war against Iran (sponsored by the US and "old Europe"). Nothing about the post Gulf War I retaliation on Kurds (abandonned by Dubya's father). Nothing about the honoris causa Doctor Hussein behind the evil Mister Saddam.
20050904
White blogule to "this is America"
My last visit to New Orleans was a business trip in the gloomy days before the invasion of Iraq. In the early hours of the morning, I would stroll the decaying streets of the city, empty but for the occasional hobo, wild cat or mad dog, thinking to myself no one is awake in this country. Each individual is living his own life and in an illusion of unity, the masses are blindly following a warmonger faking compassion and cynically heralding moral virtues. No one realizes the country is falling apart.
After that, I would come back for breakfast and then walk to the Ernst N. Morial Convention Center before the opening of the gates, crossing Tchoupitoulas under freeways obviously knitted by giant spiders on crack, wondering how such an urbanistic nonsense could deserve sounding like a memorial.
The other day, at the same angle, the TV would show people passing by corpses without even noticing. Up the 90, in the Superdome, women and kids would be raped in public. In other parts of the state cameras couldn't reach : chaos, anarchy, cannibalism, the collapse of the idea of society itself. And these words echoing on and on : "this is America, can you believe it ?".
Such things can happen anywhere anytime, but never at this scale. The saddest point is I'm not even surprised. Sad, yes. Because I love the US and have this special feeling for Louisiana and New Orleans. Not puke smelling Bourbon Street New Orleans but abandoned New Orleans, where long before Katrina came, ghost cities would pretend to exist in the present time.
Beyond the humanitarian tragedy, the realization of America's social collapse may leave even bitter marks.
After that, I would come back for breakfast and then walk to the Ernst N. Morial Convention Center before the opening of the gates, crossing Tchoupitoulas under freeways obviously knitted by giant spiders on crack, wondering how such an urbanistic nonsense could deserve sounding like a memorial.
The other day, at the same angle, the TV would show people passing by corpses without even noticing. Up the 90, in the Superdome, women and kids would be raped in public. In other parts of the state cameras couldn't reach : chaos, anarchy, cannibalism, the collapse of the idea of society itself. And these words echoing on and on : "this is America, can you believe it ?".
Such things can happen anywhere anytime, but never at this scale. The saddest point is I'm not even surprised. Sad, yes. Because I love the US and have this special feeling for Louisiana and New Orleans. Not puke smelling Bourbon Street New Orleans but abandoned New Orleans, where long before Katrina came, ghost cities would pretend to exist in the present time.
Beyond the humanitarian tragedy, the realization of America's social collapse may leave even bitter marks.
20050824
Red blogule to Ayatollah Pat Robertson
Tell me the difference between Christian fundamentalists and Islamist fundamentalists now that both are issuing fatwahs. According to Ayatollah Pat Robertson, killing Chavez wouldn't cost $200 bns and killing Chavez is "a whole lot cheaper than starting a war. And I don't think any oil shipments will stop".
I don't think any craziness will stop soon either.
I'm just amazes me how Bu(ll)shites manage to make the weaker minds feel even more sympathy for such madhatters as Osama Bin Laden or Hugo Chavez.
I don't think any craziness will stop soon either.
I'm just amazes me how Bu(ll)shites manage to make the weaker minds feel even more sympathy for such madhatters as Osama Bin Laden or Hugo Chavez.
20050801
Red blogule to Hiroshima-Baghdad parallels
How will the Bush Administration spin on the 60th anniversary of Hiroshima & Nagazaki bombings ? Over 150,000 civilians got killed in Hiroshima within days. "Only" 25,000 died within two years in Iraq, and mostly by the hands of opponents to the US army invasion.
Yet. A sick parallel could be done - the "overall, lives were saved" kind of parallels, the "democracy has a price" kind of parallels.
Just like with Hiroshima, the people of Baghdad well-foundedly feels victimized : the people is paying for the leaders. Unlike the Japanese people, the German people did admit his guilt for the country's extremist past and yet, the people of Dresden feels just the same.
The fact is the bombers never truly said they were sorry. They never asked for forgiveness.
It's high time for the Allies to do it, to admit their share of the crimes committed during WWII.
Should the United States do it for Hiroshima's 60th anniversary, they necessarily would have to do it for their Iraq aggression. Can the Stubborn Again Christian leading this country truly make an act of contrition ? I doubt it.
Too bad : the US proved they could liberate people, but they also proved they didn't care for the long term consequences of the liberation of unhuman forces : dropping atomic bombs on civilians then, gassing fighters with agent orange in the 70s, torturing detainees today.
"What do I do when lightning strikes me ?" Bush answered wrongly. Among other things, he forgot those were the lyrics of a song called "Sorry seems to be the hardest word".
Yet. A sick parallel could be done - the "overall, lives were saved" kind of parallels, the "democracy has a price" kind of parallels.
Just like with Hiroshima, the people of Baghdad well-foundedly feels victimized : the people is paying for the leaders. Unlike the Japanese people, the German people did admit his guilt for the country's extremist past and yet, the people of Dresden feels just the same.
The fact is the bombers never truly said they were sorry. They never asked for forgiveness.
It's high time for the Allies to do it, to admit their share of the crimes committed during WWII.
Should the United States do it for Hiroshima's 60th anniversary, they necessarily would have to do it for their Iraq aggression. Can the Stubborn Again Christian leading this country truly make an act of contrition ? I doubt it.
Too bad : the US proved they could liberate people, but they also proved they didn't care for the long term consequences of the liberation of unhuman forces : dropping atomic bombs on civilians then, gassing fighters with agent orange in the 70s, torturing detainees today.
"What do I do when lightning strikes me ?" Bush answered wrongly. Among other things, he forgot those were the lyrics of a song called "Sorry seems to be the hardest word".
20050727
Red blogule to semantic transfusions
A recent recent NYT article quoted by the Center for Media and Democracy explains how "Terror War Gets New Slogan" : "A new emphasis on reminding the public of the broader, long-term threat to the United States may allow the administration to put into broader perspective the daily mayhem in Iraq and the American casualties" as "global struggle against violent extremism" replaces "global war on terror".
Could this also mean the "last throes of neocons against World peace" (did Dick dig that one ?) or an end to the "global destruction of the American ideal by warmonger fanatics" ? No way Jose : they're talking about "violent extremism", which is so much unlike White House extremism. When a "violent extremist" performs torture, he is attacking civilization. When a White House extremist makes torture legal, he is protecting the nation.
It took them four years to realize the solution was "more diplomatic, more economic, more political than it is military" ? It won't take long for the World to remember diplomacy and economy are in the hands of Lobby Dick Cheney while politics remain in the pristine claws of Karl Rove.
Could this also mean the "last throes of neocons against World peace" (did Dick dig that one ?) or an end to the "global destruction of the American ideal by warmonger fanatics" ? No way Jose : they're talking about "violent extremism", which is so much unlike White House extremism. When a "violent extremist" performs torture, he is attacking civilization. When a White House extremist makes torture legal, he is protecting the nation.
It took them four years to realize the solution was "more diplomatic, more economic, more political than it is military" ? It won't take long for the World to remember diplomacy and economy are in the hands of Lobby Dick Cheney while politics remain in the pristine claws of Karl Rove.
20050614
Red blogule to President Cheney and his "unlawful combatants"
Hypocrisy is not Lobby Dick's middle name. You can easily translate Dubya's doubletalk by catching the not so innocent pieces of ultraconservative wisdom his VP keeps releasing with the precision of a Swiss clock. Who was there to put some (Halliburton ?) oil on the fire at the peak of North Korean tension last week ? President Cheney. Who is there to defend Guantanamo under fire ? Richard The Second.
According to the NYT, the man a heartbeat away from becoming the world leader of democracy said Guantanamo detainees do not qualify for treatment under the Geneva Conventions because they are "unlawful combatants" who have not "operated in accordance with the laws of war" because they don't wear uniforms and have targeted civilians.
Here are the facts, Mr Cheney :
According to the NYT, the man a heartbeat away from becoming the world leader of democracy said Guantanamo detainees do not qualify for treatment under the Geneva Conventions because they are "unlawful combatants" who have not "operated in accordance with the laws of war" because they don't wear uniforms and have targeted civilians.
Here are the facts, Mr Cheney :
- Yes, atrocities are also committed by American people because you told them not to abid to any laws. Refusing the Geneva Conventions and any other kind of accountability goes beyond "unlawfulness" : you are training outlaws and torturers and this administration brought the shame on your country like no other one before.
- Yes, terrorists did and do commit atrocities - against the American people but more fundamentally (indeed !)against moderate muslims who are now defenseless because of the illegal war you sold - these are the perfect target civilians who get killed while you, as usual, stay safe far away from the actual war.
- Yes, this can also be said about you : you are "unlawful", you have not "operated in accordance with the laws of war", you don't wear uniforms and your so called war on terror mainly targeted civilians (the fact that US soldiers die because of you doesn't hurt the feelings of your buddies : after all, you traded their big corporation losses for a massive public deficit).
You say you want to bring Osama to justice but I wonder what kind of justice USA can bring under the helm of a known promoter of torture and at a time when even paedophiles are acquitted.
20050404
Red blogule to the Dear Compassionate Leader
This man has been humiliated by John Paul II when he decided to launch his illegal war. But just because the Pope accepted to meet the Stubborn Again Christian before last year's elections, just because both were on Terry Schiavo's parents side last week, George Walker Bush wants to attend the funerals of this great defensor of "liberty". A small man trying to get a sun tan from a great man's radiance. Over his dead body. Because he couldn't stand the stare of a moral and mortal watcher. Pitiful.
Karol Wojtyla could be stubborn too, but at times only, and this man was truly compassionate. He established interesting ties with other religions but in order to preserve the Church he didn't allow any evolution to alter the dogma at a time when it was badly needed. His successor should leverage on this more stable ground to make the necessary moves into the XXIst century.
Karol Wojtyla could be stubborn too, but at times only, and this man was truly compassionate. He established interesting ties with other religions but in order to preserve the Church he didn't allow any evolution to alter the dogma at a time when it was badly needed. His successor should leverage on this more stable ground to make the necessary moves into the XXIst century.
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