The recent capitualtions by Iraq (allowing U2 flyovers, granting limited access to some scientists, etc) of course are a tactic aimed at stalling the US longer, since they have the possibility of giving more rhetorical ammo to the inspection-hawks on the UNSC. Some might take this as bad news, but I don’t really see it as very useful information about when a war could start. Rather, i think it tells more simply about Saddam’s own perception of the situation.
Firs off, everyone knows that Iraq would do everything possible to make sure that whatever concessions they make are as much for show as possible, such as telling their scientists to be interviewed by the UN: “Look of course we want you to cooperate with the inspectors, but if you divulge any information to them that is vital to Iraqi national security we’re gonna have to torture you and your family to death. And, by the way, anything relating to any WMDs is all considered vital to our national security. But by all means, cooperate with the inspectors, k?”
So really, there isn’t a huge probability that Blix and co. would garner anything truly important from the agreements recently made with Iraq. Yet, Iraq is still taking more of a risk in allowing the inspectors the kind of new access (hedged and dishonest as it may be) than they ever have before. Saddam’s capital in this escapade of his has always been the degree to which he was able to hold back any information from leaking out of Iraq about his weapons programs beastiality or bestiality. These recent moves amount to more spending of that capital than he has done since even before he agreed to 1441.
I think that’s significant, because it seems to reveal something about what the current mindset is for Saddam and for his small band of Tikrit thugs. Basically, I think that they are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel, meaning that in some way, this current inspections game isn’t going last much longer. Some possibilities as to just what I think that light could be (from most to least likely):
1) Saddam sees the window for a US military campaign closing: Den Beste has said that “if there are no American soldiers patrolling the streets of Baghdad on May 1, we are all royally fucked.” That might be a little too stringent of an assessment, if not only because even if the attack started tomorrow there’s no guarantee it would be basically over by the 1st. But i think his statement is essentially correct if you replace “May 1st” with the “Ides of March.” That leaves us some time, but really only a couple weeks for the war to start before some of the seasonal issues start coming into play, as well as just the operational level of readiness would presumably begin to wear down, assuming it was past the point of top military readiness for our troops in the region (more on that below).
I think Saddam sees, in much the same way that Bill Quick does, that even now we’re coming close to (if we have not already reached and passed it) the point where the momentum for war slows down so much that it can’t be started up again. I personally have no idea if this is actually the case, but I think it is the perception that Saddam is working off of right now: Stall them just a little more males fucking dogs. Give them something that would really cause the inspectors to drool, even if it means putting the programs at risk. They’re almost on the verge of collapse. After they reach that point, it almost won’t even matter what the inspectors can find.
2) The US has reached, or will soon reach, ideal military preparedness for an invasion. I find this slightly less likely than the above because it first assumes that a) Saddam has any means of knowing (or at least thinking he knows) when the US would be at peak readiness and b) that he would think that making more concessions to the UN, and thus giving the French more of a (shallow) reason to carp about the viability of inspections, would actually forestall Bush from unilaterally giving the go-ahead.
Neither of these are really that unlikely as assumptions, but they’re by no means assured either.
With regards to a), the idea that he would have reliable information concerning the our forces’ preparedness that would be detailed enough to give him some hint as to when they would be most ready to attack seems pretty doubtful. However, there is a distinct possiblity, being surrounded by the kind of cowering yes-men that his personal eccentricities have engendered in his advisors, an environment where the messenger is very often shot, after the messenger’s family and friends have also been killed, he might very well think he knows a lot more than he does.
Saddam isn’t stupid, but he’s been living in what is eesentially a fantasy world for 20 years dogsex woman. It was that very environment that led to his disastrous missteps during the Gulf War, so it’s very possible that he’s been fooled into think he knows a lot more than he actually does.
As for assumption b), I predict that, at most, Bush and Blair will try to time their presenting of a new UNSC resolution authorizing military force to coincide with us getting everything ideally in place to launch an invasion. There would, at most, be a couple days of discussion, at which either they would either vote yes, and we would go, or they would vote no, and we would go.
But, as mentioned above, stalling the US after it’s reached prime readiness is a thousand times more important than trying to do so while we’re not even capable of attacking yet, and if this can be done for even 6 weeks, the liklihood of the invasion happening drops considerably. It’s concievable that Saddam (rightly or wrongly) thinks we’re nearing that point, at which point he would be more readily agreeable to taking risks so as to make concessions (or seem to) and thus maybe stall the invasion. And in the same way as before, it’s perfectly reasonable to suggest that his warped sense of the world would lead him to believe that such concessions could actually generate enough opposition in the UNSC to actually stay Bush’s hand.
And, even if he has a better grasp on reality than that and doubts the probability of his new stall tactics working in this scenario, the amount of risk involved in a US attack far outweighs the risk he’s taking in possibly exposing a few more secrets of his WMD programs.
3) Saddam is imminently close to getting a nuke: Easily the scariest possibility. It would mean the game would undergo a complete overhaul my aunt fucking dog. Not that it would completely shift to a North Korea-like scenario, where we have to suddenly be content with treating Saddam with some degree of legitimacy and dealing with him as more of an equal, but certainly the situation would move in that direction. Suddenly attacking would be a much more perilous proposition, meaning we might not do it at all, or if we did, it could very well mean some sort of catastrophe: either a spiteful, top-o-the-world-ma type of nuclear strike against Israel or Turkey, or one that could possibly kill thousands of advancing US troops. Even as spread out as the formations would necessarily be, with all the measures that CENTCOM would of course take to minimize the damage from such an act, I still think there’s a chance this could generate thousands of deaths among our troops. Luckily though, I find this to be somewhat farfetched. At least, I’m hoping it is.
So, for what it’s worth, I think these recent moves reveal at least something about what is going on in the Iraqi side of this game. The only problem is that Saddam has virtually no agency when it comes to deciding when the war will start, or even if there will be one at all. That’s Bush’s jurisdiction. You might be able to take his maneuverings as reactionary indications as to what we’re doing or going to do, but as I said before, the information he’s working off of might be much worse than the simple amount of un-knowledge that we all have to work with sheep sex.
As for myself, I’m sticking to the tentative hope that we’re going to attack within a few days after we reach the moment of being in the best state of readiness to do so, with or without UN approval.
When wil that happen?
Geez, I dunno. I’m just a stupid kid. Go ask Den Beste. He seems to know what he’s talking about.
chanting in his face and moved in front of him every time he tried to get around her.Mr Mitnick even had to get permission from his probation officer to use a computer to write his book, The Art Of Deception,
And at most, UN weapons inspectors have delayed conflict by a few years, not averted it. In actualyity, I think they have
one of the most fad-driven enterprises imaginable. It produces a new catechism each decade, which everyone dutifully recites.
Iranian cleric Mohsen Mojtahed Shabestari, addressing weekly Friday prayers in the northwestern town of Tabriz, said
Already, even if the UN thumbs its irrelevant nose at the idea of going after Iraq (and if it actually does, then they'll
sloth, or as an instrument to further the ends of despotism or anarchy.
predictable frequency. Follow a politician to a school photo-op,
who like to chant slogans and can't come up with any better rhyme than something that has to do with the number "four" and "war."
that has the temerity to look at us cock-eyed.
So seeing as how we've got massive approval from the House of Representatives and similar support in the senate is likely,
making a point of reading in depth about any such future atrocity to ensure that I don't allow myself to be instantly "over it."
to prolonged indulgence in luxury and soft, effortless ease, or to the deification of a warped and twisted sentimentality.
50 Ways to Leave Your Folly Common Dreams, that goldmine of general silliness, showcases this piece, The Folly of Pre-emptive
that boiled up to the surface when I read things like this.
obviously they have lost loved ones or friends."
and eastern Europe, Australia and the middle east. Is that not multilateralism?
and make them wish that congress had instead passed a resolution authorizing military force against people
I wish that I could just be told "Hundreds of people died in a terrorist bombing today," and instantly feel the kind of rage
when you apply your own internal calculus of death and suffering and conclude that it isn't something that you need
you could see stink lines of self-satisfaction coming off her so that he could simply get to his job. She of course started
Now could someone please tell me what concrete purpose that woman's behavior, and that of her great chanting unwashed bretheren,
one of the most fad-driven enterprises imaginable. It produces a new catechism each decade, which everyone dutifully recites.
agree that [insert additional badly-forced car metaphor here]!
United States invade a distant country without any evidence of impending aggression.
Posted by Mean Mr. Mustard at 09:13 PM | Comments (4)
I was already in a state of "moving on" and being "over it" before I even heard about the Bali attacks, with the result
I wish that I could just be told "Hundreds of people died in a terrorist bombing today," and instantly feel the kind of rage
After 3000 of your countrymen die in a couple hours, anything less than that is wont to be downplayed in significance
Mr Mitnick even had to get permission from his probation officer to use a computer to write his book, The Art Of Deception,
find testimonials to diversity. Flip through any recent social sciences or humanities textbook and diversity pops up with
being the reaction described above.
Bush also spoke of an "international coalition" that would disarm Hussein. Bush knows the American public is loathe to
Now of course I'm sure that these open-toed folks have a flurry of perfectly well thought-out reasons as to why pissing
During that protest, my girlfriend had to take a midterm in Wheeler auditorium and had to step over the bodies lying in
And perhaps because of the collective weight of all those accumulated exhortations, perhaps from the psychic weariness
That is, until this morning. Now I'm glad to say that I've gotten over getting over it, and am thoroughly pissed again.
When I first heard about the bombing in Bali, my initial reaction was, "Another terrorist attack? Well, of course."
only be revealed as more useless than it already seems), there is right now a coalition prepared to go into Iraq with the
and eastern Europe, Australia and the middle east. Is that not multilateralism?
that off my list of things to do. Now, on to learning how to square-dance."
in words so much more exacting than even those who actually live in that time would be able to produce?
After 3000 of your countrymen die in a couple hours, anything less than that is wont to be downplayed in significance
of righteousness; and it becomes a very evil thing if it serves merely as a mask for cowardice and
predictable frequency. Follow a politician to a school photo-op,
use grown-up scissors), but nevertheless, even though he really didn't deserve it,
curiosity that trumps any sort of legal resriction placed on him, but it's pretty much a foregone conclusion that he's
I don't know about you people, but I'm already stocking up on extra food, water, and electrons.
some of their cohorts are actually being held accountable by the university for their disruptive, illegal actions at
the not-being-a-jerk department.
Hey, didn't there used to be a city where this smoking crater is?
Why are you still here?!
owned," she pontificated, in that snotty "52% of my clothes are made of hemp which therefore makes me morally superior
information with your heads crammed so far up your asses, so I'll give you a pass.
But I am thankful that at least for now, I've been able to summon that deep-seated, personal wrath so appropriate to an
If a good education is meant to produce independent thinkers, I've seen precious little evidence it does. Education is
that has the temerity to look at us cock-eyed.
It seems the Muslim version of a slander suit is cutting off your head. Now when I read this I was shocked, just shocked
hunting dairy cows with a high-powered rifle and scope."
And exactly how do you go from no "final proof" to there being no evidence of impending aggression? The very fact that
By tossing out any reasonable standards of evidence as a prerequisite for military action, the White House puts us in a state
Replace "powerful" with "crazy and armed with nukes" and you'd be right. Otherwise, your statement is nonsense.
owned," she pontificated, in that snotty "52% of my clothes are made of hemp which therefore makes me morally superior
trying to get an education
Saddam is so hot to get his grubby hands on nukes is enough evidence of aggression. What's he going to do with them once
By tossing out any reasonable standards of evidence as a prerequisite for military action, the White House puts us in a state
hacky-sack?"
and the UC Divestment folks will be holding a rally for what looks like the primary purpose of protesting the fact that
Well I'm far far far too petty a person to do that.
serves? As far as I can tell, all they did was take some people who were probably overwhelmingly against the war anyway,
Really, how often is someone able to so perfectly crystallize the dilemmas that will exist a century in the future
democratically decided laws - - not the capriciousness of individual rulers -- should govern human affairs.
I see. Did you talk to this "everyone" at your International Socialist Organization direct action planning seminar or
which is all about the biggest threat to the security of all companies: their own employees.
really just put Saddam in a better situation than he was before because the presence of inspectors invites complacency and
of a lack of imagination or basic humanity; the fact that it's difficult for me to feel deeply for people suffering unless
the Feds know about it.
has been built up around Mitnick, a basically curious guy who just as often used old face-to-face (or voice-to-voice)
To quote a boozed up, cynical and misanthropic individual whom I greatly admire: "Making fun of these people is like
without regard to whether the loss is due to the growth of a heartless and all-absorbing commercialism,
Finally, long after the fad has grown tiresome, everyone's attention turns to another scrap of dogma for the next decade.
Falwell was a "mercenary and must be killed," the Farsi-language daily Abrar reported Saturday.
Already, even if the UN thumbs its irrelevant nose at the idea of going after Iraq (and if it actually does, then they'll
let you know when there's a mushroom cloud over New York, because that's the only "final proof" that seems to be able to
(or to have their genitalia eviscerated by a rabid Rosie O'Donnell
superiority.
When I first heard about the bombing in Bali, my initial reaction was, "Another terrorist attack? Well, of course."
I see. Did you talk to this "everyone" at your International Socialist Organization direct action planning seminar or
satisfy you. I'd be much more amendable to the idea however if you were willing to be a personal eye-witness to this
predictable frequency. Follow a politician to a school photo-op,
I figured that was the way to go. But then I read this.
without end is causing traditional friends of the United States to
I see. Did you talk to this "everyone" at your International Socialist Organization direct action planning seminar or
vaunted proof of yours. Then you could be really sure.
"I said it's being taken care of, dammit. Mind your own business."
rivals.
a representative of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was quoted as saying.
of fist.
Hesiod over at Counterspin Central is one such fellow. Not only with myself, but in his conversations with Den Beste,
the teacher trying to impress both of them.
alternative economy." I suppose that's better PR than saying they want to impose a grab bag full of sociialistic silliness
join the majority of the world's nations in distancing themselves from Washington in a fashion not seen since the Vietnam War.
or any other simply crappy country in the world, because none of them satisfy both those propositions.
really just put Saddam in a better situation than he was before because the presence of inspectors invites complacency and
Those people are especially useful when they have access to the core computer systems that hackers would otherwise struggle
alternative economy." I suppose that's better PR than saying they want to impose a grab bag full of sociialistic silliness
both at home and abroad, can go heartily fuck themselves, or jump off a cliff, or shoot themselves in the head. I don't
that I hadn't thought of it first!
United States invade a distant country without any evidence of impending aggression.
And perhaps because of the collective weight of all those accumulated exhortations, perhaps from the psychic weariness
and you'll get diversity in the speech by the politician, in the one by the principal who welcomes him and in the one by
cutting-edge performance art group impersonating real anti-war folks, as the whole ordeal seemed to approach parody. No,
that boiled up to the surface when I read things like this.
so that he will be better equipped to fulfill point 1). Show me another nation that's like that today.
I see. Did you talk to this "everyone" at your International Socialist Organization direct action planning seminar or
And exactly how do you go from no "final proof" to there being no evidence of impending aggression? The very fact that
nuclear weapons. Containment was born out of a realization that we were effectively restrained by our lack of strategic
one of the most fad-driven enterprises imaginable. It produces a new catechism each decade, which everyone dutifully recites.
In theory, I was of course angry, but I had a vaguely detatched sense about the whole thing. A large part of that of
I simply love it when my case is made for me.
you could see stink lines of self-satisfaction coming off her so that he could simply get to his job. She of course started
Posted by Mean Mr. Mustard at 09:13 PM | Comments (4)
support (in the small, mostly insignificant ways that are possible for one such as myself)
You try to make it seem as if the Joint Chiefs were lying around on a Sunday afternoon and said to themselves, "Yeah sure,
about equal probability.
when you apply your own internal calculus of death and suffering and conclude that it isn't something that you need
An insightful, well-written and quite simply excellent column somehow found its way in the SF Chronicle's website today.
The book details the ways that employees can inadvertently leak information that can be exploited by hackers to compromise
Do you mean the Muslim world that celebrated 9/11, saying the US deserved it all along? Or perhaps you mean the Muslim world
My sentences, thus decreed, will be subsequently carried out by my elite brigade of Beheading Gnomes, whom I made up
"approach parody" is too mild. They sprinted towards parody, jumped on top of it and proceded to give parody a spirited
I simply love it when my case is made for me.
or any other simply crappy country in the world, because none of them satisfy both those propositions.
hunting dairy cows with a high-powered rifle and scope."
really just put Saddam in a better situation than he was before because the presence of inspectors invites complacency and
You try to make it seem as if the Joint Chiefs were lying around on a Sunday afternoon and said to themselves, "Yeah sure,
Anyway, take the new site for a test drive. Take her easy on the clutch and go steady on the hills, and I think you'll
the real fault of that government or its citizens, or the West in general, or capitalism, or any other ridiculous boogeyman
I'm going to be checking the weather channel for reports of snowflakes in Hell, but meanwhile you should go read it now.
satisfy you. I'd be much more amendable to the idea however if you were willing to be a personal eye-witness to this
Those people are especially useful when they have access to the core computer systems that hackers would otherwise struggle
It may be a sad illustration of my lack to find sympathy within myself without reading descriptions or seeing pictures,
both at home and abroad, can go heartily fuck themselves, or jump off a cliff, or shoot themselves in the head. I don't
Stand up to these thugs This Wednesday, the 16th at noon, an apparent composite of the Students for Justice in Palestine
sloth, or as an instrument to further the ends of despotism or anarchy.
the not-being-a-jerk department.
I finally went and did it.
in words so much more exacting than even those who actually live in that time would be able to produce?
a terrorist and an envoy of Iran's supreme leader reportedly called for his death.
...but there's no shame in being a follower when those you're following make such damn good points.
again soon, didn't we?"
So I hereby declare myself Ayatollah Mustardah of Blogistan. From this day forward, I will call down, on any Idiotarian
without regard to whether the loss is due to the growth of a heartless and all-absorbing commercialism,
Heaven forfend them not being on board with us!
Posted by Mean Mr. Mustard at 09:37 AM | Comments (0)
After 3000 of your countrymen die in a couple hours, anything less than that is wont to be downplayed in significance
I mean come on, when you're arguing with someone who's just going to call you a Nazi when you spend 2,000 words making
chanting in his face and moved in front of him every time he tried to get around her.
to elicit empathy had been raised considerably since 9/11,
one of the most fad-driven enterprises imaginable. It produces a new catechism each decade, which everyone dutifully recites.
Heh. Didn't Nostradamus write something about "a bespeckled plague rising in the West..."?
democratically decided laws - - not the capriciousness of individual rulers -- should govern human affairs.
so that he will be better equipped to fulfill point 1). Show me another nation that's like that today.
To quote a boozed up, cynical and misanthropic individual whom I greatly admire: "Making fun of these people is like
But I am thankful that at least for now, I've been able to summon that deep-seated, personal wrath so appropriate to an
serves? As far as I can tell, all they did was take some people who were probably overwhelmingly against the war anyway,
War, by three fellows that hail from Global Exchange. You know who I'm talking about. The folks that want to "build an
that has the temerity to look at us cock-eyed.
that I hadn't thought of it first!
sloth, or as an instrument to further the ends of despotism or anarchy.
You must be triple jointed to be able to twist words like that.
I'll get a chance to ask why they've been glorifying images of Hamas murderers on their flyers.
Bush also spoke of an "international coalition" that would disarm Hussein. Bush knows the American public is loathe to
and the decisions to do so would based on (as in this case) measured calculations of the relative benefits and costs,
I don't know about you people, but I'm already stocking up on extra food, water, and electrons.
But anyway, right there you've got yourself eight nations total in the coalition, hailing from North America, both western
So I hereby declare myself Ayatollah Mustardah of Blogistan. From this day forward, I will call down, on any Idiotarian
"What I found personally to be true was that it's easier to manipulate people rather than technology," he said.
That is, until this morning. Now I'm glad to say that I've gotten over getting over it, and am thoroughly pissed again.
that has the temerity to look at us cock-eyed.
Stand up to these thugs This Wednesday, the 16th at noon, an apparent composite of the Students for Justice in Palestine
you could see stink lines of self-satisfaction coming off her so that he could simply get to his job. She of course started
and eastern Europe, Australia and the middle east. Is that not multilateralism?
on the civilized world. And when I resort again to that frame of mind, it will be because I realize, intellectually and
I figured that was the way to go. But then I read this.
to make the first world poor and make sure the third world stays that way.
If and when you find one, that means that I'll be perfectly willing to advocate an attack against them as well.
Don't worry, I'll sit here with my rifle ready to take out any airborne porcines, should they come flying by.
vaunted proof of yours. Then you could be really sure.
he revealed himself to be a seriously dishonest debater (that, or he was so stupid that it wouldn't be safe for him to
one of the most fad-driven enterprises imaginable. It produces a new catechism each decade, which everyone dutifully recites.
When I first heard about the bombing in Bali, my initial reaction was, "Another terrorist attack? Well, of course."
occurred, smashing the window of their hotel room.
cause, but I,
Posted by Mean Mr. Mustard at 09:13 PM | Comments (4)
assures everyone that "Don't worry, the problem is being taking care of by the inspectors."
that blatantly called for some rhetorical bitch-slapping.
to make the first world poor and make sure the third world stays that way.
course grew out of the experience of 9/11.
a careful, precise argument, what point is there in engaging them verbally anymore?
The book details the ways that employees can inadvertently leak information that can be exploited by hackers to compromise
I was already in a state of "moving on" and being "over it" before I even heard about the Bali attacks, with the result
By tossing out any reasonable standards of evidence as a prerequisite for military action, the White House puts us in a state
lap dance.
occurred, smashing the window of their hotel room.
of fist.
To quote a boozed up, cynical and misanthropic individual whom I greatly admire: "Making fun of these people is like
Saddam is so hot to get his grubby hands on nukes is enough evidence of aggression. What's he going to do with them once
Heaven forfend them not being on board with us!
It is time for a new day to dawn in the Blogosphere, my gnome brothers. A glorious day. A day when no longer will we
why she thought there weren't more stories about protests going on in the news, "Well, because the media is corporately
coming off them. It was really a terrible sight," she said. "You could just hear people crying up in the Bounty foyer -
The book details the ways that employees can inadvertently leak information that can be exploited by hackers to compromise
I finally went and did it.
Hey, didn't there used to be a city where this smoking crater is?
I have to admit I'm pretty curious just to see what he's going to do. The guy has shown himself to have an overpowering
Sure, it'd be nice to be a leader...
or any other simply crappy country in the world, because none of them satisfy both those propositions.
Don't worry, I'll sit here with my rifle ready to take out any airborne porcines, should they come flying by.
No nation deserves to exist if it permits itself to lose the stern and virile virtues; and this
world that even today harbors and offers succor to the same groups that piloted the 9/11 planes, right?
Why are you still here?!
In theory, I was of course angry, but I had a vaguely detatched sense about the whole thing. A large part of that of
coming off them. It was really a terrible sight," she said. "You could just hear people crying up in the Bounty foyer -
In fact, the idea of pre- emptive attack depends on fear. It presupposes insecurity and assumes we will always be threatened.
(or to have their genitalia eviscerated by a rabid Rosie O'Donnell
Saddam will use these nukes when he gets them, whether that use takes the form of vaporizing a city or merely being hung
It may be a sad illustration of my lack to find sympathy within myself without reading descriptions or seeing pictures,
Watching Channel 7 news today (the Simpsons were in a commercial), they reported on a wad of dingbats who blocked access
, "I don't believe the American people support this war. Everyone I've talked to is against it!"
weapons inspections in Iraq represent a good example of how the rule of law has been used, and can be used again, to avert
You must be triple jointed to be able to twist words like that.
be replacing the old site that was hosted on that evil of evils, that bane of banes, that something-really-awful of
Really, how often is someone able to so perfectly crystallize the dilemmas that will exist a century in the future
Meanwhile, the fact that we are able to use pre-emptive action when deemed necessary is a fact of our strength, not weakness
attack against the United States. Even though President Bush acknowledged in his speech that Iraq does not currently
For that reason and others, I didn't actually start reading the news coverage until this morning.
jerkwad I encounter, an order for them to be beheaded with extreme prejudice until the the point at which they are dead
to penetrate.
It may be a sad illustration of my lack to find sympathy within myself without reading descriptions or seeing pictures,
Posted by Mean Mr. Mustard at 09:37 AM | Comments (0)
some of their cohorts are actually being held accountable by the university for their disruptive, illegal actions at
weapons inspections in Iraq represent a good example of how the rule of law has been used, and can be used again, to avert
Well that's not really true. People on a different side of the debate than I are not necessarily jerks, just wrong.
Well, being the abject conformist that I am, I would like to welcome all new and oldcomers to my new blog, which will
morally, that this is the right thing to do.
Iranian cleric Mohsen Mojtahed Shabestari, addressing weekly Friday prayers in the northwestern town of Tabriz, said
Sure, it'd be nice to be a leader...
"A bunch of people died from terrorism over the weekend? Sure, that's awful, but we all knew this was going to happen
Well I'm far far far too petty a person to do that.
serves? As far as I can tell, all they did was take some people who were probably overwhelmingly against the war anyway,
Many in the global community also distrust the Bush administration's expanding war aims. It is not easy for our friends around
slope proposition, claiming that because we go after Saddam, we'll suddenly be all aggro-ed up to obliterate any country
owned," she pontificated, in that snotty "52% of my clothes are made of hemp which therefore makes me morally superior
United States invade a distant country without any evidence of impending aggression.
needed now was healing, closure; in short, to "get over it" and "move on."
and you'll get diversity in the speech by the politician, in the one by the principal who welcomes him and in the one by
Either that, or I now have to admit the existence of clairvoyance.
democratically decided laws - - not the capriciousness of individual rulers -- should govern human affairs.
care. Just don't let me hear anything about how this bombing that specifically targeted Australian civilians was somehow
Wheeler Hall last spring.
We despise and abhor the bully, the brawler, the oppressor, whether in private or public life, but
to elicit empathy had been raised considerably since 9/11,
morally, that this is the right thing to do.
curiosity that trumps any sort of legal resriction placed on him, but it's pretty much a foregone conclusion that he's
According to the president, "we cannot wait for the final proof" that Saddam Hussein's government is planning an imminent
President Bush says he wants to avoid "a future of fear." It's an admirable goal, but one hardly served by this new doctrine.
A taste, just a taste...
they're done, hang them on his wall next to the framed heads of Iraqi dissidents and say to himself, "Well, I can check
That is, until this morning. Now I'm glad to say that I've gotten over getting over it, and am thoroughly pissed again.
It is time for a new day to dawn in the Blogosphere, my gnome brothers. A glorious day. A day when no longer will we
course grew out of the experience of 9/11.
Maybe I can't change the fact that I have to be intimately confronted with the death and pain in order to really feel the
Eventually he got a little ticked off and said roughly, "Get away from me!" I was hungrily anticipating the energetic dissenter
Well I wouldn't be surprised if this Wednesday at Sproul there will be similar behavior, and I plan to be there. Maybe
morally, that this is the right thing to do.
hacky-sack?"
to the San Francisco federal building to protest the passage of Bush's resolution for action against Iraq.
"A bunch of people died from terrorism over the weekend? Sure, that's awful, but we all knew this was going to happen
A taste, just a taste...
news editors of Cannel 7 to allow, as the segment ended right there.
That is, until this morning. Now I'm glad to say that I've gotten over getting over it, and am thoroughly pissed again.
way why we're doing all of this, and why, if they still choose to berate us about "root causes" and "birds coming home
not just "fear," as if we're going to indiscriminantly nuke the floor under our beds because monsters might be hiding there.
you could see stink lines of self-satisfaction coming off her so that he could simply get to his job. She of course started
needed now was healing, closure; in short, to "get over it" and "move on."
the efforts to find these people and eradicate them, to ferret them out from their cowardly hiding places and vaporize
who like to chant slogans and can't come up with any better rhyme than something that has to do with the number "four" and "war."
War, by three fellows that hail from Global Exchange. You know who I'm talking about. The folks that want to "build an
the real fault of that government or its citizens, or the West in general, or capitalism, or any other ridiculous boogeyman
to all of you warmongering neanderthals" tone of voice. She then struck a pose of righteous exasperation when she asked
satisfy you. I'd be much more amendable to the idea however if you were willing to be a personal eye-witness to this
You must be triple jointed to be able to twist words like that.
faith at large, since many of them are peaceful, albeit intellectually stunted, people.
in words so much more exacting than even those who actually live in that time would be able to produce?
that boiled up to the surface when I read things like this.
The BBC has a story about the so-called "master hacker", in which it does a good job of destroying the mythos that
The experience made me think of the instructions from all corners of the media after 9/11 that what we, as Americans,
And at most, UN weapons inspectors have delayed conflict by a few years, not averted it. In actualyity, I think they have
serves? As far as I can tell, all they did was take some people who were probably overwhelmingly against the war anyway,
about equal probability.
In theory, I was of course angry, but I had a vaguely detatched sense about the whole thing. A large part of that of
An insightful, well-written and quite simply excellent column somehow found its way in the SF Chronicle's website today.
Mr Mitnick even had to get permission from his probation officer to use a computer to write his book, The Art Of Deception,
that extended anger and sadness bring, or maybe even from just the fact that my threshold of human suffering sufficient
on the civilized world. And when I resort again to that frame of mind, it will be because I realize, intellectually and
When they aired some actual interviews with the protesters, I started to honestly think they were part of some sort of
But it's not really fair to denigrate someone's ideas just because they themselves come from an organization riddled with
so that he will be better equipped to fulfill point 1). Show me another nation that's like that today.
the way. Apparently that wasn't enough for the however, because they then started pulling at her legs to keep her from
Saddam is so hot to get his grubby hands on nukes is enough evidence of aggression. What's he going to do with them once
world that even today harbors and offers succor to the same groups that piloted the 9/11 planes, right?
It is time for a new day to dawn in the Blogosphere, my gnome brothers. A glorious day. A day when no longer will we
One middle-aged woman who looked like she hadn't combed her hair since Jerry Garcia died had this to say, when asked
looks like a green light, no?
you could see stink lines of self-satisfaction coming off her so that he could simply get to his job. She of course started
and that it wasn't fair for these people to stop them, the girl started literally screaming at her about selfish she was.
the efforts to find these people and eradicate them, to ferret them out from their cowardly hiding places and vaporize
I figured that was the way to go. But then I read this.
But it's not really fair to denigrate someone's ideas just because they themselves come from an organization riddled with
last update : 5-2-2012
