Affirm Pointlessness

A Nation Soaked in Blood Tears Itself Apart.   The morons who started this crap were motivated partly by idealism and greed.  These events affirm pointlessness.

Happy New Year.

Ethiopian tanks move south

Ethiopian tanks move south.  

How Bad Will It Get?

Saddam hanged at dawn. How bad will it get? Right on time for the holiday. Soon we'll be able to watch the Snuff Film. Its release will likely to timed by and tied to some sort of propaganda campaign. It's just too good for Idiots to resist. In reality, whatever the reasoning, this particular provocation is going to lead to a lot of death. Didn't anyone stop to think that the Kurds might enjoy their own show trial featuring films of poison gas attacks? But then again, perhaps the Arabs, both Shiite and Sunni, didn't really want to remind their Northern neighbors of that brutal crime.  Not all Baathists were Sunni. The Kurds have an army.  Saddam deserved it.  The timing is suspect and likely very stupid.  I believe this may be a case of someone believing too much of their own bullshit.

Predictable

Saddam execution 'within hours.' How violent will be the predictable response?

Riverbend: Baghdad Burning - End of another year.

Weak And Brutal

Euro Notes Cash in to Overtake Dollar.  Seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, people vote with their feet.

Global Guerrillas: JOURNAL: Innovation in Nigeria's OSW.

Excerpt:

Nigeria's open source guerrillas made some amazing strides in method this week in their war against both oil companies and the entrenched kleptocracy in Lagos (this is part of a-long-running-series-on-Nigeria's-global-guerrillas). It is also yet another example of how this century's Spanish civil war (in that the innovations in warfare that presaged the next global war were demonstrated/perfected there), the war in Iraq, continues to make its influence felt globally.

As someone who find the Spanish Civil War (and what led to it), I would have to generally agree with that assertion.  Of course, one major exception is that now the upper hand belongs to the weak and brutal.

Fatah: Hezbollah curbed our attacks on Israel.  You'll know about it living in Israel, but not in the US.

Somalia to declare martial law.  It begins.

Mediocre Fascists

Ethiopia 'to besiege Mogadishu.'  Another war.

Egypt transfers arms, ammunition to Fatah.  A little worried about Islamic fundamentalists?

Homeland Security Dept admits breaking privacy laws, lying about it. Mediocre fascists.

Definition of the Day: Repulse.

Too Many Idiots With Too Much Money

Global economy faces a dangerous year. Too many idiots with too much money.

Bred By Mediocrity

Fabius Maximus: More paths to failure in Iraq (Part III). Bred by mediocrity, mindless repetition makes failure a certainty.

Divided We Stand, United We Fall. Planning for the future.

It's Back To The Past

Martin van Creveld: Naming a New Era: the new middle ages. It's back to the past.

Global Guerrillas: Losing the battle for Baghdad. Compared to something that shoots back, electricity is relatively easy to take down. Heavier infrastructure is a much tougher egg to crack.

Dry Drunk

William S. Lind: Last Throw of the Dice. What else can you expect from a dry drunk?

Taliban line up the heavy artillery.  It's going to be a rough spring.

Escalate

Bush considers US force expansion.  Charge forward. Escalate off a cliff, it's the American Way.

Uri Averney: Back to the Scene of the Crime.  The author is an example of why governments fear universal military service.  In such a society, the peace activists are veterans.  Fascinating...

Saddam trial shown gas attack video.  It be worse.

Definition of the Day: SPG.

More Valuable Than Gold

High times for farmers as cannabis is named America's biggest cash crop.  Of course, it's more valuable by weight than gold.

The Populist is making too many waves

It's A bitter struggle for power in Iran. The Populist is making too many waves with the Clerics.

Northwest Wind Storm

My power has been out for a day due to the big Northwest Wind Storm.  This place will be pretty screwed if the big quake or Mount Rainer ever blows.  (Although perhaps not as bad as a typical day in Iraq.)

A nation of (yesterday’s) immmigrants.  Don't believe the hype.

Another bad place to live: Violent clashes erupt in Gaza.

Definition of the Day: Opening.

The Real Crooks Are Running It

Iran: Israel 'will end like USSR.'  Nothing emboldens one's enemies like failure.  See also Why are Jews at the 'Holocaust denial' conference?

Paul Craig Roberts: America's Injustice System is Criminal.  The real crooks are running it.

Bush standing by his failing Iraq policy...for now.  More proof he's an inbred dumbshit.

Definition of the Day: Understanding.

Blue Ribbon = Empty Bullshit

William S. Lind: Knocking Opportunity.  In Washington, D.C., Blue Ribbon = Empty Bullshit.  Even so, the "Baker Report" could have provided an excuse to withdraw.  It's too bad the Bush Administration is so fucking stupid.  Such is the trap of ideology.

Lots

Paul Craig Roberts: How Many More Will Die for Bush's Ego? Apparently lots.

How do the troops themselves feel about it? On December 8, a US Marine who has spent 7 months fighting insurgents in Anbar province answered this question on lewrockwell.com as follows: "I'm sick and tired of this patriotic, nationalistic and fascist crap. . . . How do you justify 'sacrificing' your life for a war which is not only illegal, but is being prosecuted to the extent where the only thing keeping us there is one man's power, and his ego." US Marine Philip Martin says he joined the Marines to protect the US Constitution, not to serve as an imperialist storm trooper.

There's some hope left.

I couldn't believe my ears when I heard talking heads worrying about Bush's "comfort level" with the Iraqi Study Group's unanimous report. Bush's comfort level? What about the comfort level of the Iraqis and Americans who are losing family members while idiot talking heads worry about Bush's comfort level with the facts!

Or maybe not?

Try to imagine the impression the US gives to the rest of the world: The US cannot stop a war that is a catastrophe becoming a calamity because it would interfere with Bush's comfort level.

This disastrous war is a testament to the irresponsibility of the American people and their elected representatives. There were, of course, many dissenters. But the majority were too lazy and irresponsible to take the trouble to be informed. Most Americans allowed themselves to be deceived and emotionally manipulated. The consequence of this failure of the American people has been brutal for countless people and their families in Iraq, Afghanistan and Lebanon and for the thousands of American families who have suffered because Bush sent US troops on a fool's mission. The American people are stained with the blood of innocents. Are they still not sufficiently angry with the president who used them for his crimes to demand his impeachment?

Pretty bleak.

As long as Bush remains in office, the neoconservatives will demand more wars. In the current issue of "Foreign Policy," neocon Joshua Muravchik stridently insists that Bush bomb Iran before he leaves office. Muracvchik urges his fellow neocon warmongers to "pave the way" for the bombing of Iran and to "be prepared to defend the action when it comes."

As Middle East expert Anthony Sullivan writes, the neoconservatives are "fifth columnists" whose "real concern is not the United States but Israel." Sullivan writes that "it is past time that neoconservatives and their movement be left to drown in the deepest reaches of the ocean."

Amen! And send Bush and Cheney and Rice with them.

Leave!

What should we do in Iraq?  Leave!

Faith

Catastrophe Still Awaits.  I have faith the wrong thing will be done.

Obviously, sending more US troops will not succeed in dismantling the Iraqi sectarian militias. However, a US attempt to dismantle the militias will result in the militias joining the insurgency and turning on the US troops. The situation would deteriorate, not improve. It is frightening that the incoming chairman of the House Intelligence Committee does not understand this.

Never underestimate the power of political stupidity.  In this arena, intelligence is no bar to advancement.  Regardless of party, mediocre idiots abound.  Running the US into the ground, they believe politics is everything and ignore the results of their collective actions.  Their health plans pay for some good drugs.

Depressing Thought

Was this the first casualty of Lebanon's new civil war.  Depressing thought.

US Military Says Ten GIs Killed in Iraq.   Grim tally.

Backlash

Read Boomerang Effect.

Bad News

How the Taliban prepare for battle.  Bad spring ahead for NATO forces.

Chavez hails landslide election victory as defeat for 'devil' Bush.  Still at it. 

Just Stupid

Is President Bush Sane?  Or just stupid?  I'd say a little bit of "A" and a little bit of "B."  His Administration's policies have proven to be great if you happen to support Al Qaeda:

The same day that Bush reaffirmed his commitment to building a stable Iraqi democracy, a secret US Marine Corps intelligence report was leaked. According to the Washington Post, the report concludes: "the social and political situation has deteriorated to a point that US and Iraqi troops are no longer capable of militarily defeating the insurgency in al-Anbar province."

The Marine Corps intelligence report says that Al Qaeda is the "dominant organization of influence" in Anbar province, and is more important than local authorities, the Iraqi government and US troops "in its ability to control the day-to-day life of the average Sunni."

Criminal insanity appear to be more like it.

And the carnage goes on: Dozens killed in Baghdad blasts.

Always The Case

Time is on the Taliban's side.  Always the case with a non-technological society.

The 'new era of civility' goes on holiday.  It's hard to have respect for an office that has been filled by so many worthless losers.

Spinning on an axis of evil.  Going downhill fast.

Definition of the Day: UNM.