September 13, 2003
Interview with a GI blogger.
Via
warincontext.org, is an
interview with Sergeant Sean, the soldier whose blog
...turningtables... I've been quoting from recently. An interesting read.
WIC: You mentioned in Turningtables reading a book by Noam Chomsky. Where did you get it and what interested you about his writings?
Sean: One of my best friends sent it to me when he found out about the research I have been doing online. He is a member of the National Guard and he wanted to volunteer to come over here to do "his part", but he decided to stay in school. He also had started to ask questions -- questions whose answers are very easy to find for those who look. Noam Chomsky laid it all out on the table for me like no other person had ever done. I felt as though a curtain had been pulled from my eyes and I could actually see through the haze of misconceptions. I always try to remain objective, and I do not agree with him on every issue. I continue to search for more answers to the questions we should all be looking for. It really is so surprising.
The final entries in
...turningtables... are well worth reading. The thoughts of a GI who has served in Sarajevo, Afghanistan and Iraq. And some nice
photos as well.
I can't say though how much this final thought frightens me.
i know that the world is hard...i know that iraq is worse then it was 6 months ago...in terms of just about everything...but i have to believe that it will turn around...someday...i have to believe it in my heart...that i was apart of something good...no matter it's perceived reasoning...no matter what...i have to believe that i have worked to do the right thing in this country so far from my home...because how could i live with myself any other way...
To claim that something was good just because they meant well is absolutely horrible. Really the very essence of evil. People will continue to die in Iraq, in Afghanistan, in Columbia, all over the world, until the people behind the US military admit that they are wrong, and that just because they mean well doesn't mean that they are doing well. No, he wasn't part of anything good. He was part of something that made people suffer, and for no reason that I can see.
I'm glad he got out alive though. Hopefully he'll continue to speak up when he comes back to the US. I remember how the protests against Vietnam began when vets coming back began to talk about what was going on over there. It's curious that so many people think the protests were AGAINST the vets, when they were the ones who started them.
Fabulous Farm Aid concert.
Via
Common Dreams, Harvey Wasserman
reviews the recent Farm Aid concert.
Now in its eighteenth year, Farm Aid has become a national institution, working to save the family farm. Originating with the ageless Willie Nelson, and with Young and John Mellencamp---"our little band of outlaws," says Nelson---the annual day-long show has become a treasured icon of vibrant culture and progressive politics for an age in desperate need.
It has not mellowed with age. As George W. Bush babbled on national television, demanding billions more to "rebuild" Iraq, Mellencamp delivered a blistering indictment of an administration defined by death and pillage. Why are we spending all this money over there, he wondered, when our own farms are in such tough shape here. Dressed in his signature blue jeans and a plain white t-shirt, the Indiana-based Mellencamp mixed a ballad to peace and justice into a strong set built around vintage rock classics.
... Fittingly, PBS will broadcast two hours of the show from 9-11pm EST, November 27 (check your local listings). As America digests its Thanksgiving dinner, it might contemplate Willie Nelson's message that this is "more than a struggle about farms, it's about the little guy v.s the big guy, about the family farm vs. the factory farm, and about the community vs. the corporation."
Amidst all else it's doing, the Bush Administration is working hard to turn over the last bit of farmer-owned agriculture to the mega-corporations. From pesticides, herbicides and chemical fertilizer to genetically modified foods and financial pillage, the American family farm is hanging on by a thread. As times get harder and the nature of our food is even more under attack, Farm Aid has become increasingly essential.
"The key to securing healthy food for tomorrow is to keep family farmers on the land today," says Nelson. "It's about the very future of our country."
More information about Farm Aid is available at
www.farmaid.org. It's a good cause to support.
September 12, 2003
Fun at the arms fair.
The world's largest arms fair is being held in London this week, a sort of strange tribute to 9/11. In
All the fun of the Fair, John O'Farrell of the
Guardian points out some of the many incongruities involved in holding such an event, most especially how absurd it is to suggest that any nation which would have such a large arms industry and host such an event can possibly claim to be concerned with peace.
Britain is one of the world's biggest exporters of arms (second only to either the US or Western Samoa, I can't remember which it was now, definitely one of those two). The apologists for this sorry state of affairs say that hundreds of thousands of British jobs are dependent on this industry. Well, thousands of people make a living out of burglary and mugging but you don't get ministers giving the opening speech at the Crowbar and Flick-knife Fair. "Britain's criminals lead the way with ... Oy, come back with that microphone!"
The more an economy is dependent upon the sale of arms, the less that country will be inclined to see that peace prevails around the world. Instead of opening the event last Tuesday, Geoff Hoon should have declared the arms fair closed and then fallen on his sword. Except, of course, if it was a British-made sword it probably would have snapped in two.
Those who continue to spread the lie that the US and the UK support Israel should take note that these countries are the leading suppliers of arms to the Arab nations, whose violence is fueled primarily by American and British petro-dollars, and financed by people in New York and London. Not that the facts will convince anyone, but there you are.
Canterbury Tales the most popular reading.
I don't know why, but the page containing the
prologue to the Canterbury Tales is the most visited page in
my world history. Curious. But maybe it was just a single class somewhere or something. Web statistics can be seriously skewed by a single link or such.
But if people do enjoy Chaucer, I have the
entire text of the Canterbury Tales online, in the original Middle English too. Part of the
ebooks library I've been building up. It's also available in a Classic Mac/Hypercard ebook, available for downloading
here.
If you've never heard a computer read Middle English try to view it in a browser that has speech. Classic Mac fans can hear it in any of the old Speech Manager voices.
Wounded GI's billed for food.
Via
Booknotes is this
story from the St. Petersburg Times telling how wounded GI's have been billed by the government for food they ate while in the hospital.
After a grenade exploded inside his Humvee in Iraq, Marine Staff Sgt. Bill Murwin was treated at a military hospital in Germany and spent four weeks at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. Part of his left foot was amputated.
His medical care was free, but the government billed him $243 for the food.
Then, just three days after he received his first bill for the hospital food in Germany, he got a stern letter saying the bill was overdue. It warned that his account would be referred to a collection agency.
... The rule was established because most military personnel receive $8.10 a day as a "basic allowance for subsistence" for food. But when they are hospitalized, the government tries to recoup the money on the theory that they are eating hospital food and therefore are double-dipping.
... The government already bends the rules for soldiers in combat. They are allowed keep the $8.10 even though they are also getting free food, according to Young's office.
The article also reports that Congress will likely change the law soon. But it does indicate the presence of some seriously skewed priorities among the people running the military.
Johnny Cash links.
A few Cash links. I may add more as I see them.
Here is his
official site.
This page from
Lost Highway Records, his last record label, has his latest video, Hurt, as well as several music selections. What a sad, sad song "Hurt" is. My goodness. Why so many regrets from someone who was so successful in life and accomplished so much?
Man In Black net. Dedicated to the music and lyrics of June Carter Cash and Johnny Cash.
Columbia's Legacy division, which has been releasing early recordings of his. In particular a previously unreleased 1969 live concert, reissues of several classic albums and apparently much, much more. Mr. Cash left a huge legacy of recorded music behind. Absolutely enormous.
Dutch want to ban police officers from pot shops.
Via the
Sydney Morning Herald is
this article reporting that some police officers are getting high on the job, and that the government wants to ban them from the coffee shops that sell pot.
Apparently the sight of stoned police arresting people for being stoned is a bit too much for them to take. No word on whether they will also be banned from bars that sell alcohol. I guess it's ok for drunk police to arrest people for being drunk.
The Dutch Government is worried that too many of its police officers are getting stoned on and off duty, and is to ban them from coffee shops that sell marijuana.
The Interior Minister, Johan Remkes, fears the spectacle of spliff-wielding police - in or out of uniform - is chipping away at the force's image, and opening it to accusations of hypocrisy.
"A police officer has an exemplary role to fulfil and has to show some authority," he told the newspaper De Telegraaf.
"They could be in a difficult position if they have to stop and search people for drugs."
The country's 1500 marijuana coffee shops, where customers can buy up to five grams at a time, are tolerated by the authorities. Hard drugs are not allowed. Mr Remkes says he wants to ban police officers from frequenting coffee shops both on and off duty
It's no laughing matter though. Pot doesn't do anyone any harm of course, but the article also reports that some police officers are doing much harder drugs than that, and have even been accused of selling ecstasy and cocaine to other officers.
Witnesses described occasions when officers were so high on ecstasy that they could not even find Amsterdam's main shopping street, Kalverstraat, just two minutes from the station.
Hmmmn. No, I won't go there. It really isn't a laughing matter. Police involvement in the drug trade is common throughout the world, especially in the US. If they're not directly involved, they're taking payoffs from the dealers. It may be just a minority of officers, but the majority are at least aware of what's going on, and refuse to do anything about it. Apparently in the curious "morality" of law enforcement, drug dealing is OK, but snitching on a fellow officer isn't.
The same goes for the stockholders and other financial industry professionals who help launder the profits, the prison industry which profits from guarding the "criminals", the lawyers who reap huge fees from both defending and prosecuting, and the politicians who collect enormous donations from all of these groups.
Goodbye to the Man in Black.
Well you wonder why I always dress in black
Why you never see bright colors on my back
And why does my appearance seem to have a somber tone
Well there's a reason for the things that I have on
I wear the black for the poor and the beaten down
Livin' in the hopeless hungry side of town
I wear it for the prisoner who has long paid for his crime
But is there because he's a victim of the times
I wear the black for those who've never read
Or listened to the words that Jesus said
About the road to happiness through love and charity
Why you'd think he's talking straight to you and me
Well we're doin' mighty fine I do suppose
In our streak of lightning cars and fancy clothes
But just so we're reminded of the ones who are held back
Up front there oughta be a man in black
I wear it for the sick and lonely old
For the reckless ones whose bad trip left them cold
I wear the black in morning for the lives that could have been
Each week we lose a hundred fine young men
And I wear it for the thousands who have died
Believin' that the Lord was on their side
I wear it for another hundred thousand who have died
Believin' that we all were on their side
Well there's things that never will be right I know
And things need changin' everywhere you go
But till we start to make a move to make a few things right
You'll never see me wear a suit of white
Oh I'd love to wear a rainbow every day
and tell the world that everything's okay
But I'll try to carry off a little darkness on my back
Till things're brighter I'm the man in black
Johnny Cash
© 1971 House of Cash, Inc.
September 11, 2003
Have You Forgotten?
The woman at
Baghdad Burning reflected a few days ago on the meaning of 9/11. I don't have much to say on the subject, but she is quite eloquent.
Have You Forgotten?
September 11 was a tragedy. Not because 3,000 Americans died… but because 3,000 humans died. I was reading about the recorded telephone conversations of victims and their families on September 11. I thought it was… awful, and perfectly timed. Just when people are starting to question the results and incentives behind this occupation, they are immediately bombarded with reminders of September 11. Never mind Iraq had nothing to do with it.
I get emails constantly reminding me of the tragedy of September 11 and telling me how the “Arabs” brought all of this upon themselves. Never mind it was originally blamed on Afghanistan (who, for your information, aren’t Arabs).
I am constantly reminded of the 3,000 Americans who died that day… and asked to put behind me the 8,000 worthless Iraqis we lost to missiles, tanks and guns.
People marvel that we’re not out in the streets, decking the monstrous, khaki tanks with roses and jasmine. They wonder why we don’t crown the hard, ugly helmets of the troops with wreaths of laurel. They question why we mourn our dead instead of gratefully offering them as sacrifices to the Gods of Democracy and Liberty. They wonder why we’re bitter.
But, I *haven’t* forgotten…
I remember February 13, 1991. I remember the missiles dropped on Al-Amriyah shelter- a civilian bomb shelter in a populated, residential area in Baghdad. Bombs so sophisticated, that the first one drilled through to the heart of the shelter and the second one exploded inside. The shelter was full of women and children- boys over the age of 15 weren’t allowed. I remember watching images of horrified people clinging to the fence circling the shelter, crying, screaming, begging to know what had happened to a daughter, a mother, a son, a family that had been seeking protection within the shelter’s walls.
I remember watching them drag out bodies so charred, you couldn’t tell they were human. I remember frantic people, running from corpse to corpse, trying to identify a loved-one… I remember seeing Iraqi aid workers, cleaning out the shelter, fainting with the unbearable scenes inside. I remember the whole area reeked with the smell of burnt flesh for weeks and weeks after.
I remember visiting the shelter, years later, to pay my respects to the 400+ people who died a horrible death during the small hours of the morning and seeing the ghostly outlines of humans plastered on the walls and ceilings.
I remember a family friend who lost his wife, his five-year-old daughter, his two-year-old son and his mind on February 13.
I remember the day the Pentagon, after making various excuses, claimed it had been a ‘mistake’.
I remember 13 years of sanctions, backed firmly by the US and UK, in the name of WMD nobody ever found. Sanctions so rigid, we had basic necessities, like medicine, on waiting lists for months and months, before they were refused. I remember chemicals like chlorine, necessary for water purification, being scrutinized and delayed at the expense of millions of people.
I remember having to ask aid workers, and visiting activists, to ‘please bring a book’ because publishing companies refused to sell scientific books and journals to Iraq. I remember having to ‘share’ books with other students in college, in an attempt to make the most of the limited resources.
I remember wasted, little bodies in huge hospital beds- dying of hunger and of disease; diseases that could easily be treated with medications that were ‘forbidden’. I remember parents with drawn faces peering anxiously into doctors’ eyes, searching for a miracle.
I remember the depleted uranium. How many have heard of depleted uranium? Those are household words to Iraqi people. The depleted uranium weapons used in 1991 (and possibly this time too) have resulted in a damaged environment and an astronomical rise in the cancer rate in Iraq. I remember seeing babies born with a single eye, 3 legs or no face- a result of DU poisoning.
I remember dozens of dead in the ‘no fly zones’, bombed by British and American planes claiming to ‘protect’ the north and south of Iraq. I remember the mother, living on the outskirts of Mosul, who lost her husband and 5 kids when an American plane bombed the father and his sons in the middle of a field of peaceful, grazing sheep.
And we are to believe that this is all being done for the sake of the people.
“Have you forgotten how it felt that day
To see your homeland under fire
And her people blown away?”
No… we haven’t forgotten- the tanks are still here to remind us.
A friend of E.’s, who lives in Amiriyah, was telling us about an American soldier he had been talking to in the area. E’s friend pointed to the shelter and told him of the atrocity committed in 1991. The soldier turned with the words, “Don’t blame me- I was only 9!” And I was only 11.
American long-term memory is exclusive to American traumas. The rest of the world should simply ‘put the past behind’, ‘move forward’, ‘be pragmatic’ and ‘get over it’.
Someone asked me whether it was true that the ‘Iraqi people were dancing in the streets of Baghdad’ when the World Trade Center fell. Of course it’s not true. I was watching the tv screen in disbelief- looking at the reactions of the horrified people. I wasn’t dancing because the terrified faces on the screen, could have been the same faces in front of the Amiriyah shelter on February 13… it’s strange how horror obliterates ethnic differences- all faces look the same when they are witnessing the death of loved ones.
We will continually hear today that 3,000 Americans died on 9/11. That is not true. There were people from dozens of different countries that died that day. Somehow they don't seem to matter.
To me it's not the day America was attacked; that was a single incident, probably the most overrated one in human history. To me, it was the day America began attacking the rest of the world, not just once or twice, but over and over and over again. And for what?
What's been done in the last two years in the name of freedom and democracy will go down as one of the great horrors and crimes of history. Tens of thousands of innocents killed as a direct result of American hatred. There's no excuse for it, and no way to justify it.
The
NY Times has an
article on the change in foreign views of the US since 9/11. But it's not just foreigners whose view of the US has changed; plenty of Americans have also had their eyes opened.
September 10, 2003
Argentina defaults on IMF loan, but growth continues.
The
Economist reports that Argentina has defaulted on a large payment due to the IMF, despite what they describe as "the economy bouncing back quite strongly."
In December 2001, Argentina recorded the largest sovereign-debt default in history. This week, it set another record. On Tuesday September 9th, it defaulted on almost $3 billion it was due to repay to the International Monetary Fund (IMF)—the largest non-payment of a loan in IMF history. For a country to default on its lenders is one thing. To default on the international lender of last resort is quite another. This latest financial transgression puts Argentina in the same ranks as Zimbabwe, Liberia and Sudan.
But the default may be a sign of Argentine self-assertiveness, not desperation. Having hit bottom last year, the economy is now bouncing back quite strongly. The Economist Intelligence Unit predicts GDP will grow by 5.1% this year and by 4.9% in 2004. After a 67% devaluation of the peso, and a 10% contraction in output in 2002, a recovery of some kind was always on the cards. But Argentina has no credit, and credit, as Keynes observed, is the pavement along which commerce runs. Unless Argentina restores normal financial relations at home and abroad, its recovery drive will soon run out of road.
I think this notion that credit is essential to a government, or a business for that matter, is a bit obsolete. In the old economy, an economy of scarcity, capital and credit were essential. But in the new economy, an economy of affluence, cash is cheap and abundant. People have been financing enterprises on a pay-as-you-go basis for millennia. The economics of it are quite sound, and the savings from interest are enormous.
I know that in California, a lot of the budget crisis stems from overcheap money, and how easy it's become for a government to borrow money. It just results in politicians not confronting difficult choices, but passing them on to later generations. And it results in incredible amounts of money being paid, perennially, for interest. Money that could much better be spent on the state's needs.
But the IMF and the other bankers make their living lending money. That's all they do. So they constantly claim that there simply isn't any other way to operate. That this is a basic economic law, and can't ever be changed. But they're wrong.
Another point they may be missing is that Argentina doesn't necessarily need to be doing a great deal of business with the US and Europe. There's a growing economy in global south that offers plenty of business. I'll bet that they are more concerned with trade with Brazil than with the US. Maybe not yet, but the trend is in that direction.
To their credit, the Economist article does point out that the IMF stands to lose as much as the Argentines here.
Some at the IMF might also be reminded of the old saw: "If I owe you a hundred dollars, it's my problem. If I owe you a million dollars, it's your problem." Argentina owes the IMF over $14 billion in total, more than five times its official Fund quota. If Argentina were to walk away from a deal and refuse to repay, the IMF’s finances would take a huge dent. Some think its triple-A credit rating might be put in question.
In a way it reminds me of the situation with Iraq. For all of its global power and wealth, when it comes down to it, the IMF can no more force the Argentines to play by its rule than the US can force the Iraqis.
And, by the way, if Argentina's $14 billion dollar debt is so staggering and dangerous, then what about America's multi-trillion dollar one? The article points out that Argentina is in the same class as Zimbabwe, Liberia and Sudan. If you just look at the figures so is the US; with Japan not far behind. America is the world's biggest debtor.
Iraq's worst nightmare.
The woman behind
Baghdad Burning did not like Bush's speech Sunday. Not at all. The intensity of the anger is frightening.
Here's her post on the subject, the entire thing in the hope that some Americans are listening.
Friends, Americans, Countrymen...
I heard/read Bush's speech yesterday. I can't watch him for more than a minute at a time- I hate him that much. He makes me sick. He stands there, squinting his eyes and pursing his lips, going on and on with such blatant lies. And he looks just plain stupid.
I listened for as long as I could tolerate his inane features and grating voice, then turned off the television. Then turned it back on. Then turned the channel. Then turned it back. Then almost threw a cushion at the screen. Then thought better and decided he wasn’t worth it. Is it possible that someone like that is practically running the world? Is it possible he might see another term in the White House? God forbid…
His whole speech was just an idiotic repetition of what he’s been saying ever since Afghanistan, “Give me more money, give me more power- I’m doing this for you. Bechtel and Halliburton have nothing to do with it.” Doesn’t he ever get tired of saying the same words? Don’t people ever get tired of hearing them?
The one thing I agreed with was this: there are terrorists in Iraq. It’s true. Ever since the occupation, they’ve been here by the hundreds and thousands. They are seeping in from neighboring countries through the borders the ‘Coalition of the Willing’ could not protect and would not let the Iraqi army protect. Some of them are even a part of the Governing Council now. Al-Daawa Party is responsible for some of the most terrible bombings in Iraq and other countries in the region.
Yes. I blame America for that. We never had Al-Qaeda or even links to Al-Qaeda. Ansar Al-Islam are supposed to be linked to Al-Qaeda, but they were functioning in the northern territory with the two Kurdish leaders’ knowledge and blessings.
Then there’s this:
“The attacks you have heard and read about in the last few weeks have occurred predominantly in the central region of Iraq, between Baghdad and Tikrit -- Saddam Hussein's former stronghold. The north of Iraq is generally stable and is moving forward with reconstruction and self-government. The same trends are evident in the south, despite recent attacks by terrorist groups.”
Is he serious? Only yesterday an American armored vehicle was burned in front of the University of Mosul in the north. There have been an increasing number of attacks on British troops in the south- we hear about them everyday. As for Baghdad… it has become a common occurrence. Baghdad Airport is constantly under missile attack and we hear of similar attacks all over Baghdad… or maybe the person who gave him that little fact is the same one who told him where to find the WMD…
“Since the end of major combat operations, we have conducted raids seizing many caches of enemy weapons and massive amounts of ammunition, and we have captured or killed hundreds of Saddam loyalists and terrorists.”
Yes, we know all about the ‘raids’. I wish I had statistics on the raids. The ‘loyalists and terrorists’ must include Mohammed Al-Kubeisi of Jihad Quarter in Baghdad who was 11. He went outside on the second floor balcony of his house to see what the commotion was all about in their garden. The commotion was an American raid. Mohammed was shot on the spot. I remember another little terrorist who was killed four days ago in Baquba, a province north-east of Baghdad. This terrorist was 10… no one knows why or how he was shot by one of the troops while they were raiding his family’s house. They found no weapons, they found no Ba’athists, they found no WMD. I hope America feels safer now.
On top of it all, the borders between Iraq and Iran have been given to Badir’s Brigade to guard. Badir’s Brigade. Unbelievable. I thought the borders needed guarding to prevent armed militias like Badir’s Brigade from entering the country. We have a proverb in Arabic: “Emin il bezooneh lahmeh” which means “Entrust a cat with meat.” Yes, give the Iranian borders to Badir’s Brigade. Right on.
Just a couple of days ago, two female school principals were ‘executed’ by Badir’s Brigade in Al-Belidiyat area in Baghdad. They were warned to resign their posts so that a ‘sympathetic’ principal could replace them. They ignored the threat, they were shot. It’s that simple these days. Of course, that’s not terrorism because the targets are Iraqi people. Terrorism is when the Coalition of the Willing are targeted.
Everyone is asking, ‘What should be done?’. Pull out the American troops. Take them home. Bring in UN peace-keeping troops under the Security Council- not led by America.
Let real Iraqis be involved in governing Iraq. Let Iraqis who actually have *families* living in Iraq be involved in governing their country. Let Iraqis who have something to lose govern the country. They aren’t being given a chance. As long as any Iraqi isn’t affiliated with one of the political groups on the Governing Council, no one bothers to listen.
We have thousands of competent, intelligent, innovative people who are eager to move forward but it’s impossible under these circumstances. There’s no security, there’s no work and there’s no incentive. AND THERE’S NO ONE WHO WILL LISTEN. If you’re not a part of the CPA or one of Ahmad Al-Chalabi’s thugs, then you’re worthless. You can’t be trusted.
I read Bush’s speech… just like I’ve read/heard what feels like a thousand different speeches these last few months. Empty words, meaningless phrases.
The abridged version of the speech…
“Friends, Americans, Countrymen, lend me your ears… lend me your sons and daughters, lend me your tax dollars… so we can wage war in the name of American national security (people worldwide are willing to die for it)… so I can cover up my incompetence in failing to protect you… so I can add to the Bush and Cheney family coffers at your expense and the expense of the Iraqi people. I don’t know what I’m doing, but if you spend enough money, you’ll want to believe that I do."
That's just one perspective of course, albeit one from Bagdhad itself. But the GI over at
...turningtables... seems to agree with her. Luckily he gets to leave. (The spelling and grammer here are presented as it is. Note the contrast between that of the American GI and the Iraqi woman.)
well i've caught hell over what i said about
riverbend...what she said moved me like nothing that has moved me in months...it upset me...it made me feel bad...
there are so many people out there who think that all iraqis are the enemy...that all of them are not worth one american life...i'm scared by this mindset...this is how these things will perpetuate and drag on forever...we will have a strong military presence in iraq for years to come...some of your children that are still in junior high will serve over here...it is going to happen...be ready for it...and it is only going to get worse before it gets better...be ready for that too...
there are so many questions brewing inside of me...i am more confused now then when we arrived almost 8 months ago...to many...a good soldier must be one who doesn't look at the bigger picture...they should only care about the mission in front of their eyes...and the guy next to them...i wonder now what i am...if i have clouded myself in an illusion...because i think of all and everyone...because i am just as worried for riverbend or salam as i am for chief wiggles or chromedome...their lives all mean as much to me as any of the others that are here...those that live here...and those that deployed here...
... for all those that would question me and my ideals...i can only say that i hope each and everyone one of your children joins the military...and deploys to a far off third world country...and watches the american might destroy another force and nation in the name of freedom...i hope they see the insanity of war...the madness all around them...and i hope they return home to you...alive and with all their limbs...more confused then when they left...just like me..
It's quite encouraging to hear an American soldier speak out like this. (And absolutely amazing that he could do it while doing active duty. Amazing that the technology exists to make it possible, that the military doesn't interfere with him, amazing on so many levels). His
account is well worth reading.
I'm also amazed that the lady in Baghdad, despite the lack of power and everything else she talks about, actually has a TV upon which she can watch George Bush pontificate, and a computer with a working connection to the internet upon which she can write. (Which would seem to bely at least a certain amount of what she's saying. I mean, they have power for TV and computers, right?)
And they both can post to their blogs for FREE.
Bush's Worst Nightmare.
Howard Kurtz writes in the
Washington Post about Dr. Dean's growing lead in the presidential race,
Bush's Worst Nightmare. Utterly bizarre political perspective in which anyone who buys Ben and Jerry's ice cream is a radical lefty (really), but he manages to quote a large number of different sources from all over the country to show the breadth of the support Dean's getting.
Even Howard Dean's detractors now believe he's for real.
Real as in: Scoff all you want, this guy actually could be president.
The good doctor's media treatment has gone through several distinct phases. First he was the colorful gadfly who had no chance of winning the nomination but was getting plenty of press. Then he was the serious threat who was suddenly raising truckloads of cash through some kind of Internet alchemy. Then he was magically declared the front-runner, but one who, critics said, would lead the Democrats to an '04 defeat of McGovern or Mondale proportions.
Now even some conservatives are saying: watch out. And there's a Web site called Republicans for Dean.
It's rather funny to read someone inside Washington saying that Bush "may" be in trouble, and that maybe they should start to take Dean seriously. Bush simply isn't a viable candidate anymore. After acknowledging he blew it in Iraq, he's a lame-duck, one-term president, one who's now quite discredited, at least anywhere outside the Beltway.
The fact is he hasn't done a single, solitary thing right during his administration. Nothing. Not the war, the economy, the environment, not anything. Everything he touches gets worse. And people know it. The Democrats could run Hitler at this point and win. And he's got over another year of blunders to make.
September 08, 2003
GI's view of one of Saddam's palaces.
Reading through
...turningtables... and was struck by his description of one of Saddam's palaces, now headquarters for the Americans. At least they're not lagging for food, air-conditioning or such.
Power shortages? He says the amount of power they're using to air-condition the palaces is "enough to boggle the mind."
at the doors of the palace there are filipino guards in tan uniforms...i think they are part of a civilian security company...brought in by the u.s....i recognize the uniforms...they had them in doha...but in kuwait they were americans...guarding all the gates to doha and arifjan…I read yesterday that close to a third of the billion dollars a week that we are spending out here goes straight into contractors pockets…I can believe it…we’ve got some civilian dudes out here who are doing my exact job as contractors…they are each getting paid $120,000 a year…they’re both 26 years old…the money is out there…but money isn’t everything…
the filipino guards speak tagolog and they give us ice cold water bottles from their cooler...big friendly smiles under their boony caps…they’ve each got M-16’s and desert boots…we have to be escorted in because of our lack of appropriate badges…the point of contact guy ushers as past the guards and into the amazement of the palace…we were told that the palace we are from was for fun…this one is for business…
inside the presidential palace the marble floors are unending...intricate geometrical designs in white grey and black stone...when you look up at the front door...the ceiling is in 3-d...it's a reverse pyramid...with wooden tiles at 1 foot intervals...dark wood...green marble...and ivory borders...there are arabic words...which in themselves are art...the cost to make this ceiling is more then i will make in my life...saddam spared no expense…I guess I can thank the Iraqi people for this beauty…it’s a shame most will never get to see it…
there are couches every where…nice leather black ones…and there are an assortment of soldiers and important looking officials reclining…a few are asleep and unknowingly getting their pictures taken…it’s not everyday you see majors and lieutenant colonels sleeping on the job…there is a concession stand selling Iraqi juice and cigarettes…candies and coffee…I can see young Iraqi males sweeping and mopping the unending marble floors…they are wearing white button down shirts and pants…their back pockets are stuffed with great stacks of Iraqi money…I wonder if I should tell them about the exchange rate…
there is a make shift deli set up…it’s being stocked by more local nationals…they are filling refrigerators with sodas…there is a sign that says…’free sodas-limit 2 per person’…where the walls meet the floor…there are lines of LAN cable and phone wires…running off in every direction…I remember hearing about the problem that the ‘cable dogs’ where going to have trying to run cable through these palaces…the walls are a foot thick…
if you forget to look up once in a while you miss out on half of the palace…saddam had a thing for ceilings…and they are all immaculate…the guide tells us…”if it looks like gold…it is gold”…there are golden plates and knobs and handles every where…I don’t believe it…maybe gold plated…but then again…I’ve never had the fortune of a nation to squander…so it could very well be gold…I knock on one the plates…the test yields me no results leading to a conclusive answer to my gold question…I just have to take it at face value…
I notice at around this time…that I’m kind of chilly…I’m drenched in sweat from the ride over…a flak jacket does not allow for good air flow around the body…and now I’m cooling off…the power of the a/c’s running over time in this place is enough to boggle the mind…1000’s upon 1000’s of BTU’s of air cooling goodness…
The word for today is 'empathy'.
The serviceman behind
..turningtables... is leaving Iraq. His blog has been an amazing account of what's going on there. Hope he leaves it up.
the world is volatile...and unpredictable...the 'liberation' of a country looks as though it may cause a civil war...i remember when we first arrived in baghdad...it seems like a life time ago...the people were still so happy to see us...they did line the streets...they waved...iraqis like to wave...i remember the taped programs my girlfriend sent me...the statues being torn down...iraqis waving american flags...pictures of saddam being beaten mercilessly with shoes...cheering...and that time is gone...it may as well of never happened...
... i'm feeling better about my departure after reading the news yesterday...bringing in the multinational troops is the best thing for this country...and i don't think anyone can argue with that...that decision will bring american troops home...and it should turn more power over to the iraqis...who i think have earned it...and deserve it...it is thier country for crying out loud...
but i'm scared still...i fear iraq is about to be thrown back into an internal war...a civil war...they hate each other...and they hate us...we just want every body to wrap up in a nice big group hug..."sorry guys"..."yeah...we're sorry too"...but that's not going to happen...
i feel for the multinational troops that are going to get called up and sent down here...they definitely don't deserve it...a war they didn't start...but one they will have to end...life is unfair that way...there are no rules...and a lot of people might have to swallow some pride for the betterment of this country...the iraqis are the ones that are important...they are the ones who did not ask for this...and they are the ones that are dying...in colossal amounts compared to our boys and girls in green...my fellow soldiers...we need to do what is best for them...we did 'liberate' them after all...and if i'm not mistakin' that was the reasoning behind this war...
He very eloquently points to
Baghdad Burning.
everything i have ever written...or said...or will ever write...or say...is worthless in comparison to this
post.
The difference in the level of the grammatical, spelling and other skills between the two blogs is striking.
Boise-Cascade stops all old-growth logging.
Via
Tom Paine. The
Idaho Statesman reports that Boise-Cascade has announced that it will stop all logging in old-growth areas in the US in 2004, as well as ceasing purchaes of lumber from endangered forests elsewhere in the world.
Boise Cascade Corp. made peace with its harshest environmental critic Wednesday, and forestry experts said the truce may have far-reaching effects on forests around the world.
The Boise company unveiled a new environmental policy that reconfirms its commitment made 18 months ago to phase out old-growth harvesting in the United States. And in what observers said was a first for any large forest products company, Boise Cascade agreed to adopt additional standards that environmental groups had long sought.
The new policy transformed Boise Cascade from a company criticized by environmentalists as an industry dinosaur to one praised as a model of how corporate forestry should be done.
Article says they may even get out of foresty entirely. Which means, I guess, that more and more paper will be made from matereials other than wood pulp.
Why Muslim fundamentalists don't wear ties.
Another tidbit from
Baghdad Burning, describing the first meeting of the new ministers appointed to run the country (with the help of a shadow American "adviser" of course).
There is one female minister- Nisreen Mustafa Bawari. After she was sworn in, she started shaking the hands of Al-Chalabi, Talabani and Al-Jaffari, like her male counterparts. Al-Jaffari refused to shake her hand because Al-Da’awa consider it a ‘sin’ to touch a female who isn’t a direct relation.
Mohammed Jassim Khudhair (Minister of Expatriates and Immigration) wasn’t wearing a tie. Many Muslim fundamentalists (like the ones in Iran) don’t wear ties because they believe that along with the head, and arms, there’s symbolism of a ‘cross’ and a cross symbolizes Christianity and… well, you get the picture.
Anger in Baghdad.
The
latest from
Baghdad Burning, a daily account by an Iraqi woman, shows an incredible hatred of America, and specifically of Rumsfield and the other Bushites, developing there.
To make matters worse, Rumsfeld is in Iraq. It’s awful to see him strutting all over the place. I hate the hard, smug look that seems plastered on his face… some people just have cruel features. The reaction to seeing him on tv differs from the reaction to seeing Bremer or one of the puppets. The latter are greeted with jeers and scorn. Seeing Rumsfeld is something else- there’s resentment and disgust. It feels like he’s here to add insult to injury… you know, just in case anyone forgets we’re an occupied country.
And now he’s going to go back to America and give a speech about how he doesn’t know what anyone is talking about when they say ‘chaos’ (*he* was safe in the middle of all his bodyguards)… how electricity and water are functioning (after all, his air-conditioner was working *fine*)… how the people are gloriously happy and traffic is frequently at a stand-still because the Iraqis are dancing in the streets… how the ‘armed forces’ are cheerful and *grateful* to be on this heroic, historical mission… how kids wave at him, troops cheer him, dogs wag their tails in welcome and doves hover above his head…
To hell with him.
And no. I'm not whining- I'm ranting. You can't see me right now, but I'm shaking my fist at the computer screen, shaking my fist at the television, and heaping colorful, bilingual insults on Rumsfeld's head (hope the doves crap on him)... I'm angry.
This is sure going to come back to haunt Americans. Two years after 9/11 and they still haven't grasped the most important lesson: it's not really all that difficult to attack America on its own territory. If a woman is this angry, how angry are the angry young men?
September 07, 2003
FarmAid webcast tonite.
The annual FarmAid concert, hosted by founder Willie Nelson, will be webcast today from 4 to 11 pm.
www.farmaid.org. That's Ohio time I think.
Ah, I checked it out. They're asking for a $20 "donation" in order to see the show. Sounds like a great lineup. Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Dave Matthews, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Sheryl Crow, Brooks & Dunn, Emmylou Harris and others.
Unfortunately it's for Windows Media Player 9 only. Strange. I would imagine that Mac and Linux users would be more likely to support activities aimed at helping victims of corporate American greed than Windows users. Especially since we're the ones whose computers actually work well enough to handle a webcast. Most of the Windows peoples I know are hassling with their virus toys, and don't really have the time for entertainment. You'd think Willie would have more respect for the outlaw spirit.
Well, hope it's a good show.
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