tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post115401165301470256..comments2024-03-26T05:18:53.709-04:00Comments on Pen and Sword: Malaki's MalarkyJeff Huberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14146644937683409726noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-1154123268441125802006-07-28T17:47:00.000-04:002006-07-28T17:47:00.000-04:00Cmdr,It sure has taken you along time to coming ar...Cmdr,<BR/><BR/>It sure has taken you along time to coming around about ever voting repugnant. I am very glad though that it has happened.<BR/><BR/>Sincerely,<BR/><BR/>Buzz Meeks<BR/><BR/>The GOP- 'Murica's Fifth ColumnAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-1154103390345285572006-07-28T12:16:00.000-04:002006-07-28T12:16:00.000-04:00Danny, Thanks for the nice words. Yes, the goal a...Danny, <BR/><BR/>Thanks for the nice words. Yes, the goal around here is to keep a balance of analysis and wonk--I balance them some days better than others. <BR/><BR/>I also try to look at the issues of the day from an angle that isn't being covered in the larger media, blog or otherwise. <BR/><BR/>My head's still exploding over Malaki's "no more 1991s" remark. And to think some members of Congress actually applauded that one. (You can pretty much figure out which ones.)Jeff Huberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14146644937683409726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-1154102043896294132006-07-28T11:54:00.000-04:002006-07-28T11:54:00.000-04:00I really need to make your blog a regular read, Mr...I really need to make your blog a regular read, Mr. Huber. Over time I've tended to read your analyses and comments with interest. Sure you're kind of wonky, but call a spade a spade, eh? Good stuff. I'll check in more than occasionally, from here on out.<BR/>-dannyinwisconsinAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-1154093965103274332006-07-28T09:39:00.000-04:002006-07-28T09:39:00.000-04:00Unfortunately, few if any of us in America could u...Unfortunately, few if any of us in America could understand the speech except through translation. But as translated, it sure sounded like the standard menu.Jeff Huberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14146644937683409726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-1154093178465511182006-07-28T09:26:00.000-04:002006-07-28T09:26:00.000-04:00Unless one has lived among the Arabs for some time...Unless one has lived among the Arabs for some time, one will not necessarily understand subtle differences between Arab culture and American culture.<BR/><BR/>Arabic is an extremely poetical language; all most every word derives from a 3 consonant root; by doubling a consonant, adding prefixes or suffixes, or changing the vowels between the consonants, you change the shading of a word.<BR/><BR/>Not for no reason do Arabs truly love eloquence and their poetry, in fact, more than a few Muslims claim that the beauty of the language of the Koran is proof of its divine origin.<BR/><BR/>This fact, and the fact that the Arab world has never known a democracy, or a truly free society, results in one of the quirks of Arab culture. If one is forced to lie by a force majeure, no shame attaches to doing so, but rather one should take pride in using as flowery and eloquent language as possible. Malaki is merely doing what many Iraqis did during the era of Saddam.<BR/><BR/>Why Americans, an obstensibly free people, want to listen to such supplications is a whole different topic...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-1154090717897661862006-07-28T08:45:00.000-04:002006-07-28T08:45:00.000-04:00Kathleen, Yeah, the 1991 line put me over the top,...Kathleen, <BR/><BR/>Yeah, the 1991 line put me over the top, that's for sure. <BR/><BR/>Nunya, <BR/><BR/>Boy, you sure got me on the rail system issue. It hasn't even come up in the energy discussion, has it? I sure haven't heard anything.Jeff Huberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14146644937683409726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-1154090446371310922006-07-28T08:40:00.000-04:002006-07-28T08:40:00.000-04:00Mike B., I think that's entirely possible, though ...Mike B., <BR/><BR/>I think that's entirely possible, though the Bushies claim they didn't. I believe the remark was that they'd "read an earlier draft."Jeff Huberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14146644937683409726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-1154060253681359182006-07-28T00:17:00.000-04:002006-07-28T00:17:00.000-04:00oh, wait, that would be oil paid for in US dollars...oh, wait, that would be oil paid for in US dollars. Since the m3 is no longer published, we don't know who's buying those these days. I haven't checked lately on the planned Iranian oil bourse, so I dunno what's up with that. I sure wish I'd invested (not that I have anything to invest, but, hey) in Euros about three years ago. <BR/><BR/>My question would be why are we letting our rail system (including public transportation light rail systems) deteriorate further?<BR/><BR/>Another question I have is whether the unusual profits the oil companies are making will be invested in processing plants to utilize the Naval oil shales?nunyahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08833886980442919570noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-1154059607112589432006-07-28T00:06:00.000-04:002006-07-28T00:06:00.000-04:00oiloilnunyahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08833886980442919570noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-1154059316193371692006-07-28T00:01:00.000-04:002006-07-28T00:01:00.000-04:00Maliki knows who puts the hummus on his pita bread...Maliki knows who puts the hummus on his pita bread. The parts I've seen quoted had to have been written by Rove, unless our biotech industry has managed to develop the Stepford Neural Reorganization™ process they've been working so hard to perfect. That "Let 1991 never be repeated" is truly over the edge.Kathleenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05878555258969493722noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-1154052438927603062006-07-27T22:07:00.000-04:002006-07-27T22:07:00.000-04:00Is it possible that Maliki's speech was written, i...Is it possible that Maliki's speech was written, in whole or in part, by Bush staffers? I know they wrote a speech for some other Iraqi dignitary who visited the White House in the past couple of years.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-1154043970946350572006-07-27T19:46:00.000-04:002006-07-27T19:46:00.000-04:00So why do we keep trying to do what others have fa...So why do we keep trying to do what others have failed at?Jeff Huberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14146644937683409726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-1154043097597868762006-07-27T19:31:00.000-04:002006-07-27T19:31:00.000-04:00Ahh, the Brits couldn't do it either: Iraq: a cent...Ahh, the Brits couldn't do it either: <BR/><A HREF="http://www.libcom.org/history/articles/iraq-1900-2000/" REL="nofollow">Iraq: a century of war and rebellion></A>nunyahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08833886980442919570noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-1154041278883919022006-07-27T19:01:00.000-04:002006-07-27T19:01:00.000-04:00Thanks, LC. Ron, Don't blame yourself. It's not ...Thanks, LC. <BR/><BR/>Ron, <BR/><BR/>Don't blame yourself. It's not your fault.Jeff Huberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14146644937683409726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-1154033345497273892006-07-27T16:49:00.000-04:002006-07-27T16:49:00.000-04:00Jeff,Bravo Zulu.Left CoastJeff,<BR/>Bravo Zulu.<BR/>Left CoastAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com