For the Do-It-Yourself'er

     Know all the HTML you'll ever need to know, run a linux box, and are slightly linux knowledgeable?  Read how to install your own secure, up-to-the-minute, mod_perl and mod_ssl enabled apache webserver.  The best webserver, the best programming language, and the most secure you can get, all for free here.

A Guardian Failure

     The Guardian, London's leftist newspaper, can go over the top.  To an American familiar with Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity, the Guardian usually seems very mild.  However, they can, in fact, be part of the problem, at least, author Timothy Garton Ash can be...

Had the Democrats fielded a better candidate more folksy, more appealing in the south they might have won. Putting up a millionaire Boston brahmin was rather like the Tories proposing an Old Etonian stockbroker for prime minister. As Graydon Carter of Vanity Fair has observed, one lesson is simply that Democrats should start the hunt for a man with a drawl and a farm, who looks like a regular guy and plays ball in the yard.

     For comparison, let's look at how the military junta ruled over Japan in the 13th century...

They appeared to prefer their princes young, pink and simple: most late-Kamakura[Junta] Tenno[Emperors] were between four and puberty when enthroned. This state of affairs served the Kanto[the Capital] authorities admirably, assuring there was always: a) a political incompetent on the throne; b) an endless torrent of invidious intelligence on the in-crowd's activities from the idling out's; and c) a plethora of retired Tenno around (sometimes as many as five) intriguing against, tripping over and generally exhausting each other.

     I believe that, between the CIA and Defense, there is jostling for real control of the country.  I know that Eisenhower wrote, in his diaries, that he was afraid that Kennedy wouldn't be able to say "No" to the CIA and their harebrained schemes (Bay of Pigs started about 6 months after Kennedy became President).  I doubt any but the most assured person could say no to both the CIA and DoD, when they were wrong.

     JUST SAY NO TO RUBES!

Seems Almost Definite, Now

     After reading this this, a claim by Central Command leader General Abizaid (tool), that war in Iran is not likely, but a definite plan.  I was watching much more closely before the Iraq War, but I knew that was coming, many people did.

     The President is a mass-murderer, Hastert for President now.  Don't be good little Nazis anymore, folks.

Economics

     What's the long term economic impact of lying to people for political purposes?  We can't stop Bu$hCo from lying to us today, just as we couldn't stop McCarthy, Kennedy and Reagan from lying to us about "evil" Russkies or the Communist menace, but did it cost us money?

     Now, nothing would depress me more than the idea that the government would want to stop lying to us only because of the results of a long-term cost-benefit analysis, but recent research has come to my attention that makes me believe that something along these lines is the case.  First, let me recommend the economics research at Northern Trust.  I've read private bank economics research before, but I haven't read that much online, so I could be swayed to change this recommendation... perhaps there is far better out there.

     Now, in relation to the article of October 22, 2004, entitled "Wealth Illusion"(pdf), I found something striking.  When writing about the 1990s stock market boom, the author notes that, unlike other household income booms, increases in capitol stock were lagging.  The blue line represents household wealth as a percentage of disposable income, the red line represents the total capital stock of the country.  It's clear that, at least from the 1968 onward, these lines are in phase (a rise in the one comes with a rise in the other), at least for the majority of time.  This makes sense as when people get wealthier they have money to invest and spend, and capital stocks (the red line) in this case reflect more than heavy machinery, but also personal capital, like cars.  Now, back to my point about lying and the economic costs thereof.

     Let's just say, as neo-cons would say, that if the people are scared into acting responsibly ("or face the dread [insert fear here] menace!"), they will be more amenable to self-sacrifice in the name of the national good.  Now, since the Soviet Union was not a joke, it was important that people didn't forget there was an issue.  However, and this is important, I believe, for the future of any government, there is a difference between making people aware of the bugbears they want to forget and lying to them.  People will want to forget the international troubles of the day, ignore the signs of danger from afar, rest easy on their sofas, or in their parks, or engage in some hobby or sport.  Drawing the attention of the people away from these generally satisfying pursuits to pay attention to serious matters at hand is important, and few people will argue that politicians ought to be those people.  When politicians fail at this, of course, no one would want citizens to be prevented from engaging in this social good.

     Could there be negative impacts from lying us into over-sacrifice, though?  I believe the following graph shows that there are.  That, in fact, by making the Soviet threat out to be more than it was, people did more than necessary to "defeat" the Soviets.  More importantly to our current discussion, though, is the reaction the people had once the victor was complete.  The 1990s, rather than taking a sensible, parental role with the newly aligned Russia, was a party, a long "the nightmare's permanently over, we've won, we've won, we've won" self-indulgence.  When the front-man and sexual miscreant Reagan called the Soviets "The Evil Empire," he misled Americans.  The end of the Soviet Union didn't end evil, and neither will the destruction of al-Qaeda, today.  McCarthy, Kennedy and Reagan all engaged in this sort of behavior to a disheartening degree.  When the government has the respect of its citizens, its word will be sufficient.  When the government excessively scares the people into submission, after the enemy is defeated, irresponsibility will reign.

Are you a programmer?

     As part of my ongoing efforts to fix the world with some well-timed software releases, I've also got a small need.  Kinda mathy, kinda imagey.  Let's talk over PGP/GPG.  Finger me for my key.

Do you know any Bush supporters?

     The musings, belated, of Brent Scowcroft aren't impressing them?  Well, if they happen to be amenable to reading, let them get a gander of this former beacon to R Limbaugh and GG Liddy, Paul Craig Roberts.  For example, Mr. Roberts had a column at Townhall.com almost every week, until Oct. 1st, 2003, since which time he's had only four columns there.  In the first article which Iraqwar opponents will love, Roberts says:

American liberals called the Brownshirts "conservative," because the Brownshirts were obviously not liberal. They were ignorant, violent, delusional, and they worshipped a man of no known distinction. Brownshirts' delusions were protected by an emotional force field. Adulation of power and force prevented Brownshirts from recognizing the implications for their country of their reckless doctrines.

     He then goes on to compare the Brownshirts with modern Conservatives, in case you hadn't gotten the hint.  The best part, of course, is that you might get a conservative to read the host of this Roberts post, CounterPunch.

---

     UPDATE: I found the same Roberts article crossposted at Antiwar.com.

Tidbits

• What's happening in Fallujah?  Don't ask why this is happening?

  The raids were part of "Operation Plymouth Rock," launched Tuesday against insurgents operating between the capital and Shiite shrine cities of Karbala and Najaf. Multinational commanders hope to close off escape routes for insurgents trying to escape from Fallujah.

• Another two top CIA officers leave.

The Return of Tinkerbell, A True Fantasy

     What was the name of the supernatural beings that Ronald Reagan, loony, nutcase bad-actor, decided to consult with?  We many never know the truth, but the New, Improved Fake Administration ("I believe, I believe, I believe!") has restarted the First Earth Battalion.

     Learn about the nutcake, fruit-loop people who believe in PSYCHIC POWERS (oooh!) in the Pentagon with Jon Ronson's The Men Who Stare At Goats.

     Many thanks to the fucking Invisible Sky Fairy and the Corporate Media for putting the "adults" in fucking charge.

Bored?

     Was blogging around and found a link to coverage of what was going on in Ukraine and found hours and hours of research available at the detailed blogroll at Euro-centric Fistful of Euros.

Do you know Uribe

     I linked to this yesterday, but I am sure I didn't emphasize it enough.  Its not just that Uribe was Mayor of Medillin, or that his Chief of Staff is the biggest imported of cocaine-precursor Potassium Permanganate, or that his VP is a major media CEO, or that he was the only South American leader to support the war in Iraq, well, maybe it is just that, or, perhaps, simply a legitimate reason to hate the people who Bush is friends with, because they are drug-dealers and murderers, sorta like himself. 

Bu$h is Lying, and the Corporate Media is helping, again

     Ever wondered what a Medillin Margarita (shockwave animation) is?

     Thanks to Mahablog for the link to this Knight Ridder article about El President Arbu$to in Colombia.

"The drug traffickers who practice violence and intimidation in this country send their addictive and deadly products to the United States. Defeating them is vital to the safety of our peoples and to the stability of this hemisphere," Bush said during a joint appearance with Colombian President Alvaro Uribe.

     Ever wonder about Uribe?  Ever think that it is odd that he was Mayor of Medillin?  Or howabout, supposedly against the wishes of Uribe, one of Colombia's top criminals was released from jail since Uribe took over?

My mind

     Will be elsewhere for a while.  I'm going to go get a job, and I need to do some work to do that.  When I'm not working on getting the job, if I'm a good person, I'll be working on my project to help fix/save the world.  It's a computer program, and the instructions for getting started might will go right under the Solution to Terrorism on the left.  Do you have Java Web Start installed already?  I bet you do.

Since there was interest

     From Arms Control Today, September, 2004:

As for the enriched uranium particles that the IAEA reported earlier this year, the agency’s investigation has apparently made progress. Iran claims that the particles originated from imported centrifuge components, but previous IAEA reports have questioned that explanation. This uncertainty suggested that Iran had either obtained or produced enriched uranium that it did not report. However, the Vienna diplomatic source stated that, despite these earlier reports, the imported components can probably account for all of the particles in question, but cautioned that this will not be confirmed for some time.

     Now, because reality works the way it does, and it is safer to err on the side of safety, Arms Control experts will never be able to conclusively say that Country Y isn't working on technology X.

     I've found this very readable explanation of enrichment in general.  It shows a picture of a French enrichment facility.  The facility is powered by four nuclear reactors producing 3000 Megawatts.  However, it doesn't mention the extra stuff one would find.  I'll keep looking for the Russia "admits" link.

Post of Humor

     If one were to make the disgusting noise which one can make when one separates the lips and the tongue from the roof of the mouth simultaneously, a sort of wet, smacking noise[Smack], and one has pets, one can try this joke, easy to do.

     Repeat the following, replacing "Name" with the name of a dog or cat, present in the room, "Bsh Bsh Bsh Psh Psh Psh Psh Name Name Name Psh Psh Psh Smack Smack Smack."

     Repeat.  I can't stop cracking up.

Old Reliable

     For as surely as the sun doth shine, the Israeli Defense Force will contain people who lie about their Arab neighbors.  Now, not every General in Israel is insane, but the National Symbol, the Invisible Sky Fairy, has an even stranger effect on Israeli policy than it does here.  More on Falwell in a moment, but first, shredding this little peice of scaremongering from the WSJ/FOX-alike Jerusalem Post.  it starts with this yellow journalism style lead-in

The IDF believes that Iran is running a secret nuclear weapons program in parallel to the one it had agreed this week to temporarily suspend.

     The article actually goes on to quote only unnameds sources, at least one of whom is in the IDF, but that's just the beginning, and it leads one to believe the IDF believes this.  Next...

"Without a more determined stance by the West against Iran, they will reach a point of no return within six months," said a senior officer. From then it would take another 18 to 24 months to produce a nuclear bomb, they added.

     In the reality where I exist, any country can stop or start a nuclear progam quite easily, but not in the mind of this unnamed IDF Officer.  To this person, even though it will be two years before Iran might be done, they will be too far in six months.  What's the official "point of no return" in nuclear arms production?  I guess it's the point after which rumor mongering articles like this become State policy, but I could be mistaken.  Next we have...

"The Iranians have a 'declared' secret program which they have agreed to temporarily suspend," said one senior Israeli officer. "But they also have a 'secret' secret program. The agreement with the Europeans is not touching this program. Furthermore, it is our understanding that the suspension is only temporary and partial."

     Do the Iranians have a "declared" nuclear weapons program of any sort?  No, they have an enrichment program for civilian reactors, according to their word.  Should we take them at their word?  Well, they do allow inspectors in, and the inspectors have found ZERO traces of U-236 or U-238, both which would be produced if they were enriching uranium for bombs.  There was one swab of U-235 found, and Russia explained that away.  Is Russia going to lie to cover Iran's ass?  Doubtful.  Let's see where this lying war-job gets us next...

The military sources declined to give details about their knowledge of Iran's parallel program.

     That speaks for itself, now doesn't it?

     Oh, and concerning Jerry Falwell, he's decided the Moral Majority wasn't enough, so he is going to start the Faith & Values Coalition.  Number four on their list of priorities, according to reports, is backing Israel.  That's after "pro-life," "pro-family," and "fiscal conservatism."  WAR!  WAR!  WAR!

Whose Deaths Matter?

     Certainly not any Iraqi civilians, our beloved Press Corps tells us. 

     Going to google news this morning I saw that the Polish-Iraqi hostage was freed.  This was the only possible body fitting the description of the "western woman" that 2,330 english articles have mentioned since the body's discovery in the last couple of weeks.  Ergo, like all the other times this has happened, the information coming out has been a lie.  I'm not just talking about WMD, or the lies to get us into Iraq, I'm talking specifically about the allegations that white women were being killed in Iraq.  Over and over they've tried this, over and over it turns out to be fraud.  Over and over the real innocent Iraqis get killed and Officials continue to assure us that all is well.

More Fun With Transliteraton!

     Remember how I detailed how the US Gov't likes to re-spell problematic figures in history.  Well, by accident or design, I'd been googling for Nasir|Nasser|Naseer Ayef, but the US media had been covering the story of the arrest of N. Ayaef, who happens to be the same person.  The Iraqi blog Healing Iraq has the spelling: Nasir 'Ayif Habib.

     To continue with the theme, it turns out, as ManicNetPreacher commented below, Ayaef had immunity.  And, as if to make me whole again, Google News indicates that no US newspapers are covering this angle of the story.

     Now, I keep reading in the US press that Ayef|Ayaef, or Ay(ae?|i)f (in regex-speak the ? denotes 0 or 1 of the letter it follows, the parens group and the | says it should be something on either side of it) "a member of the Iraqi National Council" while in the South Asian press I find he is "the deputy head of the Iraqi National Assembly."

     A little further 'net digging repeatedly yields this webpage from Global Security (obvious government associates)

The IIG works alongside the 100-member Interim National Council, chosen by a national political conference in August 2004. The conference, attended by 1,200 Iraqis representing a broad range of ethnic, religious and tribal groups and including 275 women, was a clear demonstration of democracy in action and an important transitional step. The National Council works to promote national dialogue and consensus, and will monitor the work of the IIG

     So he is, or is not, the deputy leader of the only elected body in Iraq, although Healing Iraq again provides local commentary on that whole procedure.

Corruption In the Name of National Security

     Holy Flaming Hideyholes, Batman! Just in the Nick of Time, George Orwell managed to insert this into the "9/11 Recommendations Implementation Act!"  Imagine what life would be like without...

a provision to repeal the requirement that senior-level officials report their personal financial assets valued at more than $2.5 million. It also would end the practice of disclosing the dates of stock transactions.

  Thanks to the LA Times for carrying this story, and to the Medium Lobster for linking to it.

Two Questions, One Unasked

     Ever wonder what I look like?  Second question, did the image appear for you?  I think it will work for you, but doesn't work behind my fairly braindead router. 

Australians Proud of Their Stupid PM

     In honor of the days when a white woman being molested by a darker man was cause for outrage, the "Western" press has been all over the story of a dead "Western" woman.  Apparently, in an attempt to provide agitprop for flagging enfabulatory efforts, Prime Minister Howard has declared that the blonde corpse was actually that of the Humanitarian Margaret Hassan.

     PM Howard has already retracted his statement.

You Have the Right to, No, Scratch That

     Have charges been filed?  Has counsel be obtained? Has anyone told anyone anything about this?

     For the third straight day, the US media remains mum on the early morning shoot out and arrest of the #2 man in the Iraqi Parliament.  Although covered a bit in the foreign, mostly South Asian, press, and receiving one mention buried in an article in the Seattle Times, this story from Pakistan's Daily Times has the following update:

Iraq’s provisional parliament urged US-led forces to free national assembly deputy head Naseer Ayef on Wednesday, a day after he was detained in a dawn raid on his house. “We call for his release and for the matter to be referred to the National Assembly which will investigate and take a legal position,” it said in a statement. "His continuing detention is considered a negative action that goes against legal principles since it has a negative effect on the activities of the assembly." US officials would not comment on the arrest.

     Here I was acting all ignorant, thinking that the main power Iraq's parliament didn't have was to refuse corrupt contracts to US corporations, or to nationalize their oil fields.  How naive!

     As an aside, perhaps they should take a cue from the Republicans in the US House of Representatives.  In that august, cough, body, the ethics panel has passed a rule that allows people in leadership positions to keep serving after indictment in a felony that might get a two year prison term, and they passed this for the sole reason of covering for the mindless mendicant, Tom DeLay.  After all, Nasir|Naseer|Nasser Ayef has the same exact job as DeLay...

Our Most Noble Allies

     Fucking oil theives.  Jack Straw, British Foreign Secretary, admits to knowing of the coup against newly-oil-rich Equatorial Guinea, and doing nothing about it.  In the same story, a Nick du Toit says there was no coup, and he was tortured into making a confession.  Mark Thatcher, son of Prime Minister Margaret "Fuck me for $300 million in SDI contracts" Thatcher, is fighting extradition to E. Guinea.

     Meanwhile, South Africa has convicted three of its own in the plot, foiled by Zimbabwe's Mugabe.  How many coup attempts has Bush stopped?  Just asking.

     Strangely reliable Chinese News Agency Xinhua says

This is a serious cross-border criminal case, which involves countries including South Africa, Britain, Spain and Armenia, General Attorney Jose Olo Obono was quoted by local media as saying.

     South Africa's Independent Online must translate to Craven Online in Afrikaans.  They are calling du Toit's change of plea "spectacular."  He is facing the death penalty, the UK Foreign Secretary admits to knowing about the plot, and he is a professional arms dealer with the evidence before him... and it's "spectacular" that he is alleging his confession was coerced?  Spectacular must mean predictable in Afrikaans.  Did some of you think arms dealers were the guys who died with Honor?  Just asking.

     Always-on-their-knees CNN doesn't even mention Straw's admission, same as Independent Online above.  Upon further reading, it turns the word "spectacular" is a direct quote from du Toit's lawyer.  That is as fair and balanced as any tea drinker(=civilized person) can expect.

Still not being covered

     Since my earlier post on the arrest of the #2 man in the Iraqi "interim" Parliament this morning, no new stories, except by the Muslim American Society, have been published on the matter.  What is happening to Nassir Ayef?  The American media doesn't want you to know.

     UPDATE: This new story from India report includes the quote "They shot one of his guards in the stomach and searched his house. We don't know why he was detained."

     UPDATE2: This has been published by an American paper, the Seattle Times.  It's buried under reports of the post-bellus rumor-mongering and France-bashing that is the Henry Hyde directed House Intl. Relations Cmte. hearings into the Oil-for-Food program.  A topic whose fraudulence I have already discussed.

Decorum Notes

     Being a shining beacon for my millions of off-world, and dozens of terrestrial readers is pretty easy, really.  I'll try to be kind.  There are two types of stories which exist, which one should not bring up.  The first has been seen around lately, and that concerns the comments of a particular lawyer at a particular faux-women's group who said moderate Republicans should switch to become Democrats.  Now, I'm fine with that outcome, but, facing facts, under what other circumstances would this loony get quoted by people of refined sensibilities?  I claim the answer to that question is synonymous with nil.  Didn't you all notice that the Iraq WMD claims were on thin ice when all these supposedly-staid-and-conservative GOP leaders started quoting their nemesis, President Clinton?

     Another set of stories, found on a particular weblog, includes details of the sex lives of prominent officials of a particularly prudish political party.  Now, secretly, inside, each of us can feel any way we want to about this, but, really, isn't this sort of rumor-mongering the antithesis of a reasonable political process?  If the greatest public administrator in IRS history likes dirty coffee, are we suggesting he shouldn't serve?  Did these characters, whose behavior isn't matched by their party's platform, actually say the prudish things?  Please consider these facts.  And ask yourselves, what if I choose you to serve?

Another Rat or Two

     Covered in the foreign press (Pakistan, Singapore, Turkey, and India) and a couple non-mainstream US sources (Bloomberg, and loony Sierra Times) is the news that the Deputy head of the Iraqi "Interim" Parliament (#2 to Iyad Allawi in that body), Nasser (or Naseer, or Nasir) Ayef, has been arrested in his home.  One member of this man's Sunni Islamic Party quit the government over the invasion of Fallujah last week.

     If you thought Colin Powell was the moderate, then you will likely really miss Richard Armitage, his number two, even more.  It was simply Armitage's candor that I appreciated.

     I'm initiating a new procedure here at Remain Calm.  The link to read will be in red, not orange.

Rats... Ship... Sinking

     There are 21 cabinet, or cabinet-level positions in the White House.  Before now, Whitman in EPA, Daniels in OMB, O'Neill at Treasury have resigned.  Now, since election day, Powell at State, Ashcroft at Justice, Paige at Ed, Veneman at Ag, and Abraham in Energy are announcing resignations.  I don't remember Bush campaigning on a promise to clean up Washington...

     One early guess to replace Powell will be born-again Nutso John Danforth, who is currently Bush's pick for UN Ambassador, and formerly a Senator of the State most known for its international flair, Missouri.

---

     UPDATE: I forgot Evans at Commerce. Sorry!  Obviously, Danforth didn't get it, Rice did.  It's interesting to note that Bush is going inwards for talent, not outwards.  He isn't finding anyone new, just the same old people who made the same old mistakes, and will likely continue to do so.

I Repeat

     George Lakoff may be a good linguist, but he doesn't know politics.  Of course, if you change the name of the Estate Tax to the Kill-Little-Kittens-For-Child-Molesters Fund, then people will be more against it.

     These facts, all combined, are not, however, the basis of a political theory.  There is a proper name for things, and all that Lakoffian thinking can get a person is a new, smarmy name for the Estate Tax that makes it sound less bad,e.g. the Inheritors Tax.

     This would almost imply that whatever tax gets the neatest name stays highest.  Rather than play stupid fuck-fuck games with language, why don't prospective Presidential candidates explain why they feel taxes should be at the levels they are.  No one is obligated to use stupid fuck-fuck terms invented by some Luntz-style push-poll.

Finding Out Inside Iraq

     This Iraqi wanted to find out why people were fighting in Fallujah... back in April.  The reasons are disturbing, but the solutions become clearer...

1. We are fighting to get money we are without work without salary we spend our life to served Saddam we worked with him and now we can't live without money so we are fight for money.
2. there are many members from the Saddam's intelligent[s agency] and terrorists pay the money to push the people to fight and kill any one reject the fight.
3. Many people from the Filuja City fight retaliation because they losing them kinsfolk in the war.
4. There are many terrorists " Ben Laden's fellows from other countries" in the Filuja city always tries to make argument between Iraqi people and USA.

     Track down the intelligence agents.

Fun With Murderous Historical Revisionism!

     Before the assault on Fallujah...

"If they do not turn in al-Zarqawi and his group, we will carry out operations in Fallujah," [US-selected Iraqi "interim" Prime Minister Iyad] Allawi told the interim National Council on Wednesday. "We will not be lenient."

     After the assault on Fallujah

"We never expected them to be there. We're not after Zarqawi. We're after insurgents in general," [Marine Major General Richard] Natonski[, who designed the ground attack,] said.

Your Source for Internet-Gleaned Fallujah News

     In no particular order

• Mission Accomplished: Yes, it's true, according to the Iraqi National Security Advisor
• Units Leave Fallujah for Mosul: Which has fallen into insurgent hands.
• President Bush says we are 80% done in Fallujah: Also pleased with the pace of sewing/training.  I guess he hasn't been inspecting the Presidential Daily Briefs and missed "In some cases, the only 'training' required of new policemen was that they wear a uniform."  This joke intentionally left unwritten.
• Marine Major: "I have no idea": When will the battle be over, and reconstruction begin?  Don't ask the people fighting.  Fears Zarqawi (the whole excuse for the recent round of killing) may have slipped out under a women's burqa, and none of us thought of that before, and the Marines have never checked under Burqas of fleeing Fallujans.  These are not the Burqa clas insurgents you are looking for.
• Aerial bombardment of Mosques and Tunnels: We all know how those crafty, crafty tunnels can avoid less expensive ground-based attacks.  The profit margin is much higher in aerial bombs, and we all know the business of America (now, we do). 
• Photoplay: Marines Showing Respect for Islam: Tip to Under The Same Sun (yes, I read it)
• Photoplay: New Uses For Tape: Iraqis, unfamiliar to darkness, living near the Equator where the sun always shines, get lessons from US forces.

Yes

     I want Howard Brush Dean for Chair of the Democratic National Committee.  Thanks for asking.

     Read Whatever It Is, I’m Against It.

     Note, no relation between those two paragraphs is expressed or implied.

Why I am Against Alberto Gonzales(sic)

     Because the Attorney General represents the people of the United States, while Mr. Gonzales, in the words of LA Timesmen David Savage and Edward Chen, among numerous others who echo a similar refrain, "Unlike Ashcroft, Gonzales is a trusted friend of the president who can be counted on to put the interests of the White House first."

     Alberto Gonzales for Solicitor General, sure, but not Attorney General.

     Note: This was done with the help of this excellent round-up done by the Washington Post.

     Note 2: If the correct spelling of his name is Gonzales, then how come he's not Portuguese?  Is he Brazilian?

How Bush Could Have Killed Jesus

     Would evil people try to frame Jesus for something?  I can't know, but according to Atlantic Monthly, in a story widely talked about at the time, and brought up again today in the the Washington Post, crediting this article in the Chicago Tribune...

"According to the Atlantic Monthly, Gonzales handled 57 such petitions but sometimes provided Bush with only cursory reviews of the cases, leaving out crucial information such as ineffective counsel and evidence of innocence."

     Bush put people to death on the word of a single lawyer who avoided mentioning evidence of innocence, and now this man, Alberto Gonzalez, is going to be Attorney General.

Fallujah

     Remember, before the bombing of Fallujah, the promise that if the Fallujans would hand over Zarqawi the seige would be unnecessary?

     Well, now, with 600 Fallujans dead, and an acknowledgement from the military that there is no end to the insurgency in sight, one might ask, where is Zarqawi?

     I don't think the US military can prove Zarqawi isn't in Fallujah.  As a representative of a large alien attack force, I would have to say that they would have to turn over Zarqawi if they aren't to be invaded.  For the record, I represent no alien military that can come down and crush the American violence in Iraq. 

     Americans are not destroying WMD in Iraq, and Saddam was invaded for not destroying those same WMD.  Fallujans wouldn't hand over Zarqawi, and so were invaded, and now the Americans, in charge, if not imminently in charge of Fallujah, will not hand over Zarqawi.

Stan Goff vs Neo-Cons, Neo-Cons Allied With Islamists

     I respect Stan, even when he's wrong.  Not that he's been wrong lately, it's just that when I read his book, Hideous Dream: A Soldier's Memoir of the US Invasion of Haiti, published by Soft Skull Press, I found he overemphasized racism as a part of US foreign policy.  Apparently, he's over that, and has moved to peak oil.  At least, unlike every other peak oil discussion I've ever been privy too, Stan comes off like a man who knows.  The article is in three parts. 1) Oh shit, I'm unprepared to debate a credentialed neo-con 2) My prepared opening remarks for the neo-con, and 3) What a pathetic debate that was, the neo-con was basically ignorant.

     Speaking of ignorance, let's face it, if you think the American or Australian media are bad, then you wouldn't have liked living in Saddam's Iraq, now would you?  For the record, the official penalty for reading a non-State run newspaper was death.  So... when there are certain blogs, like Iraq the Model are all cheery about things like the new declared State of Emergency or whoop about a letter, signed by over 1,000 Iraqis congratulating Bush on his re-election one begins wondering this guy is coming from, it's hard to believe he's really in Iraq (although this post makes me think Mohammed is in Iraq, but Omar, who does all the posts doesn't seem to be.).  On to the point.  He is published a letter from Sawt al-Iraq. The website is sotaliraq.com, but in Arabic-only. I checked online and found that Sawt al-Iraq is the European voice of the Daawa Party, who want to bring Theocracy to Iraq!  They are funded from Iran.  All the little green idiot-like neo-cons love Iraq the Model because he is so gung-ho for the Americans.  Are we laughing?  Check out the advert at the bottom of this page.  It says 20,000,000 hits Per Month/100,000 Unique Visitors (I guess they all come 200 times per month).  But then check out the sitemeter. Less than 9 million hits in the last two years. 

     So, there you have it ignorant neo-cons with credentials fighting the dumb fight, and ignorant neo-cons on the web, supporting the Islamists.  Maybe the rumors about theocratic Bush are truer than they seem.  For the record, I've always thought the neo-cons were making simplistic arguments.  And, for the record, I've always disliked Iraq the Model.  And I've always disliked Theocracy.  And Bush, always disliked him. 

Happy Birthday, Corps

     Especially to you, Smedley.

I spent thirty- three years and four months in active military service as a member of this country's most agile military force, the Marine Corps. I served in all commissioned ranks from Second Lieutenant to Major-General. And during that period, I spent most of my time being a high class muscle-man for Big Business, for Wall Street and for the Bankers. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism.

Tidbits

• Can you say "Mission Accomplished?".  Boston.com is reporting that, from PM Allawi's house in Baghdad, his 70-yr old cousin and family have been abducted.
• Alberto Gonzalez if the new choice for Attorney General.  He'll have a cakewalk of a confirmation process.  This is the guy who called Priscilla Owen a judicial activist who makes law from the bench.  Bye, bye, Priscilla.
• Whether or not former PM, and now cabinet member, Bibi Netanyahu stays or goes in the Israeli Cabinet is now A23 news at the Washington Post.  Can you name another cabinet member of a foreign country whose decision not to resign was A section news?  Thank you, and good morning.

Great Ground Score

     The Farmer at Corrente has a great collection of quotes.  I've taken a sub-selection

The dying liberal-democratic system had opinions that were changeable, relative and not binding, but it did not have an absolute worldview in which people could put their faith. It had a panopticum, but no picture of the world. It collected every possible opinion, standpoint and value from every time and people, rather like exhibits in a museum, but had no dominant standpoint, no real values. The result was chaos, sterility and relativism. The most wretched viewpoint could take center stage because sure faith was lacking, from which alone comes strength of judgment. The era had lost a central worldview, and thus the measure of character, of style. The chaos of worldviews resulted in chaos in science, education, and all other areas of life. People staggered before the abyss, unsteady, irresolute.

Former values and principles had collapsed, having lost all their strength. The meaning of the universe no longer mattered, questions of the content and tasks of life went unanswered. In the chaos of world views, every conceivable opinion found its proponents, but none had greater weight or force than any other.

He who wants to build must push aside and fight everything that stands in the way. The greatness of an era depends on bringing all thoughts and all forms of life under a unified worldview, a unified faith.

Any worldview seeks to rule alone, and must seek that. It must believe in its sole right, which is the foundation of its effectiveness. In battling other worldviews, it must maintain its good conscience. If it loses that, it loses its self-confidence, the feeling of superiority, and thereby its power over people. Where each can do what he wants, there is no whole. Eras without unity lack compelling power. Only where a will to life dominates, only where all strengths are moving in the same direction, does greatness follow.

Any era, any worldview, needs firm foundations. When these are open to discussion, the idea is already questionable and has lost its finding force and strength. An age that discusses its foundations is sawing off the branch on which it sits. It loses its good conscience, its self-confidence — and perishes. The cathedrals of the Middle Age would never have been built if Christianity had asked itself why it had the right to claim exclusive truth for its faith by eternalizing it in stone. The idea justifies itself through its fruitfulness. It rules the consciousness of those people who set the direction of their age. It is seen as foundational, formative, the bringer of the future. And throughout history it leaves creative ideas and deeds on the altar of immortality.

This demonstrates the deepest roots from which a worldview draws its strengths: from faith. Great times rest on a great, absolute faith. Only those with faith, with mountain-moving strength and joy in action can fulfill an historic mission. Values that are truly believed, not merely recognized and discussed, are the foundation of creative strength. In era of decline, however, everything is open to discussion and therefore to denial. When God is a question, one no longer builds cathedrals. Where people have no living faith, they do nothing great, nothing that lasts.

     All Quotes from The Party Directive, January 1939, or, as it was known in Nazi Germany, Der Schulungsbrief.

Vengeance Will Be Ours!

     Oh, and it goes so well.  From SBS, an Australian paper, we have some minor updates in the battle.

There are reports that US soldiers burst into the notorious Jolan district in the northwest of the city with a volley of heavy gunfire. A marine officer told Agence France Press that a separate unit also took control of Fallujah's train station in the northeast. Inside the battle-scarred city missiles rained down indiscriminately, with the action most intense in the Askari district in the northeast and Jughaitha in the north, another AFP correspondent said.

     The Jolan district is obviously notorious for what we did there this last May.

     But wait a second, my intelligent readers ask, what of the train station?  Should we be patting ourselves on the backs for that?  Of course we should, if Curious George is running the campaign.  Take a look at this unclassified, military map of Fallujah.  The town has two obvious borders, the river to the west, and the train tracks to the north.  Only a fool wouldn't have secured the tracks before the invasion started.  It's a natural border, and the tracks, likely raised at least a little, provide some cover.  Similarly, there are no apparent roads that cross the tracks, since no one wants people having some pedestrian excuse for crossing battle lines, this is another plus.

Our Forces Are Unstoppable! Blitzkrieg to Victory!

     Do you know what a Bloomberg is?  For about $1500/month, about the mortgage on a $600,000 home, you can get access to really high quality data on bonds, stocks, news, et cetera.  The Vatican has one.  Mike Bloomberg, founder of the company and billionaire, is now Mayor of New York City.  His favorite saying is "That's Better than a Blow Job."  He's a Republican.  After my office was destroyed on September 11th (building sheered off ten feet from my desk) I worked from my apartment for a couple weeks, then I worked in a Bloomberg company warehouse that he had retrofitted into office space.  He supplied hundreds of desks and computers there for near free to companies effected by 9/11. He also gave everyone there free access to the Bloomberg system.  I liked it.  I would, occasionally, write the authors of peices, and they would then update the news.  I didn't get any credit, but I felt like I was doing good.

     Apparently, however, someone at Bloomberg.com isn't up on their WWII history of the Blitzkrieg, which means Lightning War

`Lightning' Attack About 200,000 residents have already fled the city of 300,000 people, Allawi said. He also declared a ban on weapons in Fallujah, a shutdown of non-essential services, and the closure of highways leading to the city for all but emergency vehicles and those authorized by the government. [...] "Fallujah itself is encircled with checkpoints and with troops," said U.S. Marine spokesman Major Francis Piccoli in a satellite phone interview from outside Fallujah. "I'm convinced that if we enter the city proper, it's going to be fast, it's going to be lightning, we will overwhelm the insurgents.''

     I hear the truth is that Hitler's Blitzkrieg was not, in fact, responsible for the defeat of France, and that Germany's troops, although succesful, did not travel faster than the Infantryman's gait.  However, I can't find a link.

The Moral War, Fought by Moral Troops

     And I have a bridge, it goes to Brooklyn, to sell you.  From Murdoch's The Australian

Mr Allawi said: "You need to avenge the victims of the terrorists like the 37 children who were killed in Baghdad and the 49 of your colleagues who were slaughtered." One soldier replied: "Yes, we will slaughter them like sheep."

     And over in LoonyLand, Joseph Farrah's WorldNut Daily has this short example of responsive reading in the new Iraq

"May they go to hell!" the soldiers shouted, and Allawi replied: "To hell they will go."

     Oh, I'm proud to be an American/Where at least I know I'm Free/To bomb any nation I want/And prop up thugs there just like me/So I'll stand up/Or get some poor kid/To stand up and fight for me/Oh I'm proud to be an American/God Bless Executive Pay

Ring any bells for you?

     Tom Dispatch has this quote in a very long article about Fallujah, which instantly reminded me of nothing so much as the buildup to the Iraq War itself.

With the power of that threat[Josh: massive force] in mind, our offensive against Falluja has been one of the slowest developing and most publicly announced events of recent times. This, in turn, means we have left the Fallujan insurgents all the time in the world to plan for the defense of the city or to fade away as the fighting begins.

     Just in case you thought the Image President had learned anything.

Thanks again to WIIIAI and Doug Ireland

     Honestly, I've not been in total control of my time lately.  I can do some blogging, but I can't pore over the facts as I might at other times.  I've got computer programs to save the world to write, my own campaign website to work on, and I have to stay on top of the news, not to even mention the demands of my current situation.  Doug Ireland translates an article from Le Monde on an Iraqi Judge who got fired for doing his job.

     Reminds me of the Vincent White story, since neither is being covered by the US media.

     No comment, you simply needed to know.

Satan to be Defeated Posthaste!

     From Iraq Dispatches

"The marines that have been killed over the last 5 months have been killed by a faceless enemy. The enemy there has a face, and it’s called Satan, and it lives in Falluja.” These are the words of US Marine Colonel Gary Brandl...

     Send me, God's President Bush!  Send me to Fallujah, that I might fight Satan, one-on-one, to bring the rapture by taking part in his defeat!  I hereby nominate whomsoever captures or kills Satan with the Holy Medal of Honor, which will be a new medal, a Cross of Gold, of course, and shall rank higher than any other medal.

Thanks to WIIIAI

     Read this.  Story goes like this

• Man accused of paying for sex with young man
• Spends a month in a rat-infested jail
• Young man admits to having made allegations after being tortured by, shot at, by Kabul Cops
• "Mr White says that he had vetoed several government contracts that would have earned commission worth hundreds of millions of pounds for Western firms and Afghan officials. 'Unregulated feeding at the aid trough,' he said.
• Story untouched by US media

Aren't you glad they waited?

     Interim Prime Minister Iyad "CIA-puppet" Allawi has declared MARTIAL LAW for Iraqis, starting today, less than five business days after the US Presidential election.  As a staunch supporter of His Highness, King Bush, and the American Hezbollah, you can all rest assured that John "Iran-Contra" Negroponte, King Bush's royal agent in Iraq, is working to punish the Iraqis for their current intransigience as we speak.

     In good news for the troops, it looks like we'll get to invade Samarra again.  No amount of practice is sufficient, with the potential for war constantly lingering inside the Bush's Royal Chambers.

Understanding American Hezbollah

     The key to understanding the "abuse" of the Christian Right by the political leaders is singlefold. If one were to say that abortion is murder of a human (and the Church itself didn't make this into an issue until 1850(need link 1)), then people who support abortion are unapologetic killers of 40,000,000 people.  These numbers place Democrats, in the eyes of these zealots, with Hitler, Stalin and Mao. Yes, the Christian Right are a bunch of ignorant rubes, but they might be seen, by false comparison, as anti-slavery voters. Did you know that the early Republican Party, under Lincoln, Grant and Ames(House Leader), were some of the most corrupt office-holders in US history?  Lincoln had spent over 20 years as a lawyer for the railroad industry(link 2). Grant's scandals are legendary(3). Under Oakes Ames(4), a rich railroad magnet could buy Congressman to get the rights to buy the land to build their iron horse track across the country. But the people couldn't vote against them, because the alternative was slavery and the Civil War. For fifty years, from James Buchanan until Woodrow Wilson, no Democrat became President except the honorable Stephen Grover Cleveland(link 5). Sadly, it seems we are in the same position today.

Palestinian Elected Leader Dies

     Some obnoxious Jews do a little dance.  Don't they know how many murders and terrorist actions their own leaders have participated in?  I wonder how they feel about an Arab Terrorist, namely Allawi, being Prime Minister of Iraq.  Anywho, Arafat is near dead or dead, and already the psuedo-highbrow Murdoch-managed New York Sun is explaining how the Palestinian Basic Law (Constitution) might be ignored in favor of a more pro-US leadership.

     Aliens need to come to Earth and teach these hypocrites with nukes a lesson, and the sooner the better.

How big was the victory?

     Tiny.  According to Martini Republic, it's "the second narrowest electoral vote margin since 1916.  As measured by voting percentages, it was the narrowest victory by an incumbent, ever."

Defeating American Hezbollah

     The Party of Logic, the party of Reason, the party of Rationality, lost this year.  I've been checking Bartholemew's Notes on Religion blog for a week or so now, nothing bad yet.  His "blogroll" included links I checked today, which were a mixed bag (yes, you must be interesting and have good taste, all the while being contemporary and wearing a tuxedo), but I found this entry of Religion&Society blog to be just what I needed to know.  It links to this particularly trenchant peice by Amy Sullivan on the Sojourners website.  Sojourners, if they don't mind me saying, were early 70s' anti-war Christians who did the commune thing in inner-city Washington, DC.  As the current premiere (to the best of my knowledge) pretender to the title of Anti-Christ, I consider it a must-read.

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UPDATE:This, from the GadFlyer, is good, too.  It explains how abortions fell under Clinton, rose under Bush, and that Bush policies increase abortions because of their economic impacts.  Based on the research of a Seminarian named Stassen.

Scandal, Thy Root is Lucre

     Hey, just because there is no god doesn't mean you can't agree that lust for money is a root of evil.  So, I read TBogg who linked me to James Wolcott who linked me to Bull Moose and I thought "Hey! I know something about the organized crime in Indian Casino Gambling!"

     First though, Wolcott mentions that the election was a victory for Grover Norquist, Loser David Hanson, David Brooks and the like.  Mr. Wolcott, I believe you are wrong.  These tinseltown nitwits are, in fact, like Christmas tree baubles.  The tree grows and, sure, as a result they are raised higher, but are they anything more than decoration?  Aren't there a thousand willing David Brooks, who simply lack the impratur of "on-high?"  I suppose many neo-cons are going to get away for it for a while, but maybe not Grover Norquist!  According to neo-con flunky Frank Gaffney, as published on super-loony David "Bad Press Loses Wars" Horowitz, Grover Norquist was taking dirty/terrorist/Islamist money.  Ach, it's a really long article.  The gist is that Norquist received tens of thousands of dollars since 1998 from a guy who is a Hamas and Hezbollah supporter (Hezbollah in Lebanon is not a threat to me, only to occupying forces and their local political enemies, Hamas is, practically, counter-Irgun) and who got the money, in 1997, from Libya's Qaddafi; money which happens to be "illegal."

     Now for Native American Casino Gaming, which is coming up in the next week in Congress.  According to research done by Alt magazine (Word document), an independent Buffalo-based publication, and some research by myself, the Republican Party of New York State (Governor Pataki and Senate Majority Leader Bruno) are hip-deep in Indian Casino Gambling, and all of the ones operating in New York are mob connected.

     Now, oddly enough, this whole problem has its roots in the very origins of the American Republic(we'll miss you).  The Mohawk tribe of the Iroquois(Haudenosaunee) Confederacy straddles the US-Canadian border.  Rather than deal with the old council of Elders, both the American and Canadian governments hand-picked compliant leadership factions.  The old council of elders still exists, but without any real recognition.  During the 1970s, as part of the (CoIntelPro targetted) Red Power movement, young, militant Mohawk, the self-titled "Warrior Society," asserted that they would be taking the place of the moribund elders.  In the past, these forces have seized land, set up illegal bingo parlors, shot down a helicopter owned by NY State, and smuggled guns, alcohol, drugs, and, with the complicity of Big Tobacco, cigarettes.

     After Red Power enthusiasm died down, as one might imagine, they found themselves with gun and drug connections, and the Native American birthright which America has equated with the right to own-and-operate a Casino, and organized crime got interested.  Having pushed the Elders aside, the newly empowered, and greedy, Warrior Society types, with their mob connections, only needed one thing, government approval.  The article from the Buffalo paper Alt, linked here again, has a good rundown.  Jim McMahon, an investigator at Alt, has a number of relevant links here.  Another site with a smattering of info, some of which is very "in" (i.e. you might need to google some of the names to find that they are mob-connected) is No Casino Erie.  For reference, a link about gaming laws in the US.

Update for Kerry Supporters from Neo-Confederate Movement

     Well, down heeyah, we'd already decided that we'd rather have the somewhat lib'rul Edwards than the totally commyunist Kerrah, and weren't plannin' on letting him get even one full year into his term, no how, undah any suhkumstansez.

     I'm meanin to say that, in any event, in case you was wunderin what it'd be like, it'd have been short.

     And Johnny Ray wanted me to say he thinks we coulda got 'Dwards, too.

Party of God Victory

     American Hezbollah, or "Party of God," has increased its margins in the US House and Senate. 

     Religion triumphed over Reason yesterday, as millions of ignorant, amygdala-bound American voters decided that the front-man, Bush, deserves a chance to clean up all the messes he has made.

If you actually checked here

     I'm waiting for Zogby's 5:30PM EST update.  That's Zogby.com.

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     I have to remember its not nearly as good as the numbers say.  Zogby says it's Kerry 311, Bush 213, and Colorado and Nevada too close to say.  I guess now I am waiting for the 7pm first official results.

How would it be possible?

     How could you read my blog and not have your own opinion already?  I suspect I have about a readership of four, and none of them are Bush supporters.

     Well, I voted, and it was for Kerry, and I am voting in a state that was considered a tie by many pollsters.

     Now, if Kerry wins, for the first time since the day the Iraq War started, I'll want a job.  I'm an expert in computer programming.  What I really want is to have some of my projects funded.  I've got five programs that are going to "save" the world.  I've got lots of one of them ready enough to show off.  The program is called DIN, for Distributed Intelligence Network.  I wouldn't call it the most important of the five, though.