14.5.04
Blog one year old; and comments on ongoing news
Well, the blog is one year and some odd days old now. Readership is probably at an all-time low - but what the hell? As the New York Times and Fox have shown us, any group of assholes can draw a large readership.
Regular readers will notice that posting has been light. My apologies. Scholastic considerations intruded on my ability to manage my media empire (i.e., the blog). Sadly, though, I will not be able to resume posting with any great frequency, as I am off to observe events first-hand in the Middle East this summer. I wouldn't hold my breath for Mano Negra and Lugal to step up and dominate discussion, even though theyy are fine fellows.
But as a parting gift to all of you, my loyal readers and friends, I will provide some comments on news that has been making news recently.
American torture at Abu Ghraib: We have Americans - real red-blooded, god-fearing Americans, not "fake" commie-pinko Americans - torturing Iraqis - real Iraqis, the very same ones the Americans supposedly came to liberate (after the Americans discovered there were no WMD to disarm them of) - in the infamous prison of Abu Ghraib.
I'm sorry, but for all of the people who are acting shocked that this has happened, what did you expect when the Americans took over Abu Ghraib in the first place? This was the scene of Saddam's worst crimes (including some, like the plastic-shredder death machine, which never happened). You don't open a model humanitarian correctional facility at the site of a fucking torture center.
The way that the media is dodging the issue and referring to this torture as "abuse" is simply sickening. In this respect, Newsweek leads the parade of American journalistic cowards. Even more disgusting are the people acting like this torture is somehow not connected with "Americanism" at all. In this respect, Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-CO) certainly leads what is a very strong pack of moral dimwits.
If anyone is "puzzled" by how this could happen in our fine army, I recommend that you take a trip down to your video store and rent almost any action film produced over the last 30 years. Then you might get an idea of what could incite fine, upstanding American men and women to turn into cretinous barbarians upon coming into contact with Arabs.
Finally, let me point out that what "our boys" are doing to Iraqi prisoners (i.e., torturing them) are the same kind of things that our good buddies in the Israeli army and security services do to Palestinian prisoners. Why are some congressional representatives "outraged" when Americans torture Iraqis, but not outraged enough to do the least thing in the world when our bestest friends, the Israelis, do similar or worse things to Palestinians?
Bush imposes sanctions on Syria: Man, this is really stupid:
Who would believe such garbage? Oh, wait - Bush is speaking to Americans. They'll probably believe it. Parents, be sure to check under your childrens' beds tonight - there might be a Syrian wrecker of the American economy lying under there.
I wonder how many Americans, and especially Bush supporters, will recall the fact that Syrian soldiers were fighting alongside American soldiers in the 1991 Gulf War? That the Syrian were happily providing intelligence on extremist groups after 9/11, as well as torturing suspects for the US, until the Americans decided to get fully into the torturing business themselves? That Israel maintained a military presence in Lebanon for over 2 decades, but Congress, for some curious reason, never got around to drafting a "Lebanese sovereignty act" during that period? Not many.
Palestine/Israel: The "purity of arms" of Israel's army continues to amaze: over 28 living Palestinians killed over the last 4 days as the Israeli army looks for the bodies of 5 dead Israelis. Any more purer, and the army would have to change its name to the Snowy White Happy Feel-Good Purity Team.
Ordinary Israelis will no doubt be sleeping more "securely" tonight - 100 more Palestinian homes have been demolished.
I remain unsure as to which term better describes the Palestinian reality in Gaza and the West Bank - "biggest ghetto in history" or "biggest prison in history". However, the scale and unprecedented nature of Israel's project for the Palestinians will most likely require some kind of amalgamation of the two concepts.
I'm out of here. Until later.
Well, the blog is one year and some odd days old now. Readership is probably at an all-time low - but what the hell? As the New York Times and Fox have shown us, any group of assholes can draw a large readership.
Regular readers will notice that posting has been light. My apologies. Scholastic considerations intruded on my ability to manage my media empire (i.e., the blog). Sadly, though, I will not be able to resume posting with any great frequency, as I am off to observe events first-hand in the Middle East this summer. I wouldn't hold my breath for Mano Negra and Lugal to step up and dominate discussion, even though theyy are fine fellows.
But as a parting gift to all of you, my loyal readers and friends, I will provide some comments on news that has been making news recently.
American torture at Abu Ghraib: We have Americans - real red-blooded, god-fearing Americans, not "fake" commie-pinko Americans - torturing Iraqis - real Iraqis, the very same ones the Americans supposedly came to liberate (after the Americans discovered there were no WMD to disarm them of) - in the infamous prison of Abu Ghraib.
I'm sorry, but for all of the people who are acting shocked that this has happened, what did you expect when the Americans took over Abu Ghraib in the first place? This was the scene of Saddam's worst crimes (including some, like the plastic-shredder death machine, which never happened). You don't open a model humanitarian correctional facility at the site of a fucking torture center.
The way that the media is dodging the issue and referring to this torture as "abuse" is simply sickening. In this respect, Newsweek leads the parade of American journalistic cowards. Even more disgusting are the people acting like this torture is somehow not connected with "Americanism" at all. In this respect, Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-CO) certainly leads what is a very strong pack of moral dimwits.
"I don't know how the hell these people got into our army," said Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell, R-Colo., after viewing what he called a fraction of the images.I wonder if Sen. Nighthorse Campbell remembers anything at all from history - his history. Americans may have killed off millions of Native Americans and then herded the survivors into little ghettos, but Campbell acts as if this torture is utterly incomprehensible.
If anyone is "puzzled" by how this could happen in our fine army, I recommend that you take a trip down to your video store and rent almost any action film produced over the last 30 years. Then you might get an idea of what could incite fine, upstanding American men and women to turn into cretinous barbarians upon coming into contact with Arabs.
Finally, let me point out that what "our boys" are doing to Iraqi prisoners (i.e., torturing them) are the same kind of things that our good buddies in the Israeli army and security services do to Palestinian prisoners. Why are some congressional representatives "outraged" when Americans torture Iraqis, but not outraged enough to do the least thing in the world when our bestest friends, the Israelis, do similar or worse things to Palestinians?
Bush imposes sanctions on Syria: Man, this is really stupid:
In a statement Mr Bush said Syria's actions "constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States".Ok - a country with a per capita income of about $1,000 per year is an "unusual and extraordinary" threat to the US economy?
Who would believe such garbage? Oh, wait - Bush is speaking to Americans. They'll probably believe it. Parents, be sure to check under your childrens' beds tonight - there might be a Syrian wrecker of the American economy lying under there.
I wonder how many Americans, and especially Bush supporters, will recall the fact that Syrian soldiers were fighting alongside American soldiers in the 1991 Gulf War? That the Syrian were happily providing intelligence on extremist groups after 9/11, as well as torturing suspects for the US, until the Americans decided to get fully into the torturing business themselves? That Israel maintained a military presence in Lebanon for over 2 decades, but Congress, for some curious reason, never got around to drafting a "Lebanese sovereignty act" during that period? Not many.
Palestine/Israel: The "purity of arms" of Israel's army continues to amaze: over 28 living Palestinians killed over the last 4 days as the Israeli army looks for the bodies of 5 dead Israelis. Any more purer, and the army would have to change its name to the Snowy White Happy Feel-Good Purity Team.
Ordinary Israelis will no doubt be sleeping more "securely" tonight - 100 more Palestinian homes have been demolished.
I remain unsure as to which term better describes the Palestinian reality in Gaza and the West Bank - "biggest ghetto in history" or "biggest prison in history". However, the scale and unprecedented nature of Israel's project for the Palestinians will most likely require some kind of amalgamation of the two concepts.
I'm out of here. Until later.
