I'MMA LET YOU FINISH
Welcome to hell, folks.
Wow, how depressing.
Truly noble people.
I've got a friend in Afghanistan with a relief organization right now. I just hope she is well...
And meanwhile, the US government has spent all of 2% of the money allocate LAST YEAR for reconstruction, and none of it on construction, health care, or sanitation.
Also, regarding Iraq, the new government may be offering amnesty to insurgents, and has already come out and said that previous attacks on US troops were justified, b/c they were against an occupying force.
Wise move to slow violence, but very bad news since our troops are still there...and still the ones providing security...
when will we see an accounting of the billions of dollars we spent on Iraq and Afghanistan?
I think we've been Enroned....or Cheneyes.
Yeah, not to mention the 100,000 Arab Iraqis camped out the middle of the desert, having been kicked out of their homes in Kirkuk and other northern towns.
Of course, Saddam sent them there years ago to replace the Kurds he had exiled to Basrah, but those people have nothing and not one dime has been allocated for thier resettlement.
since when did we start counting towel-head casualties? i mean really, i was at a recent speech by Sec. Feith and he was asked directly, 'how many iraqis have died?' and he couldn't answer the question- why should i worry?
/sarcasm/
I don't think anything drives me crazier about the media--and the BushBots--right now, than the way Afghanistan is never compared to Iraq. One talking head after another talks about how time will tell in Iraq, and how BushCo needs time to bring stability, and nation-building isn't easy, etc.
The exact same people invaded Afghanistan, overthrew its government, and installed a puppet leader...and now the country's a hellhole of warring factions, chaos, poverty, torture, and war profiteering. But we're not supposed to view this as a precedent for how BushCo handled Iraq.
I suppose if attack Iran, the media'll be telling us that having bungled two invasions, BushCo is in the ideal position to do the third one right, and we need to give them the benefit of the doubt.
God help us if, for some reason, we actually NEED to go to war one of these days.
Médecins Sans Frontières is one of those charities that gets shitpiled by wingnuts far too frequently. (Probably because 'it's French', or something.) See, for instance, this piece of shit from Flack Central Station (which is funded, as we all know, by Big Pharma. And McDonalds. And all manner of fuckheads.)
MSF is one of two charities I've supported consistently for long time -- the other is Amnesty International -- precisely because it's fiercely non-partisan and commited to its mission. If you have turkee in need of a worthwhile recipient, MSF is always happy to receive donations.
Phila--
Exactly right. In fact, the Bushies DO invite us to "do a comparison," but not of facts, only of their myth of Afghanistan.
We went in, took out the Taliban, and now the women are able to go to school! All is well!
The fact that they can get away with this open lie is...well, no longer surprising, but still bloody appalling.
This is only the beginning--wait'll the depleted uranium effects start showing up with undeniable symptoms. Of course they'll scratch their heads and act puzzled for a while as they did with Gulf War Syndrome, but there's too much DU literature in the medico journals for that charade to last.
And add to the DU effects the longterm effects of PTSD. This war will be with us for a long, long time. And with the Iraqis even longer.
Rorshach--
In fact, the Bushies DO invite us to "do a comparison," but not of facts, only of their myth of Afghanistan.
True. Actually, the form this takes is really strange. I remember arguing with someone that Iraq was a disaster...oh, well over a year ago. And the guy thought I was nuts. I happened to have inside info because I knew people who were trying to work the reconstruction racket over there...but in order to back up what I was hearing, I did some Google searches. And I ended up with about 75 articles on the resurgence of the Taliban and the horrible danger outsde Kabul...all the big wire services had 'em by the score. But somehow, it was never integrated...the dots were never connected, and each incident was treated by the media as a discrete event. So it was a strange combination of the truth, and yet NOT the truth. The coverage of Iraq's been a bit better to the extent that there's more of a narrative context for the news stories. But news from Afghanistan still has this free-floating quality, almost like it's happening on some other planet.
There are few things which enrage me as much as our treatment of Afghanistan.
We promised those people publically that we wouldn't forget them, again. We promised this time it would be different. Then we found something else we needed to deal with. God was it shameful. Iraq became more important, and Afghanistan was left to Karzai in Kabul and whatever warlord had power in that particular area.
We overthrew the Taliban, got some decent press, and forgot about the place. It was such a terrific failure.
Even now, NATO is deciding that they just don't want to commit the troops it will take to secure the country enoguh to have elections. This is a direct consequence of Bush's preference for Iraq - if we had actually secured Afghanistan first, it might have taken deployments of a few more tens of thousands of troops for maybe a year, but the benefits would have been enormous. Instead of pissing off Europe, we could have acutally used their troops against Al Qaeda, while we still made sure Iraq let the inspectors in. We could have really secured the country, and pulled billions more in reconstruction dollars.
Instead, we had an oil-rich target htat became the real goal, and we stole money from the Afghan rebuildign effort to prep for that war. We let Afghanistan sit there withering, without money or enough troops, we told our NATO allies we had a more important target, and most importantly, we let Osama get away. And we let the Taliban keep alive, rather than securign the whole country for Karzai's government.
Even the oil pipeline could have been a good thing -despite the conspiracy theorists, it could have brought more currency to the government. It could have been a helpful thing.
Afghanistan is the biggest failure of the Bush administration. If Al Qaeda didn't already exist, then in 5 years we'd be facing a new Al Qaeda born out of the terrorists we've nurtered in that country, just because we ignored that nation for these last 3 years.
I would trade 20 Saddams for Security in Afghanistan and a real attempt at capturing Bin Laden.
Hell, I'm about as Anti-Bush as they come, and I'm almost to the point where I'll pledge to vote for Bush if he can get Bin Laden, just because that pledge could help him go after actual targets, rather than his annoyances in Iraq.
God how I wish we had Osama. We had him in Afghanistan and we let the SOB go. I can't imagine anythign which would be as disgraceful.
If you have a minute, please visit my web page, thanks!
If it were not tragic and maddening, this would be hilarious:
IRAQI PUPPET GOVERNMENT MAY OFFER AMNESTY TO INSURGENTS, SADDAMITES; TO INCLUDE THOSE KILLING AMERICAN OCCUPIERS
Strong Leadership in Times of Change
k&y:
Yes, I posted that back at 12:17. Though not in all caps, I have to admit.
I kid because I love.
Yeah, not to mention the 100,000 Arab Iraqis camped out the middle of the desert, having been kicked out of their homes in Kirkuk and other northern towns.
100,000 Sunnis in a refugee camp put there by the USA and the (now Israeli supported) Kurds.
If I were an Al Qaeda recruiter I'd be drooling at the throught of it.
The Kangaroo Court --- it's worse than you think.
According to American journalists present at the 30-minute hearing of Saddam and 11 former ministers at Baghdad airport, an American admiral in civilian clothes told camera crews that the judge had demanded that there should be no sound recording of the initial hearing. He ordered crews to unplug their sound wires. Several of the six crews present pretended to obey the instruction. "We learnt later," one of them said, "that the judge didn't order us to turn off our sound. The Americans lied - it was they who wanted no sound. The judge wanted sound and pictures."
If you were looking for it, here it is, Bill Clinton endorses Fahrenheit 9-11
Will there be no end of things to weep over? God, I despise these people for what they've done.
Ignore Queen, the fucking trollwhore.
Can the Atriettes do some pre-emptive IP-banning of comments linking to that shitty fake Clinton blog?
Can the Atriettes do some pre-emptive IP-banning of comments linking to that shitty fake Clinton blog?
You probably can't ban the IP but you can put the url in a Hosts file or restrict it in your browser.
Now here's a BadAss Reporter, give Carrie Gracie your Props
If you want to listen to a real Reporter. Check this Reporter out (Carrie Gracie). I've listened to her interviews before on the BBC World Service on NPR. Her interviews with whoever politicians and the like are to the point and she does not give anyone a pass. Her interview with Taft the Gov. of Ohio tonight just made me realize how much of a failure US Reporters are and the media are. Yes she's Bristish (or has a British accent), go figure. to get the news Americans have to go to Britain.
You have to listen to her interview with Gov Taft of Ohio. I can't do it Justice.
Here's a Paraphrased Quote.. yes you've passed a balance budget in your state unlike President Bush ... how do you explain this difeerence .or what's the reason for your support of Bush ... something to that effect
She also questioned Taft credentials as a Repug with his increase in state taxes and his Approval rating of less than 40% in a state that's controlled by a Repug legislatures.
You don't hear interviews like that in the US
http://www.bbc.co.uk/
worldservic...interview.shtml
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservic.../ram/
agenda.ram
Hope these links work
Latest Edition: Saturday 3rd July
Bob Taft
Bob Taft is the Republican Governor of the American state of Ohio which has picked the winner in every American presidential election in the past 40 years. In The Interview this week Carrie Gracie asks Governor Taft what he can do to make sure that his state goes George Bush's way. It's not going to be easy in the wake of 200,000 job losses in Ohio and divisions over American actions in Iraq. But Bob Taft and the Republicans have a few tricks up their sleeves.
Can the Atriettes do some pre-emptive IP-banning of comments linking to that shitty fake Clinton blog?
Sure, ban the aposing view points you pettifoggers. Nohing could be more apposite.
What about wearing black today?
"Even the oil pipeline could have been a good thing -despite the conspiracy theorists, it could have brought more currency to the government. It could have been a helpful thing."
The pipeline (Pipelinestan) forces the US into direct ongoing relationship with terrorist-harboring, Korea-arming, democracy-eliminating dictator Musharaf.
You call that a helpful thing? The oil is not going to be airlifted from Kabul.
That our troops are supposed to die for a foreign PUPPET gov't that plans on pardoning their killers is really choice. I'm sure that the guffaws in the White House were loud enough to wake the chickens in Virginia.
Bush: Not just Evil, Wicked.
Everytime Bush says "The world is better off without (a) Saddam Hussein (b) the Taliban [gee, does he even remember Afghanistan?],"
....someone should be on hand to tell this story.
Read an interesting review (in the Dallas paper!) of Bob Edwards' new book on Edward R. Murrow. It concluded with the observation that Murrow never thought you had to balance the truth by getting a statement from a liar.
How long is it going to take us to start telling the truth, and ignore the liars? (How far have the mighty fallen?)
this is OT but if you haven't seen J.Marshall yet, he's got an excellent interview with Biden. it's all a bit hawkish, but i agree after 9/11 things did change, and a new course was required, too bad we unsuspectedly fell prey to the neocons.
"But Bob Taft and the Republicans have a few tricks up their sleeves."
hmm, where have i heard that before, says the boy from florida.
Yeah the interview with Biden is really something.
More Army Fun here !
Is this a record?
How long did it take Teng to completely screw up the blog with a missed html signal?
What 3 hours maybe?
That has to be a record>
Nice job Teng.
And if anyone wondered, yes, I do eat my boogers.
And if anyone wondered, yes, I do eat my boogers.
I'd already guessed.
And yes, yes, yes, I have dingle berries hanging off the hairs of my greedy asshole.
OK, look, my real name is "A man on the Bill." OK? Are you happy now? I'm sitting on Bill's cock right now with my eyes crossed posting this.
sitting on Bill's cock right now
Sorry, but there's a line. You get to go after Tim Russert + Chris Matthews have had their turn.
Mind you, they'll be a while...
"Médecins Sans Frontières is one of those charities that gets shitpiled by wingnuts far too frequently."
Probably because the physicians are genuinely committed to bringing quality medical care to very impoverished people and not a bunch of ideological Christian wingnuts hellbent on converting the local population (We'll treat your child for dysentary, but first, let me tell you about how you need to accept Jesus Christ)
And to the poster who mentioned donating to MSF, something else the org needs is Frequent Flier miles. So if you have mileage that's about to expire, call your frequent flier program and tell them you want to donate your miles - there are many other worthwhile organizations that use FF miles, too, and the airline will give you a list.
Maybe Tena just does not know how to de-italicize things.
Atrios should really have some sort of basic intelligence quiz for his guest posters as opposedto just those who share his vitriol.
How long is it going to take us to start telling the truth, and ignore the liars?
Robert M. Jeffers
Never. Al Queda will destroy this country. We're like a big dumb peach almost plucked with the help of the dumbass wing nuts. I'm sorry, but you ask a question like that and I'm going to write what I think. But I'm not going to spend hours trying to explain why, which I could do. (I will try when I can.) Prior to the 2000 election, I knew and sensed that things would be bad. (I don't consider myself a psychic and don't have a crystal ball.) I think after Bush gets in there for another 4 years, it's over. I'm not a pessimistic person. I know some think that. And I wish there wasn't something about me that could be more opaquely optimistic about how I'm feeling, but then again, I'm glad there isn't. There is something I'm feeling now, maybe because it's because I have a homosexual mind that gives me certain insights that others can't see. Bush will be in there for another 4 years.
Atrios should really have some sort of basic intelligence quiz for his guest posters as opposedto just those who share his vitriol.
A man on the Hill...
I rest my case.
a lot of soldiers wanted to help as well, may god be with them.
Al Queda and the wing nuts are the perfect polarizing symbiotic relationship.
Atrios should really have some sort of basic intelligence quiz for his guest posters as opposedto just those who share his vitriol.
As I recall, we were having a nice little discussion with you the other day, amoth, and suddenly you disappeared without addressing any more of our points. What happened to you?
They never stick around after they light the bag of troll shit and ring the bell. After that, their "job" is done.
Come see the Puppet Show!
Welcome to the Puppet Show!
(Please have your sound on when you click)
Another difficulty for aid workers, clergy, journalists, etc., who go into these war zones voluntarily is that intelligence operatives use the same professional identities when working undercover. I cannot understand why we tolerate this -- putting humanitarian workers and those they try to help at risk of kidnapping and asssassination because of spies among them.
apologizes to rorschach...we got so messy last night...[falling over]
SCHOOLS WERE PAINTED!
Frist can go Cheney himself.
"pettifoggers."
The preferred insult of bow-tied, impotent, milquetoast right wingers everywhere.
The photo accompaning this story would make you weep. These Docs and Aid workers must mant to strangle Shrub for the insane, useless mess he created.
All about cars on my site
car
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