Wednesday, June 21, 2006

Moe, Larry, "Curly John" Warner

We have still further proof of the failure of neoconservativism: Afghanistan, once the "crown jewel" in our so-called war on terror is officially going to hell in a handbag.

From USA Today:
In their biggest show of strength in nearly five years, pro-Taliban fighters are terrorizing southern Afghanistan — ambushing military patrols, assassinating opponents and even enforcing the law in remote villages where they operate with near impunity.

"We are faced with a full-blown insurgency," says Pakistani journalist Ahmed Rashid, author of Taliban: Militant Islam, Oil & Fundamentalism in Central Asia

[…]

Even before fighting heated up this spring, Lt. Gen. Michael Maples, director of the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency, warned Congress that the insurgents "represent a greater threat" to the pro-U.S. government of Afghan President Hamid Karzai "than at any point since late 2001."

One has to wonder why General Maples bothered to tell Congress. They sure weren't going to do anything about it.

#

The disaster in Iraq is so obvious that even conservative icon William F. Buckley admits that our excursion to that country "didn't work."

And yet as recently as Monday, young Mister Bush, in an address to the graduates of the Merchant Marine Academy, claimed that the U.S. and its allies have fostered an "historic transformation" in Iraq and Afghanistan.

If this kind of self-delusion is what comes from not drinking, Mister Bush needs to jump off the wagon.

#

Of North Korea's apparent preparations to test launch a missile that could conceivably reach the west coast of the continental United States, State Department Sean McCormack said, "Together, our diplomacy and that of our allies has made clear to North Korea that a missile launch would be a provocative act that is not in their interests and will further isolate them from the world."

How much further isolated from the world does McCormack think North Korea can get?

Next question: how on earth did a guy like McCormack get to be a spokesman for the State Department?

Oh. Yeah. Bush administration. Silly Question. Never mind.

#

In a new global poll conducted by the BBC World Service, more than half the people surveyed said Bush's reelection has made the world a more dangerous place.
Most negative feelings were found in Western European, Latin American and Muslim countries.
They include traditional US allies such as Germany, France, Britain and Italy as well as neighbours Canada and Mexico.

[…]

Turkey topped the anti-Bush list, with 82% believing his re-election would be negative for global security.
The result is bad news for the president as Turkey is a US ally and the only Muslim member of Nato, says the BBC's Chris Morris in Brussels.

[…]

Anti-Bush sentiments also appeared to be strong in Latin America. Argentina, with 79%, and Brazil, with 78%, follow Turkey in the list.

As I said in my column from Tuesday, during the Bush administration, we've gone from having no real enemies to having no real friends.

"My" Senator in Action

I'm watching John Warner (R Virginia) on the Senate floor, smacking down the Democrat's proposed defense appropriation bill amendment to conduct a phased redeployment from Iraq. The guy's a total administration echo chamberlain, giving the Polly Cracker treatment to all the Rovewellian talking points on "staying the course" that we've all come to know and love so well.

"We have the momentum," says Warner.

Brother. Somebody do me a favor and rake a cheese grater across that administration stooge's face.

As long as the likes of Warner maintain control of Congress--as proxies of Dick Cheney--America will continue to squander every gain made by the sacrifices and victories gained in the two world wars and the Cold War.

5 comments:

  1. Anonymous1:57 PM

    Re: Afghanistan. When I was writing Knits End, a military wife stationed in Germany told me that they had gotten word last spring that her husband would ship out to Afghanistan at the beginning of this year. He did. In reading the news reports about the new Operation WhatTheF*ck (sorry can't remember what asinine name they gave this one), I wonder how long it's been planned. Have they been planning this particular operation for awhile, and if so, why did it take so long? If they knew the Taliban was regaining control, wouldn't it have made more sense to go after them as early as possible? Who knows why her husband (senior guy) was shipped back over, but they had been in line to move back to the States this year.

    Sorry if I'm not making sense. Then again, does anything make sense anymore?

    Did you see the NYT's review of Ron Suskind's new book, The One Percent Doctrine? Absorb the information about Mister Bush, if only to save yourself some headbanging. :)

    http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/20/books/20kaku.html?pagewanted=1&ei=5070&en=2a6f3941e7ea6f97&ex=1151553600&emc=eta1


    Kerstin

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  2. Operation Enormous Johnson? Something almost that good.

    Jon Stewart made points about all the football language being used in the "debate" on Iraq (away games, not home games, etc.). Is it time for a supplementary draft to bring some new players into this game? Is it the 2nd half yet?

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  3. That "home and away" crap has been bouncing around the Pentagon for years.

    I also got into a fistfight with a retired vice admiral over the subject.

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  4. Anonymous4:27 PM

    Who won?

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  5. Anonymous7:09 AM

    Oh, Jeff, I wish I could have seen that fight! You have given me a good giggle this a.m.

    And I could not agree with you more about Warner. Such a goon, and an arrogant one at that. Marrying Elizabeth Taylor as a PR stunt for both of them was engough to put him on my Boob List. Politically, the man has never had an original thought or action. The Howdy Doody of Va.

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