Tuesday, October 11, 2005

this and that

Mike and I are doing the same items.

Arrest Warrants Issued for Ex-Iraqi Officials
Also in Iraq, arrest warrants have been issued for several officials from the US-backed interim government of former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi. According to the Associated Press, five ministers -- including Allawi's defense minister Hazem Shalaan -- are among 28 ex-officials accused of misappropriating one billion dollars in military funds. Most of the officials have already fled the country.

So our puppet government was full of thieves? Hard to believe, I know, since Bully Boy and his cronies are so upstanding. When they saw Halliburton getting rich off the war did the exiles, I'm guessing that they shared Allawi's exile status, think, "There's money to be made here! We don't want to look like suckers?" Did they learn a lesson from our books?

So Military George craps out again? No surprise.

Why did we install Allawi to begin with. Forget that he was Chalabi's cousin, which told you more than you needed to know, did we just assume that the only smart Iraqi would be one who'd gone exile and lived in the West?

But we're not xenophobes.

Truly. Allawi was also a CIA asset at 1 point in his career. I'm sure that played a great deal in the decision.


New Poll: 59% of U.S. Wants Troops Out of Iraq
Meanwhile, a new CBS News poll shows that 59 percent of Americans want US troops to leave Iraq as soon as possible, even if the country is not completely stable, an increase from 52 percent last month. Iraqis are four days away from voting in a nation-wide referendum on a new constitution drafted by the transitional government.

But who cares, say the kill 'em all-ers, that's just the people. Who cares what the people want? We'll do what we want and they can just accept it.

That tends to be our government's m.o. these days. Doesn't always work out so well for them. Ask Frist or Delay or Karl Rove.

I don't think you have a democracy when the will of the people is ignored.

Bully Boy can call it "focus groups" or "polls" but this is America speaking. And where is the press in all of this? Hiding.

If you haven't read "Joint entry from Ava and C.I. on the TV reviews," you should. Ava and C.I. are discussing the TV reviews they write for The Third Estate Sunday Review and it's interesting to me even though I've seen them do it and know the process now.

A friend left a message at work and when I called her back she said I had to include her favorite lines that Ava and C.I. had written for a review. This is from their review "TV: Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey Reporting for Two Hours of Self-Love" about Jessica and Nick's "Troops" special:

Which is puzzling when you consider another fatality -- "God Bless America." Who knew it was an ode to orgasms?Watching little Jessie wet her lips and tousle her mane (as a person she makes a great little pony), we were left to wonder what that or heaving bossoms had to do with either God or a country. Simpson apparently learnt the song at Our Lady of Lap Dance.

"Peace Quotes" (Peace Center)
The pacifist's task today is to find a method of helping and healing which provides a revolutionary constructive substitute for war.
Vera Brittain, 1964






Posted by at