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December 29, 2005
Thursday, August 18, 2005
Thursday's Links
Activism
One America Committee. The class divide in American has grown under Bush's careful guidance. Tax cuts for the richest among us ensure that having money is, indeed, the best way to make more. The One America Committee is dedicated to building one America, for all of us, by helping to elect Democrats across the country. The site features both a text blog and a video blog, as well as news, podcasts, and resources on political issues. Electing Democrats won't magically make everything better, but it's an important first step in reversing the trend of American aristocracy for some while so many others barely scrape together a living.
News
Officer: Army Unit Blocked from Sharing 9/11 Info with FBI. What did the government know, and when did it know it? This news bombshell just landed recently: More than a year before the attacks of September 11th, a secret military unit had identified two of the three terror cells involved. Mohammad Atta and three other hijackers were identified in 2000 by the "Able Danger" unit, but lawyers from the Special Operations command rejected suggestions that this information be shared with the FBI. It's easy to look back with hindsight and gauge where things went wrong, but this piece in particular shows how dysfunctional our intelligence-sharing systems have been. Hopefully this is one lesson we'll learn from.
More Dead Bring Anguish, Anger in Ohio. Are we turning a corner? Is the insurgency in its last throes? These and other statements made by administration officials paint a rosy picture of inevitable American victory in the War in Iraq. But the death toll of American troops continues to rise, and as more people here lose friends and loved ones over there, the difference between what we're told and what we later learn to be true is growing ever more stark. The death of sixteen Ohio Marines has prompted wider debate on whether the ongoing sacrifice is worthwhile.
Protest Campsite Moving Closer to Bush Ranch. Cindy Sheehan's protest has grown beyond even her expectations. Camp Casey, as it is called, is a sprawling hodgepodge of chairs and tents staked out on a small piece of public land near Bush's Crawford ranch. The protestors' campsite has been a point of contention for Crawford residents, some of whom wish it would all just go away. Now one of Bush's neighbors has offered the protesters more space to spread out on his land, which is not only closer to Bush's ranch but also right across the street from his church. Bush himself may just wish they'd go away, but with the extra legal protection of being invited guests on private property it seems Camp Casey is here to stay.
Editorials
More Than Minority Blues. One representative laments "I sense arrogance on the part of many of my colleagues," saying such arrogance can take hold "when members of Congress seem to be unaccountable for their actions." These comments aren't those of Democrats, as you might expect, but instead among those made in 1987 of then-minority Republicans frustrated by Democratic dominance in Washington. There are two lessons here: Complacency and arrogance among the majority can lead to its downfall, and those who forget the past are usually doomed to repeat it.
Does the U.S. Plan to Be in Iraq Forever? BushCo says we'll stay in Iraq until the job is done, but that job is still yet to be clearly defined. Pulling out early will embolden insurgents, we're told, but with rumors of permanent US military bases being built in Iraq, it's not clear that leaving is part of the plan. Spreading democracy is all well and good, if that is in fact what we're doing there; the planting of permanent military installations on Iraqi soil, if true, may indicate that more than freedom is on the march.
Blogger Commentary
October, 2001: Earliest Documentation on Iraq War Planning. It's amazing that documents like these come out and no one seemed to bat an eyelash. Take a hop over to the link and you'll see what we mean.
The New Know-Nothings. It seems pretty clear that for all their bluster, the Bush administration really doesn't know much about Iraq, or foreign policy in general, for that matter. But when the get caught in a lie, or even just a case of being flat-out wrong, do they admit it? No, of course not. Instead, they venture into philosophy. In such a complex world, can anything really be "known" for certain? And if not, is it fair to blame the Bush administration for not knowing how miserably they'd fail in Iraq? The answers, of course, are "maybe not", and "absolutely". Postmodernism really isn't an effective foreign policy.
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December 29, 2005
Thursday, August 18, 2005
Thursday's Links
Activism
One America Committee. The class divide in American has grown under Bush's careful guidance. Tax cuts for the richest among us ensure that having money is, indeed, the best way to make more. The One America Committee is dedicated to building one America, for all of us, by helping to elect Democrats across the country. The site features both a text blog and a video blog, as well as news, podcasts, and resources on political issues. Electing Democrats won't magically make everything better, but it's an important first step in reversing the trend of American aristocracy for some while so many others barely scrape together a living.
News
Officer: Army Unit Blocked from Sharing 9/11 Info with FBI. What did the government know, and when did it know it? This news bombshell just landed recently: More than a year before the attacks of September 11th, a secret military unit had identified two of the three terror cells involved. Mohammad Atta and three other hijackers were identified in 2000 by the "Able Danger" unit, but lawyers from the Special Operations command rejected suggestions that this information be shared with the FBI. It's easy to look back with hindsight and gauge where things went wrong, but this piece in particular shows how dysfunctional our intelligence-sharing systems have been. Hopefully this is one lesson we'll learn from.
More Dead Bring Anguish, Anger in Ohio. Are we turning a corner? Is the insurgency in its last throes? These and other statements made by administration officials paint a rosy picture of inevitable American victory in the War in Iraq. But the death toll of American troops continues to rise, and as more people here lose friends and loved ones over there, the difference between what we're told and what we later learn to be true is growing ever more stark. The death of sixteen Ohio Marines has prompted wider debate on whether the ongoing sacrifice is worthwhile.
Protest Campsite Moving Closer to Bush Ranch. Cindy Sheehan's protest has grown beyond even her expectations. Camp Casey, as it is called, is a sprawling hodgepodge of chairs and tents staked out on a small piece of public land near Bush's Crawford ranch. The protestors' campsite has been a point of contention for Crawford residents, some of whom wish it would all just go away. Now one of Bush's neighbors has offered the protesters more space to spread out on his land, which is not only closer to Bush's ranch but also right across the street from his church. Bush himself may just wish they'd go away, but with the extra legal protection of being invited guests on private property it seems Camp Casey is here to stay.
Editorials
More Than Minority Blues. One representative laments "I sense arrogance on the part of many of my colleagues," saying such arrogance can take hold "when members of Congress seem to be unaccountable for their actions." These comments aren't those of Democrats, as you might expect, but instead among those made in 1987 of then-minority Republicans frustrated by Democratic dominance in Washington. There are two lessons here: Complacency and arrogance among the majority can lead to its downfall, and those who forget the past are usually doomed to repeat it.
Does the U.S. Plan to Be in Iraq Forever? BushCo says we'll stay in Iraq until the job is done, but that job is still yet to be clearly defined. Pulling out early will embolden insurgents, we're told, but with rumors of permanent US military bases being built in Iraq, it's not clear that leaving is part of the plan. Spreading democracy is all well and good, if that is in fact what we're doing there; the planting of permanent military installations on Iraqi soil, if true, may indicate that more than freedom is on the march.
Blogger Commentary
October, 2001: Earliest Documentation on Iraq War Planning. It's amazing that documents like these come out and no one seemed to bat an eyelash. Take a hop over to the link and you'll see what we mean.
The New Know-Nothings. It seems pretty clear that for all their bluster, the Bush administration really doesn't know much about Iraq, or foreign policy in general, for that matter. But when the get caught in a lie, or even just a case of being flat-out wrong, do they admit it? No, of course not. Instead, they venture into philosophy. In such a complex world, can anything really be "known" for certain? And if not, is it fair to blame the Bush administration for not knowing how miserably they'd fail in Iraq? The answers, of course, are "maybe not", and "absolutely". Postmodernism really isn't an effective foreign policy.
|
December 29, 2005
One America Committee. The class divide in American has grown under Bush's careful guidance. Tax cuts for the richest among us ensure that having money is, indeed, the best way to make more. The One America Committee is dedicated to building one America, for all of us, by helping to elect Democrats across the country. The site features both a text blog and a video blog, as well as news, podcasts, and resources on political issues. Electing Democrats won't magically make everything better, but it's an important first step in reversing the trend of American aristocracy for some while so many others barely scrape together a living.
News
Officer: Army Unit Blocked from Sharing 9/11 Info with FBI. What did the government know, and when did it know it? This news bombshell just landed recently: More than a year before the attacks of September 11th, a secret military unit had identified two of the three terror cells involved. Mohammad Atta and three other hijackers were identified in 2000 by the "Able Danger" unit, but lawyers from the Special Operations command rejected suggestions that this information be shared with the FBI. It's easy to look back with hindsight and gauge where things went wrong, but this piece in particular shows how dysfunctional our intelligence-sharing systems have been. Hopefully this is one lesson we'll learn from.
More Dead Bring Anguish, Anger in Ohio. Are we turning a corner? Is the insurgency in its last throes? These and other statements made by administration officials paint a rosy picture of inevitable American victory in the War in Iraq. But the death toll of American troops continues to rise, and as more people here lose friends and loved ones over there, the difference between what we're told and what we later learn to be true is growing ever more stark. The death of sixteen Ohio Marines has prompted wider debate on whether the ongoing sacrifice is worthwhile.
Protest Campsite Moving Closer to Bush Ranch. Cindy Sheehan's protest has grown beyond even her expectations. Camp Casey, as it is called, is a sprawling hodgepodge of chairs and tents staked out on a small piece of public land near Bush's Crawford ranch. The protestors' campsite has been a point of contention for Crawford residents, some of whom wish it would all just go away. Now one of Bush's neighbors has offered the protesters more space to spread out on his land, which is not only closer to Bush's ranch but also right across the street from his church. Bush himself may just wish they'd go away, but with the extra legal protection of being invited guests on private property it seems Camp Casey is here to stay.
Editorials
More Than Minority Blues. One representative laments "I sense arrogance on the part of many of my colleagues," saying such arrogance can take hold "when members of Congress seem to be unaccountable for their actions." These comments aren't those of Democrats, as you might expect, but instead among those made in 1987 of then-minority Republicans frustrated by Democratic dominance in Washington. There are two lessons here: Complacency and arrogance among the majority can lead to its downfall, and those who forget the past are usually doomed to repeat it.
Does the U.S. Plan to Be in Iraq Forever? BushCo says we'll stay in Iraq until the job is done, but that job is still yet to be clearly defined. Pulling out early will embolden insurgents, we're told, but with rumors of permanent US military bases being built in Iraq, it's not clear that leaving is part of the plan. Spreading democracy is all well and good, if that is in fact what we're doing there; the planting of permanent military installations on Iraqi soil, if true, may indicate that more than freedom is on the march.
Blogger Commentary
October, 2001: Earliest Documentation on Iraq War Planning. It's amazing that documents like these come out and no one seemed to bat an eyelash. Take a hop over to the link and you'll see what we mean.
The New Know-Nothings. It seems pretty clear that for all their bluster, the Bush administration really doesn't know much about Iraq, or foreign policy in general, for that matter. But when the get caught in a lie, or even just a case of being flat-out wrong, do they admit it? No, of course not. Instead, they venture into philosophy. In such a complex world, can anything really be "known" for certain? And if not, is it fair to blame the Bush administration for not knowing how miserably they'd fail in Iraq? The answers, of course, are "maybe not", and "absolutely". Postmodernism really isn't an effective foreign policy.
