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December 29, 2005
Wednesday, March 30, 2005
Wednesday's Links
Activism
Americans United for Separation of Church and State. (AU) is a non-partisan, grassroots organization dedicated to defending the separation of church and state in the courts, educating legislators, working with the media to inform Americans about religious freedom issues and organizing local chapters all over the country. AU is not comprised of a bunch of agnostics who are disgruntled with the religious right, but rather people from both parties and all walks of life, who feel that the line between Church and State is getting blurrier by the day. Check out their activities, and then go here to see how you can get involved (join a local chapter, for example).
News
WMD Commission Plans to Release Report. Ah, but who will they blame? The administration, as many believe they should, or the intelligence-gathering agencies? Remember, the administration's initial justification for going to war was that Hussein had WMDs. Since none were found, the WMD Commission was formed to investigate why we thought they did. We're pretty sure that the intelligence community will take the blame, but the facts we've seen so far don't point that way. For more on the WMD Commission's report, see Editorial #1 below.
They Didn't Make the List. When it comes to contractors, elections, legislature, judicial nominees and the like, we know that we're going to see partisan politics. But when it comes to the hard and fast safety of the country, we would hope that those in charge would put aside political considerations and focus on national security. Silly us. You see, the Department of Homeland Security has an internal list of threats to America's security. Added to that list? Animal rights groups and ecology militants. Sure, we guess we can see that. Some do have violent protests. Missing from the list? Right-wing domestic terrorists. You know, groups like the Army of God, whose members were responsible for the 1996 Olympic park bombing in Atlanta and the murdering of doctors who perform abortions. Or people like the conspirators behind the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, who have admitted being influenced heavily by radical right-wing movements. Read this article and weep, knowing our country's politics are hindering us from being safer.
Bush Predicts That Factions in Iraq Will Mend Rifts. Proving that he truly does not understand Iraq, Bush predicts that the Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds in Iraq will be able to resolve their differences "through debate and persuasion instead of force and intimidation." Avoiding the obvious joke about the pot and the kettle, Bush appears to be the father who tells his kids to "talk over their problems," then goes to the other room, grabs a beer, and watches television. Not only are the Sunnis not going to be mollified with their smaller representation in the government, but the Shiite majority still has retribution on their minds, for all of the hardships they suffered under Hussein's regime for the last two decades. We want to be optimistic, but it's going to take more than a few words to turn the heat down on this powderkeg.
Editorials
Stealth Panel Ready to Report. Dan Froomkin looks at the WMD Commission, which has been operating well under the radar over the last year. Froomkin raises the very good point that the public will probably not see any of the final report. How can we trust a government that agrees to investigate itself, and then not show the results of that investigation? Nieman Watchdog looks at many of the questions that should be answered in the report, but wonders what kinds of recommendations we'll see come out of the report, particularily towards intelligence reform, and whether they'll will be implemented. Remember, the 9/11 commission suggested many changes, but was stonewalled by House Republicans and the White House.
Nothing 'New' in This War. How did we go from demolishing the Hussein regime two years ago, and seemingly in control of a war, to the madness that now dominates Iraq? The answer is more than just "insurgents." Andrew J. Bacevich breaks down the last two years, and draws the only good conclusion that has come out of the war - Americans have received a wake-up call about the true capability of our military. It's not indestructible. It is overstretched because of waning recruiting efforts. New technology can't just easily eliminate an insurgency. And even if it's could, we're not that "mobile, tactical, swift" force that Rumsfeld supposedly envisions. It's important that we learned these lessons before it's too late...but some might argue that learning them now is already too late. Did it have to cost us the lives of over 1,500 soldiers and possibly over 100,000 Iraqi citizens?
A Future the Army Can't Afford. Fred Kaplan asks if we should be spending the billions we are currently on a future high-tech army. The answer, of course, is "No," but Kaplan explains why in great detail. Remember, these are YOUR tax dollars at work, and you should know exactly what they are being spent on. Kaplan's piece opens up a side of the military many don't know much about, and it makes for fascinating (if not nauseating) reading.
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December 29, 2005
Wednesday, March 30, 2005
Wednesday's Links
Activism
Americans United for Separation of Church and State. (AU) is a non-partisan, grassroots organization dedicated to defending the separation of church and state in the courts, educating legislators, working with the media to inform Americans about religious freedom issues and organizing local chapters all over the country. AU is not comprised of a bunch of agnostics who are disgruntled with the religious right, but rather people from both parties and all walks of life, who feel that the line between Church and State is getting blurrier by the day. Check out their activities, and then go here to see how you can get involved (join a local chapter, for example).
News
WMD Commission Plans to Release Report. Ah, but who will they blame? The administration, as many believe they should, or the intelligence-gathering agencies? Remember, the administration's initial justification for going to war was that Hussein had WMDs. Since none were found, the WMD Commission was formed to investigate why we thought they did. We're pretty sure that the intelligence community will take the blame, but the facts we've seen so far don't point that way. For more on the WMD Commission's report, see Editorial #1 below.
They Didn't Make the List. When it comes to contractors, elections, legislature, judicial nominees and the like, we know that we're going to see partisan politics. But when it comes to the hard and fast safety of the country, we would hope that those in charge would put aside political considerations and focus on national security. Silly us. You see, the Department of Homeland Security has an internal list of threats to America's security. Added to that list? Animal rights groups and ecology militants. Sure, we guess we can see that. Some do have violent protests. Missing from the list? Right-wing domestic terrorists. You know, groups like the Army of God, whose members were responsible for the 1996 Olympic park bombing in Atlanta and the murdering of doctors who perform abortions. Or people like the conspirators behind the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, who have admitted being influenced heavily by radical right-wing movements. Read this article and weep, knowing our country's politics are hindering us from being safer.
Bush Predicts That Factions in Iraq Will Mend Rifts. Proving that he truly does not understand Iraq, Bush predicts that the Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds in Iraq will be able to resolve their differences "through debate and persuasion instead of force and intimidation." Avoiding the obvious joke about the pot and the kettle, Bush appears to be the father who tells his kids to "talk over their problems," then goes to the other room, grabs a beer, and watches television. Not only are the Sunnis not going to be mollified with their smaller representation in the government, but the Shiite majority still has retribution on their minds, for all of the hardships they suffered under Hussein's regime for the last two decades. We want to be optimistic, but it's going to take more than a few words to turn the heat down on this powderkeg.
Editorials
Stealth Panel Ready to Report. Dan Froomkin looks at the WMD Commission, which has been operating well under the radar over the last year. Froomkin raises the very good point that the public will probably not see any of the final report. How can we trust a government that agrees to investigate itself, and then not show the results of that investigation? Nieman Watchdog looks at many of the questions that should be answered in the report, but wonders what kinds of recommendations we'll see come out of the report, particularily towards intelligence reform, and whether they'll will be implemented. Remember, the 9/11 commission suggested many changes, but was stonewalled by House Republicans and the White House.
Nothing 'New' in This War. How did we go from demolishing the Hussein regime two years ago, and seemingly in control of a war, to the madness that now dominates Iraq? The answer is more than just "insurgents." Andrew J. Bacevich breaks down the last two years, and draws the only good conclusion that has come out of the war - Americans have received a wake-up call about the true capability of our military. It's not indestructible. It is overstretched because of waning recruiting efforts. New technology can't just easily eliminate an insurgency. And even if it's could, we're not that "mobile, tactical, swift" force that Rumsfeld supposedly envisions. It's important that we learned these lessons before it's too late...but some might argue that learning them now is already too late. Did it have to cost us the lives of over 1,500 soldiers and possibly over 100,000 Iraqi citizens?
A Future the Army Can't Afford. Fred Kaplan asks if we should be spending the billions we are currently on a future high-tech army. The answer, of course, is "No," but Kaplan explains why in great detail. Remember, these are YOUR tax dollars at work, and you should know exactly what they are being spent on. Kaplan's piece opens up a side of the military many don't know much about, and it makes for fascinating (if not nauseating) reading.
|
December 29, 2005
Americans United for Separation of Church and State. (AU) is a non-partisan, grassroots organization dedicated to defending the separation of church and state in the courts, educating legislators, working with the media to inform Americans about religious freedom issues and organizing local chapters all over the country. AU is not comprised of a bunch of agnostics who are disgruntled with the religious right, but rather people from both parties and all walks of life, who feel that the line between Church and State is getting blurrier by the day. Check out their activities, and then go here to see how you can get involved (join a local chapter, for example).
News
WMD Commission Plans to Release Report. Ah, but who will they blame? The administration, as many believe they should, or the intelligence-gathering agencies? Remember, the administration's initial justification for going to war was that Hussein had WMDs. Since none were found, the WMD Commission was formed to investigate why we thought they did. We're pretty sure that the intelligence community will take the blame, but the facts we've seen so far don't point that way. For more on the WMD Commission's report, see Editorial #1 below.
They Didn't Make the List. When it comes to contractors, elections, legislature, judicial nominees and the like, we know that we're going to see partisan politics. But when it comes to the hard and fast safety of the country, we would hope that those in charge would put aside political considerations and focus on national security. Silly us. You see, the Department of Homeland Security has an internal list of threats to America's security. Added to that list? Animal rights groups and ecology militants. Sure, we guess we can see that. Some do have violent protests. Missing from the list? Right-wing domestic terrorists. You know, groups like the Army of God, whose members were responsible for the 1996 Olympic park bombing in Atlanta and the murdering of doctors who perform abortions. Or people like the conspirators behind the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, who have admitted being influenced heavily by radical right-wing movements. Read this article and weep, knowing our country's politics are hindering us from being safer.
Bush Predicts That Factions in Iraq Will Mend Rifts. Proving that he truly does not understand Iraq, Bush predicts that the Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds in Iraq will be able to resolve their differences "through debate and persuasion instead of force and intimidation." Avoiding the obvious joke about the pot and the kettle, Bush appears to be the father who tells his kids to "talk over their problems," then goes to the other room, grabs a beer, and watches television. Not only are the Sunnis not going to be mollified with their smaller representation in the government, but the Shiite majority still has retribution on their minds, for all of the hardships they suffered under Hussein's regime for the last two decades. We want to be optimistic, but it's going to take more than a few words to turn the heat down on this powderkeg.
Editorials
Stealth Panel Ready to Report. Dan Froomkin looks at the WMD Commission, which has been operating well under the radar over the last year. Froomkin raises the very good point that the public will probably not see any of the final report. How can we trust a government that agrees to investigate itself, and then not show the results of that investigation? Nieman Watchdog looks at many of the questions that should be answered in the report, but wonders what kinds of recommendations we'll see come out of the report, particularily towards intelligence reform, and whether they'll will be implemented. Remember, the 9/11 commission suggested many changes, but was stonewalled by House Republicans and the White House.
Nothing 'New' in This War. How did we go from demolishing the Hussein regime two years ago, and seemingly in control of a war, to the madness that now dominates Iraq? The answer is more than just "insurgents." Andrew J. Bacevich breaks down the last two years, and draws the only good conclusion that has come out of the war - Americans have received a wake-up call about the true capability of our military. It's not indestructible. It is overstretched because of waning recruiting efforts. New technology can't just easily eliminate an insurgency. And even if it's could, we're not that "mobile, tactical, swift" force that Rumsfeld supposedly envisions. It's important that we learned these lessons before it's too late...but some might argue that learning them now is already too late. Did it have to cost us the lives of over 1,500 soldiers and possibly over 100,000 Iraqi citizens?
A Future the Army Can't Afford. Fred Kaplan asks if we should be spending the billions we are currently on a future high-tech army. The answer, of course, is "No," but Kaplan explains why in great detail. Remember, these are YOUR tax dollars at work, and you should know exactly what they are being spent on. Kaplan's piece opens up a side of the military many don't know much about, and it makes for fascinating (if not nauseating) reading.
