Today on NPR's Talk of the Nation, Neal Conan and company talked election movies.
Good election movies? I don't think they've ever seen one. They offered the sexist Election and the lousy Game Change. The Candidate, Bullworth and The Great McGinty were stronger choices. The Last Hurrah is one I have not seen in years. But if you are going to go with Spencer Tracy, I would assume the obvious pick was State of the Union. Until you get The Campaign and then you start to notice that women are ridiculed or else ignored in all their choices.
So let me offer two strong choices they ignore.
One is mentioned in Ava and C.I.'s "TV: The continued demise of the media." Meet John Doe. Barbara Stanwyck is fired by her paper and she creates a story about a man that touches everyone. But the man doesn't exist. They hire a baseball player to be the man and he becomes a national craze, runs for public office and more. It has a lot to say about the realities of the press and American democracy. Stanwyck is great and it may be the last role where Gary Cooper still had the beauty and sheen he came on with in his silent films.
My other choice? The best Watergate film.
No, not Redford and Hoffman.
Glenda Jackson. Sandy Dennis.
Nasty Habits!
This comedy takes Watergate and sets it in a nunnery.
It is hilarious. Sadly, it is not available on DVD.
There's an election and you've got everyone as various principals.
Glenda Jackson has won two Best Actress Academy Awards but I honestly think this is her finest performance.
If I could make a third choice, it's another underrated film. Also not available on DVD. H.E.A.L.T.H. This is one of Robert Altman's films that got beat up and ignored. But it is a minor classic. Carol Burnett has never been as charming on the big screen. James Garner carries that movie magic he's always offered. Lauren Bacall is hilarious. This is really a spoof of the 1980 election and it anticipates so much to come. Again, we have Glenda Jackson. She really was something. (She's still alive. But she has turned to British politics.) And so was a very young actress who'd only been doing films for a few years: Alfre Woodard. She makes a mark in a very small role and lets you know she is someone you will be hearing from.
So there are three films that were not mentioned but are worth considering and much better than the overrated Election and the cheesy TV movie Game Changer.
"Iraq snapshot" (The Common Ills):
Tuesday,
November 6, 2012. Chaos and violence continue, Taji is slammed with a
bombing, Nouri (at present) can't get the support he needs to form a
majority-government, Moqtada al-Sadr continues to present as a leader,
Nouri and his Cabinet attempt to gut the food ration card system, the
European press appears to miss that the cards have more than one use,
Ayad Allawi says Nouri will appear before Parliament, Massoud Barzani
finishes up a tour of the region, and more.
In the United States today, a presidential election is being held. Alastair Reith (CounterPunch) explores Iraq and Afghanistan in terms of the lies being told:
However, both candidates are neglecting to mention a few things about America's 'total withdrawal'.
Privatisation of occupation
A small number of troops will remain in the country, with the Office of Security Cooperation directing the activities of more than 100 military personnel tasked with training Iraq's army and helping to oversee continuing multi-billion dollar arms sales to the Iraqi military.
The US embassy in Baghdad is the largest and most expensive in the world, with 17,000 staff all operating under legal immunity.
There are also consulates in Basra, Mosul and Kirkuk, each with upwards of 1000 employees.
These
figures include more than just the bureaucrats and diplomats that
immediately spring to mind – the embassy also houses CIA officers,
intelligence analysts, defence attaches and upwards of 5,000 security
contractors.
In place of uniformed soldiers, America's activities in Iraq are increasingly carried out by thousands of defence contractors – essentially mercenaries operating under the aegis of the US government.
They do everything from peeling potatoes to providing diplomats and businessmen with armed security details.
Exact figures and details of precise activities are hard to come by, but the latest report from US Central Command details 7,336 contractors working for the Pentagon in Iraq.
It's not just the Pentagon
outsourcing its boots on the ground – when other government agencies
(such as the US State Department) are factored in the numbers become
closer to 13,500.
While Obama and Romney
cross verbal swords over the withdrawal of troops and how it took place,
the privatisation of America's significant and ongoing presence in Iraq
does not rate a mention.
Also noting the US election is Wael Grace (Al Mada) who points out
that Barack's 'withdrawal' has left behind US military as "trainers"
and Marines guarding the US diplomatic staff as well as contractors.
Taji has been slammed by a bombing which has left many dead and many injured. Reuters quotes police
officer Ahmed Khalef stating, "There were army trainees leaving the
base and small buses were waiting for them when the explosion took
place. We immediately started to rescue the wounded. You could smell
charred bodies." Earlier today, Adam Schreck (AP) reported 27 dead (and possibly a suicide bomber) and over forty injured. Hours later, Schreck updated to 33 dead and fifty-six injured. The Frontier Post notes the suicide car bombing was "at the entrance to an Iraqi army base" where recruits were lining up. AFP adds,
"The explosion appears to have occurred as they left the base at
lunchtime. But sources told the AFP news agency there had also been a
recruitment event on Tuesday to welcome potential new soldiers. Such
events have been targeted by militants in the past." Yesterday Mohammed Tawfeeq (CNN) reported a Taji car bombing as well -- one that claimed 1 life and left seven injured.
Yasir Ghazi (New York Times) quotes
Mohamed Talal who was hoping to enlist, "I was heading to the place
near the parking lot to check my name when all of sudden a strong
explosion happened where people were gathering. I turned and started to
run, and I began to feel shrapnel in my back and I fell to the ground."
Jane Arraf (Al Jazeera) states, "Our police source said that the attack was a parked car bomb, and not a suicide blast." Reuters notes
that the death toll has risen, "A suicide bomber rammed his
explosive-filled car into soldiers outside an army base near Baghdad on
Tuesday, killing 31 people and injuring tens more in one of the worst
attacks this year on the country's military."
In addition, All Iraq News notes that 2 school guards were injured in the Dora district of Baghdad and 1 soldier was shot dead in Qayyarah. Alsumaria
reports that 1 police officer was killed in an attack on his Mosul home
(attackers used automatic weapons), also in Nineveh Province,
2 soldiers were killed by an IED, 1 person was shot dead in Mousl (gun
had a silencer) and, dropping back to last night, a Falluja car bombing claimed the lives of 1 police officer and left four injured. Alsumaria adds that 1 Yezidi was kidnapped in Kirkuk.
Also on violence, All Iraq News notes
that today Iraqiya MP Hamid al-Mutlaq called for Iraqi Prime Minister
Nouri al-Maliki and President Jalal Talabani to hold responsible
whomever killed Diyala Province's Mohammed Jassim al-Mikdadi and strung
the man's body up on an electric pole afterwards.
In other disturbing news, All Iraq News reports Nouri al-Maliki's spokesperson declared today the intent to do away with the ration cards. Earlier this year, Stan Cox (Al Jazeera) explained the food ration card system:
For
more than two decades, Iraq has been running what the World Food
Program (WFP) has called "the largest public food program operating in
the world today". The system dates back to August 1990, when President
Saddam Hussein's army invaded Kuwait. In response, the UN Security
Council adopted Resolution 661, imposing sanctions and blocking
virtually all trade with the country. The government of Iraq quickly
established a PDS to provide food and other basic necessities to all
Iraqis. Little did they know the system would remain in place for more
than 20 years.
Because sanctions hampered Iraq's ability to sell oil or buy food, hardship intensified in the years following the 1991 Gulf War that ousted Iraqi troops from Kuwait. In 1995, Security Council Resolution 986 created the UN Oil-for-Food Program, and the PDS was expanded. But, through the sanctions period and during the almost nine years of occupation that followed the 2003 US invasion of Iraq, a significant portion of the population remained vulnerable to hunger.
Because sanctions hampered Iraq's ability to sell oil or buy food, hardship intensified in the years following the 1991 Gulf War that ousted Iraqi troops from Kuwait. In 1995, Security Council Resolution 986 created the UN Oil-for-Food Program, and the PDS was expanded. But, through the sanctions period and during the almost nine years of occupation that followed the 2003 US invasion of Iraq, a significant portion of the population remained vulnerable to hunger.
Nouri's
spokesperson is asserting that they will replace it with the equivalent
of US $12 in cash per month and that this will cut down on corruption.
No, it wouldn't. Corruption isn't even an issue. Though some -- even
some at the UN -- have called for reform, this program has been
effective, especially before Nouri came into power (spring 2006) and
began gutting it. All Iraq News reports
that Zia al-Asadi, the secretary-general of the Sadr bloc, has declared
that they reject the decision and do not see the proposed alternative
being an adequate substitute. Independent MP Jawad Albzona dismisses the move and says the amount being offered is "trivial" and will not help anyone. Iraqiya
also calls out the decision stating that the answer was to improve the
ration card system, not do away with it. They feel this will lead to an
increase in food prices. Iraqiya MP Adnan al-Janabi tells All Iraq News that ending the ration card system would be a disaster. AFP may be the only one filing an English language report. I'm not sure why they bothered.
Are
we not supposed to think? I'm sorry, I thought humans were the thinking
animal. I thought we processed. I thought we did more than just
offered he-said, she-said. Seems to me if Nouri's killing off the
ration card system, you ask a few questions, you make a few
observations.
And I'm real sorry but it's not just about the food or has the press been sleeping for the last years?
Pretend
I am an Iraqi. I want to vote in the provincial elections scheduled
for early next year. And I want to vote in the parliamentary elections
which are supposed to take place in 2014. How do I do that?
Currently -- pay attention AFP
-- I would do as I have done since the US invasion. I would display a
food ration card. This is the identification system that's used.
And
a move away from the card system? With an election coming up and one
supposed to follow within 12 months after the provincial elections? I
think it's safe to argue it's a pretty damn stupid time to drop the food
ration cards. Nouri can't even pull off a census. We're supposed to
believe he can handle voter registration?
Immediately
someone wearing a dunce cap insists, "Well they can end the program and
just use the cards." Yes, they can. If no new voters are coming into
the process. Good thing Iraq's got a population that rends old, right?
Good thing -- Oh, wait. Iraq's median age is 20-years. Iraq has an
incredibly young population and the percentage that will be coming of
age for the parliamentary election is a significant proportion of Iraq's
estimated 30 million people.
So what are
you telling us? The ration card system is ending but you're still going
to issue cards for the next two years to take care of the voting issue?
We've
talked about what is. Let's note what this may be based on past
history: Yet another attempt by Nouri to skew the elections in his own
favor.
For those who've forgotten, Iraq is in
the midst of a political crisis -- one caused by Nouri al-Maliki.
Unhappy that his State of Law did not come in first in the 2010
parliamentary elections, Nouri dugs his heels in for 8 months while the
US government backed him and figured out a way to disregard the Iraq
Constitution, the will of the people and the vote. The White House
decided a contract could sidestep all the issues. So the 8 month
political stalemate ended in November 2010 with Nouri and the leaders of
the other political blocs signing the Erbil Agreement. The contract
had concessions from Nouri (such as the formation of an independent
national security commission, Article 140 of the Constitution finally be
implemented, and more) and, in return, the blocs agreed to let Nouri
have a second term as prime minister. Nouri used it to get that second
term and then trashed the contract, refused to honor it. By the
summer of 2011, it was obvious that Nouri didn't -- as the US State
Department repeatedly lied -- just need more time. No, Nouri wasn't
going to follow the contract. That's when Moqtada al-Sadr, the Kurds
and Iraqiya began demanding that the Erbil Agreement be honored.
Nouri's failure to honor the contract started political stalemate II.
His desire to target Sunnis and Iraqiya led to the political crisis.
Mohammed Sabah (Al Mada) reports
today that Nouri's wish to further disregard the votes, the voters and
the other parties (including Iraqiya which won the parliamentary
election) has been stymied for while he still wants to form a
"majority-government" (he would block out political rivals), he's
worried that both Iraqiya and the Kurds would prevent him from forming
that if he dissolved the current government. It's a sign of just howed
cowed and cowardly the White House is that Nouri's trying to form a
majority-State of Law-government and they're not saying a word. The
runner up in the 2010 election is trying to seize total control of the
government and the White House is too chicken to speak up publicly. Al Rafidayn reports
that not only is the National Alliance (Shi'ite party led by Ibrahim
al-Jaafari) split on Nouri's plan for a majority government but the Sadr
bloc has also made clear that they oppose it. Let's again note, as we
have since 2010, Moqtada al-Sadr wants to be the next prime minister of
Iraq. In the last years, he's gone out of his way to make moves and
take positions that are seen as inclusive of all Iraqis. And reportedly
(this is what the US government was told), one of the reasons Moqtada
finally agreed to back Nouri on the second term in 2010 was because the
Iranian government told Moqtada, come 2014, they would back him. A
little while ago, when oil rich Iraq, according to Nouri, had no oil
surplus funds to share with the people, Moqtada cried foul. He's
refused to leave that issue alone and Nouri's been forced to admit that
there are funds. Moqtada's still not leaving it alone. All Iraq News reports
that a delegation from the Sadr bloc met today with Minister of
Finance Rafie al-Issawi to discuss this issue and find out what the
progess was on it. The bloc issued a statement noting they will
continue to stay focused on this and ensure that the country and its
children benefit from the oil.
Moqtada
is positioning himself to be Iraq's future prime minister. There's no
reason he shouldn't but he is, to the White House, "Iraq's radical
cleric." If they wanted to stop Moqtada (and they do), the easiest way
would have been to back Iraqiya in 2010 when it won the parliamentary
elections. Then Ayad Allawi would be prime minister (most likely it
would have been him, he is the head of Iraqiya) and if Iraqis were even
just a little bit better off, he'd be sailing into another term in
2014. Instead, the White-House-dreaded Moqtada may be the one. Al Mada reports
that Allawi declared yesterday that the political crisis has led to
serious differences and that Nouri must appear before Parliament as has
been requested. If the work is too much for Nouri, Allawi says, then
Nouri can leave the work to others because many would be happy to take
on Nouri's job.
Another person
unafraid to tell Nouri "enough" is KRG President Massoud Barzani. (When
Iraqi Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi was in the KRG and Nouri was
demanding that the KRG hand al-Hashemi over to Baghdad, President Jalal
Talabani buckled and al-Hashemi had to get the support of Barzani who,
unlike Talabani, doesn't stick a finger in the air to determine what way
the wind is blowing before making a decision.) Barzani has just
wrapped up a regional tour. Yesterday,
Barzani met with Abdullah Bin Hamad al-Attiyah, the Deputy Prime
Minister in Qatar, and, while in Qatar for several days, he met with
other government officials to discuss relations between the two
countries and common sides. Today, he
met with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani to
discuss economic opportunties and investments between Qatar and the KRG. And Barzani returned to the KRG late this evening.
Al Mada reports
that Baghdad made third dirtiest capital on the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's ranking as a result
of environmental pollution. Meanwhile All Iraq News reports Iraq's Ministry of the Environment is noting the waste in the Khasa River water in Kirkuk -- oil and construction materials.
Turning to England, as noted at War Criminal Tony Blair's online office,
he decided to kick off the work week with another speech, this one to
the Iraq Britain Business Council's 4th London Conference. To them, he
declared "So these are all compelling reasons for Britain and British
investment to be part of Iraq's future. But, naturally, in addition, to
the economic and industrial reasons, British forces helped liberate Iraq
from Saddam and for years with much heroism and sacrifice helped Basrah
survive the sectarian aftermath. They should be proud of what they
achieved. "
Many hearing his remarks probably thought of the news in June about efforts in the UK to ensure that those who tortured Iraqis not be legally punished. From Russia Today:
In 2003, dozens of men were allegedly hooded, stripped and beaten in secret camps across Iraq. One innocent civilian has reportedly died aboard a Royal Air Force helicopter, and a group of 63 others are still considered missing after being taken to another secret prison located in an oil pump station.
The shocking revelation is worsened by the fact that these events – which, if proven true, are clear violations of international law – were apparently sanctioned by top lawyers in the British Ministry of Defense, and kept secret from the Army's lawyer on the ground in Iraq.
Lieutenant Colonel Nicholas Mercer, the chief British Army lawyer in Iraq during the 2003 invasion, told the Mail on Sunday that what went on in this secret prison network amounted to "war crimes."
As news was breaking of the War Criminal and former British Prime Minister's speech was breaking, Kitbat already had filed a story about that attempted cover up in June. Meanwhile Iraq's a real mess. If you haven't figured that out, a British official rushes to make it clear today that the fault lies with the United States, not with England. Charles Maggs (Politics UK) reports:
Many hearing his remarks probably thought of the news in June about efforts in the UK to ensure that those who tortured Iraqis not be legally punished. From Russia Today:
In 2003, dozens of men were allegedly hooded, stripped and beaten in secret camps across Iraq. One innocent civilian has reportedly died aboard a Royal Air Force helicopter, and a group of 63 others are still considered missing after being taken to another secret prison located in an oil pump station.
The shocking revelation is worsened by the fact that these events – which, if proven true, are clear violations of international law – were apparently sanctioned by top lawyers in the British Ministry of Defense, and kept secret from the Army's lawyer on the ground in Iraq.
Lieutenant Colonel Nicholas Mercer, the chief British Army lawyer in Iraq during the 2003 invasion, told the Mail on Sunday that what went on in this secret prison network amounted to "war crimes."
As news was breaking of the War Criminal and former British Prime Minister's speech was breaking, Kitbat already had filed a story about that attempted cover up in June. Meanwhile Iraq's a real mess. If you haven't figured that out, a British official rushes to make it clear today that the fault lies with the United States, not with England. Charles Maggs (Politics UK) reports:
Peter
Mandelson has admitted Tony Blair made a mistake invading Iraq, as he
did not foresee the prolonged violence that was to engulf the country.
In an interview with Esquire magazine, the former king of spin said Blair had been expecting a "short, sharp success" rather than eight years of sectarian killing.
"He expected it, obviously, not to be a walk in the park but to be a short, sweet success with the downfall of Saddam," he said.
"But it didn't turn out like that, which was more the Americans' fault than his, but I think he should have gone into it with his eyes wider open."
In an interview with Esquire magazine, the former king of spin said Blair had been expecting a "short, sharp success" rather than eight years of sectarian killing.
"He expected it, obviously, not to be a walk in the park but to be a short, sweet success with the downfall of Saddam," he said.
"But it didn't turn out like that, which was more the Americans' fault than his, but I think he should have gone into it with his eyes wider open."
Sorry,
Mandelson, Tony didn't go to war with Iraq inspite of the US, in went
to war in partnership with the US. That means if the US is 'at fault,'
so is War Criminal Tony. We are judged by who we hop in bed with. As Stop The War Coalition notes, that wasn't War Criminal Tony's only public event this month:
Protest Tuesday 13 November 11am
War criminals & arms dealers out of our universities
Main Entrance, University College London WC1E 6BT
Tony Blair, John Reid and Michael Gove are among the speakers at the inaugural conference of the UCL Institute for Security & Resilience Studies.
Join
Stop the War to protest against war criminals like Tony Blair and his
friends speaking at a conference to promote the interests of arms
dealers in our universities.
What's Tony doing? What a good whore does, put out when paid. Stop The War Coalition explains:
ON TUESDAY 13 NOVEMBER, Tony Blair will be the headline speaker for the inaugural conference of University College London's Institute for Security & Resilience Studies (ISRS).
If you would like to attend Building an ethos of Resilience – A new Manifesto for Business, it costs just £714 a ticket -- or £354 at the "not for profit"rate.
This
is a departure from Mr Blair's recent public engagements, which have
focused more on the religious community. It is, however, perhaps more in
tune with his employment by the government of Kazakhstan, who currently
pay him £8 million a year to whitewash their human rights record.
The
ISRS was founded in 2008 by former MP John Reid. Reid was a key Blair
ally in the run-up to the Iraq war and an 'enforcer' within the Labour
Party. He was appointed Home Secretary following Robin Cook's
resignation to ensure few others would follow suit.
Reid
was known in Whitehall as 'Minister for Newsnight' for his skill in
pushing the Bush/Blair line in media appearances. The invasion of Iraq
may well be remembered as 'Blair's war', and not without some
justification. But there are many people who bear a great deal of
responsibility for that criminal act. John Reid is one of them.
Maybe the November 13th appearance will see someone attempt to Arrest Blair. The website notes it's already paid out money to several who made attempts to Arrest Blair:
Amount in the pot at 28.08.12: £7,262.67
First payment to Grace McCann: £2,619.67
Second payment to David Cronin: £2,801.98
Third payment to Kate O'Sullivan: £3,129.02
Forth payment to Tom Grundy: £2,420.89
Second payment to David Cronin: £2,801.98
Third payment to Kate O'Sullivan: £3,129.02
Forth payment to Tom Grundy: £2,420.89
Back
to the US where already some states are being called (yes, voting
continues on the West Coast -- never stops the 'news' industry from
predicting an outcome), if tonight's results leave you unhappy, let's join Elaine in noting Brian Montopoli's "Will The Election Really Change Anything?" (CBS News):
Yet no matter who wins on Tuesday, much of what goes on in Washington won't be all that different.
That's because there are significant limits on what a president can do without a compliant Congress. And forecasters expect the House to remain in Republican hands and the Senate to remain in Democratic hands. That sets the stage for the same Congressional gridlock we've seen over the past four years, when Congress' approval rating has hovered around 10 percent.
And let's say that Mr. Obama wins the election and the House also, improbably, ends up in Democratic hands. Even if Democrats hold the Senate, they still almost certainly won't have the 60 votes necessary to overcome a filibuster, which will make it easy for Republicans to block many of their policy goals.
On the flip side, let's say Romney wins and Republicans take control of the Senate and hang onto the House. Republicans also wouldn't have 60 Senate votes, and while either party could use a maneuver called "reconciliation" to circumvent the filibuster on certain budget matters - this is what Republicans want to use to block the health care law from going into effect - the minority would still have significant power to stymie the majority.
