tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post2659558203298117945..comments2024-03-26T05:18:53.709-04:00Comments on Pen and Sword: Iran + Iraq = IronicJeff Huberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14146644937683409726noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-68050897678633525512008-07-16T11:51:00.000-04:002008-07-16T11:51:00.000-04:00Jeff, off-topic but whilst i was browsing for some...Jeff, off-topic but whilst i was browsing for something, I stumbled upon this site;<BR/>http://radio.about.com/od/podcastin1/a/aa030805a.htm<BR/><BR/>check out number 5 for you.. (self promotion, too bad you can't get paid for it [s])<BR/><BR/>IngridIngridhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15543677729320023767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-64034663455356855012008-07-16T05:35:00.000-04:002008-07-16T05:35:00.000-04:00Hi, decided to read you in 'v.o'--that is to say,...Hi,<BR/><BR/> decided to read you in 'v.o'--that is to say, "version originale".<BR/><BR/> While we'll have to wait a while to learn just how big our eventual Iraq-Footprint turns out to be, it's already pretty clear that whatever the foot-print's size, it'll have a prominent bullet-hole in it.<BR/><BR/> "proximity1"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-45166931706238546872008-07-15T05:52:00.000-04:002008-07-15T05:52:00.000-04:00Awesome, Anon.Awesome, Anon.Jeff Huberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14146644937683409726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-37882478262167460432008-07-15T05:21:00.000-04:002008-07-15T05:21:00.000-04:00The Onion is rapidly becoming the country's best n...The Onion is rapidly becoming the country's best news source.<BR/><BR/>http://www.theonion.com/content/video/bush_tours_america_to_surveyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-42577993531498400232008-07-15T00:40:00.000-04:002008-07-15T00:40:00.000-04:00Kerstin, I think you have a good point (evil not t...Kerstin, I think you have a good point (evil not talking to evil).<BR/><BR/>As to the phenomena of Bush, the "W"'s non-mandate from his non-victory over Al Gore, simply, the Democrats, to my undying shame, did not limit him in the traditional manner. Of course, part of it occurred because the Democrats were in the minority. Part of it occurred because of the effects of the Clinton Impeachment, but part of it simply cannot be explained except by stating the obvious--the Democratic leadership was not of the same caliber as the greats of old--not even by half.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15418129339565606380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-38404555454233081352008-07-14T20:46:00.000-04:002008-07-14T20:46:00.000-04:00Dick Cheney said: "We don't talk to evil"How on e...<I>Dick Cheney said: "We don't talk to evil"</I><BR/>How on earth then, can they talk to each other in the US government? <BR/>Or does this explains it all?<BR/><BR/>Kerstin på <BR/>MotvallsbloggenAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-89039867246112854232008-07-14T20:40:00.000-04:002008-07-14T20:40:00.000-04:00Jeff-"1997-98". True, but I'm thinking more in te...Jeff-<BR/><BR/>"1997-98". True, but I'm thinking more in terms of the Iraq war as the continuation of their policy by other means which would be 2003 . . . very Clausewitzian you know. ;-)>seydlitz89https://www.blogger.com/profile/15431952900333460640noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-45569705000550060842008-07-14T20:22:00.000-04:002008-07-14T20:22:00.000-04:00Commander,This link re: Naomi Wolf works on my mac...Commander,<BR/>This link re: Naomi Wolf works on my machine:<BR/>http://stoplying.ca/video/naomi_wolf_end_of_america.htmAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-89865393531162350212008-07-14T20:07:00.000-04:002008-07-14T20:07:00.000-04:00Nunya, Don't you just love professors? I have thr...Nunya, <BR/><BR/>Don't you just love professors? I have three degrees in bull feathering and if I ever have to sit through another lecture from an ivory tower type I'll kill him or her.Jeff Huberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14146644937683409726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-62388841280899205982008-07-14T20:06:00.000-04:002008-07-14T20:06:00.000-04:00Sey, I agree with all except I'd say that the Iraq...Sey, <BR/><BR/>I agree with all except I'd say that the Iraq invasion was policy since 1997 or 8, when the original PNAC letters went out to Clinton and Gingrich.Jeff Huberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14146644937683409726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-58511996681308588702008-07-14T20:03:00.000-04:002008-07-14T20:03:00.000-04:00Jeg, I don't know much more about the ghost ships ...Jeg, <BR/><BR/>I don't know much more about the ghost ships that what that page covers. Couldn't open that other page. <BR/><BR/>JeffJeff Huberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14146644937683409726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-47330018770421991892008-07-14T20:00:00.000-04:002008-07-14T20:00:00.000-04:00Sorry, gang, I've gotten behind in the conversatio...Sorry, gang, I've gotten behind in the conversation. EL, yeah, I knew all those ATMs would be the bane of us!<BR/><BR/>JeffJeff Huberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14146644937683409726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-21295895604876581632008-07-14T18:55:00.000-04:002008-07-14T18:55:00.000-04:00Yippee! Skippee! 43 has lifted the executive order...Yippee! Skippee! 43 has lifted the executive order on offshore drilling that has been around since --- wait for it -- 41 was president. <BR/><BR/>Maybe daddy did love Jeb the most -- who knows?<BR/><BR/>If the whole country suddenly got the eyesores (drilling rigs) that are off the coast of Texas and Louisiana, and California, we maybe could find a few more barrels of oil for the Humvees, in about 10-12 years. And Halliburton continues to be able to rock and roll. <BR/><BR/>The "bringing democracy to the Middle East" of course means bringing "shock doctrine capitalism", to whatever unfortunate country we decide we should invade and occupy. As in we bring corporations to develop their natural resources. We take what we need off the top. We load the country with mountains of debt, through the IMF, and World Bank. Then, we tell them how to run their sovereign nation. And, of course it is all done Milton Friedman (Freedman)Chicago school of economics- survival of the fitest- style. <BR/><BR/>And, all done in secret of course. Everybody has "executive priviledge". Nobody has to tell Congress, or anybody else what's going on. (Not that they would care much.) <BR/><BR/>We just keep printing money.Elderladyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02268520056042293783noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-69199400656373449982008-07-14T16:17:00.000-04:002008-07-14T16:17:00.000-04:00Yes Jeff, Klein's book is now on the Amazon paperb...Yes Jeff, Klein's book is now on the <A HREF="http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/books/10546" REL="nofollow">Amazon paperback bestseller list. </A> .<BR/><BR/>Neat story here. I was checking HuffPo immediately after the class where the Prof lectured on the wonders of Milton Freedman's "free-market" theories and Naomi was being interviewed by John Cusack. I ordered and read the book and had a hell of time not rolling my eyes in class after I finished it.<BR/><BR/>Did I ever tell you I became a raging liberal AFTER I took business classes? Whooo-eee, if only I had really invested in the stocks I picked for an exercise in one of my classes, I'd be doing just fine right now.<BR/><BR/>:)nunyahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08833886980442919570noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-76586926647084807612008-07-14T14:45:00.000-04:002008-07-14T14:45:00.000-04:00Hi Jeff-Keeping up the good fight. Been following...Hi Jeff-<BR/><BR/>Keeping up the good fight. Been following your posts some and always find you pretty much on the mark, which means we agree . . .<BR/><BR/>Liked the Clausewitz quote of course.<BR/><BR/>The current war in Iraq involves imo the original policy of 2003 which envisioned a radical remake of Iraqi society by force and the domination of Iraq's mineral resources and economy by the US, this in the regional political context which was/is at best ambivalent. We never committed the resources necessary to achieve this radical goal, so never had a chance in gaining it. This policy has in turn been replaced by an attempt to put an Iraqi face on the old policy through the establishment of a puppet government, but with much confusion as various domestic US political interests see the continuation of the war, not its resolution, as best for their own narrow claims. Meanwhile the regional powers become ever more important players as well.<BR/><BR/>As you point out, the puppet doesn't really act like a very good puppet, but then who would expect this bunch to get that right after hopelessly screwing up everything else? We're in Iraq for the long term, until domestic political support for that war collapses, which means the political/economic elite no longer see the war as being in their interests . . . sad what all this indicates about our country and what passes for a political system.seydlitz89https://www.blogger.com/profile/15431952900333460640noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-92078935943430788242008-07-14T12:32:00.000-04:002008-07-14T12:32:00.000-04:00Commander,Excellent, as usual.Two items, off topic...Commander,<BR/>Excellent, as usual.<BR/>Two items, off topic, but connected:<BR/>1) Have you any information on the so-called "ghost ships"? See:<BR/>http://www.neverinournames.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=2256<BR/>2) Have you seen this interview with Naomi Wolf about her book?<BR/>See: naomi_wolf_end_of_america.htm<BR/>I would be most interested in having your thoughts on both.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-4752276309880140602008-07-14T11:14:00.000-04:002008-07-14T11:14:00.000-04:00EL, I'd like to say I can't believe 43 is/was that...EL, <BR/><BR/>I'd like to say I can't believe 43 is/was that pathological. Unfortunately, I believe he is/was.Jeff Huberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14146644937683409726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-78813207800321143722008-07-14T10:08:00.000-04:002008-07-14T10:08:00.000-04:00Commander, what I'm getting from Craig Unger's boo...Commander, what I'm getting from Craig Unger's book "The Fall of the House of Bush" is a couple of things. There is enough bitterness between 41 and 43, to keep the headshrinkers happy for years. Anything done by 41, would be an absolute taboo, for 43. Additionally, according to Unger, 43 really is a "born again." So, the original neo-cons, Cheney, Rummy, Wolfowitz, et al, joined forces with the "born again" religious nut neocons Robertson, Hagee, Falwell et al, to convince 43 of two things: (a) God (whoever he or she is) wanted Junior to be President of the United States. (b) the only way to stabilize the ME was not through trying to bring about peace between Israel and Palestine, but through democritization of countries like Iraq, Lebanon, Iran, etc. <BR/><BR/>Since 41 wouldn't invade, or go after Saddam on the Tigris, it was something that 43 was determined to do, from the time he was sworn in. <BR/><BR/>I don't know about a "mandate" in 2000, but from what I read, he looked at his appointment, (by the SCOTUS) as "divine intervention." This would explain 43's absolute stubborness on all issues. He absolutely thinks he is "right". According to his religious brainwashing. <BR/><BR/>So do/did all the right wing preachers, and PNAC folks. <BR/><BR/>And, the rest, as they say, is history. <BR/><BR/>BTW - OT - What's a C-130 going for these days? We seem to be "blowing them up."Elderladyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02268520056042293783noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-63545638156698920222008-07-14T06:32:00.000-04:002008-07-14T06:32:00.000-04:00Great discussion, Gang. Def, Like we said earlier,...Great discussion, Gang. <BR/><BR/>Def, <BR/><BR/>Like we said earlier, follow the war bucks. <BR/><BR/>Ben, <BR/><BR/>I think there is a real danger that Obama will get sucked in by the neocon game. <BR/><BR/>Oleg, <BR/><BR/>I keep expecting a midnight visit from Dmitri and Vanya.;-)<BR/><BR/><BR/>John, <BR/><BR/>I'd agree with your landslide vs. eked out victory except look how Bush actually treated a loss (his first election) as a mandate. <BR/><BR/>JeffJeff Huberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14146644937683409726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-43067203364543948782008-07-14T03:19:00.000-04:002008-07-14T03:19:00.000-04:00First, the Carter Administration had some very fun...First, the Carter Administration had some very functional pieces in it. I have no doubt about it's capacity for initiating a proxy war between the USSR and the tribes of Afghanistan.<BR/><BR/>Second, the policies Obama will or won't adopt are dependent on two future events: his victory in November; and the magnitude of his victory in November.<BR/><BR/>It is unwise to assume victory in politics. It is far better have a healthy degree of paranoia about one's opponent until the day after the election. There have been plenty of Democratic front runners who fell by the wayside on Election Day.<BR/><BR/>Furthermore, there's nothing like an overwhelming victory in politics. If Obama were to dominate McCain in the Electoral College, Obama would be free to go his own way. But if Obama eeks out a victory against McCain, it will be seen as a mandate for the continuation of "W" policies with a kinder-gentler-new face. Again, not only can Obama not be assumed to be the victor in the general election, but the margin of his victory also cannot be assumed. When the added destructive influence of Ralph Nader is thrown in again, it is possible that a chunk of Obama's mandate could be frittered way on a nostalgia campaign with Ralph Nader.<BR/><BR/>It is depressing that Ralph Nader is not being aggressively neutralized. It is equally depressing how many Democrats continue to just assume Obama victory as a wish-fulfillment exercise. I've never known the political world to work this way.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15418129339565606380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-12507415252034230862008-07-14T01:51:00.000-04:002008-07-14T01:51:00.000-04:00Being Russian, I probably shouldn't compliment you...Being Russian, I probably shouldn't compliment you to spare you from charges of treason and giving comfort to the enemy. But still, WHAT A GREAT WRITING!Oleg Nevestinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09636853274854858582noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-39575358474311404532008-07-14T00:38:00.000-04:002008-07-14T00:38:00.000-04:00Eli Lake seems to believe that Carter's "human rig...Eli Lake seems to believe that Carter's "human rights" concerns stopped the Muj from getting covert aid until after Reagan took office, and that aiding the Muj is somehow more Reagan-esque than Carter-esque. <BR/><BR/> However, according to sources cited by Wikipedia, aid to the Muj started not only before Reagan was elected, but also before the Soviet invasion. <BR/><BR/> In which case, Susan Rice's policy preferences seem to be equally compatible with both Reagan and Carter. <BR/><BR/>* * *<BR/><BR/>Wikipedia:<BR/><BR/>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_war_in_Afghanistan<BR/><BR/> Carter advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski stated "According to the official version of history, CIA aid to the mujahideen began during 1980, that is to say, after the Soviet army invaded Afghanistan, 24 Dec 1979. But the reality, secretly guarded until now, is completely otherwise." Brzezinski himself played a fundamental role in crafting U.S. policy, which, unbeknownst even to the mujahideen, was part of a larger strategy "to induce a Soviet military intervention." In a 1998 interview with Le Nouvel Observateur, Brzezinski recalled:<BR/><BR/><I> "We didn't push the Russians to intervene, but we knowingly increased the probability that they would...That secret operation was an excellent idea. It had the effect of drawing the Soviets into the Afghan trap...The day that the Soviets officially crossed the border, I wrote to President Carter. We now have the opportunity of giving to the Soviet Union its Vietnam War." </I><BR/><BR/>* * *<BR/><BR/>Did Brzezinski actually say that starting a new Vietnam War was an "excellent" idea?<BR/><BR/>Ugh.<BR/><BR/>* * *<BR/><BR/> <B> Excellent!</B> <BR> <I> - - Montgomery Burns </I>Benhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14417745872741141692noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-70048636392822987822008-07-13T23:45:00.000-04:002008-07-13T23:45:00.000-04:00Neocon reporter Eli Lake happily predicts an Obama...<B>Neocon reporter Eli Lake happily predicts an Obama-Petraeus "mind meld"</B><BR/><BR/>* * *<BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://tnr.com/story.html?id=0e0846cd-694f-40d1-a6d9-55e20de176cf" REL="nofollow">http://tnr.com/story.html?id=0e0846cd-694f-40d1-a6d9-55e20de176cf</A><BR/><BR/><B>"Obama isn't Jimmy Carter--he's Ronald Reagan."</B><BR/><BR/>On his first day in office, President Barack Obama will head to the situation room for a video conference with his most important commander, General David Petraeus. [...]<BR/><BR/> [...] Susan Rice is tipped to be a senior figure in an Obama administration. [...] She applauded the 1980s arming of the mujahedin resistance to the Soviets: "[S]upport for the Afghan resistance to Soviet aggression was the right decision in the 1980s." And she said that the Anbar Awakening was "responsible for much of the security progress we have seen in Iraq," though she insisted that Sunni militias must eventually be incorporated into state security forces. <BR/><BR/> [...] Of course, the Obama counterterrorism policy is still a work in progress. As his recent zigzags illustrate, he still hasn't figured out his stance on some of the larger questions. But, in discussing his plans for Iraq, he has made one key admission: He will listen carefully to the advice of his generals. You can easily see how this will play out. Obama will enter office with a set of somewhat inchoate instincts about American power and the importance of outsourcing force. These instincts will mesh with the evolving thinking of his top commanders, who have also begun to realize the limitations of an overstretched army and the value of counter-insurgency. And that brings us back to the situation room on Obama's first day. If he and Petraeus can overcome whatever awkwardness lingers, they will discover a mind meld and an emerging doctrine-- a doctrine that looks a lot more like Ronald Reagan than Jimmy Carter.<BR/><BR/> <I> - - Eli Lake </I><BR/><BR/>* * *Benhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14417745872741141692noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-9615863033403201252008-07-13T21:22:00.000-04:002008-07-13T21:22:00.000-04:00OK what do you think the connection is between the...OK what do you think the connection is between the French New Prince and Iran and the nicey nicey game being played at the Mediterranean Group? Somehow, I get the feeling that if the French Pres. Mr. Bruni gets a hug and kiss between Israel and Lebanon, he might just get his Air Bus contract reinstated. And doubly so if he gets Iran to play along. <BR/><BR/>I am appalled that the domestic press is not even reporting this stuff. Luckily for me, I don't sleep well at night and listen to BBC all night long. There is something afoot,Watson--what's your take on this ,Jeff?<BR/>DEFAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-83749644161700660312008-07-13T19:20:00.000-04:002008-07-13T19:20:00.000-04:00Her book came out about a year ago, didn't it? Je...Her book came out about a year ago, didn't it? <BR/><BR/>JeffJeff Huberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14146644937683409726noreply@blogger.com