Back in Black!

Remember Blackwater USA, the band of mercenaries, thugs and murderers that have been rampaging across Iraq since the declaration of “Mission Accomplished”?  The group of trigger-happy ‘roid ragin’ killers that shot up an intersection in Baghdad last September and killed 17 innocent bystanders?

Well, they’re back…

Iraq Contractor in Shooting Case Makes Comeback

How could this happen?  I think the third paragraph says it all (emphasis mine):

The State Department has just renewed its contract to provide security for American diplomats in Iraq for at least another year. Threats by the Iraqi government to strip Western contractors of their immunity from Iraqi law have gone nowhere. No charges have been brought in the United States against any Blackwater guard in the September shooting, either, and the F.B.I. agents in Baghdad charged with investigating whether Blackwater guards have committed any crimes under United States law are sometimes protected as they travel through Baghdad by Blackwater guards.

This will not improve our reputation with the international community.

100 Years of War

Some thoughts on why McCain’s “100 years in Iraq” really means 100 years of war, despite what Charles Krauthammer and other Bush toadies would like to think.

At the end of World War II, at the beginning of the Soviet era in Europe, and right up to the end of the Cold War, the world looked pretty much like this:

The lines were clearly defined.  We were on one side, they were on the other, and for decades our presence in Europe was pretty peaceful, apart from the occasional act of espionage or terrorism.  But military casualties were few and far between.  Most of those were caused by training accidents.

Shift to Korea.  McCain et al assert that we’ve had a “military presence” there for 50 years and it doesn’t bother anyone.  Well, true enough, but here’s what the map has looked like since the end of the Korean War:

Same picture, right?  The DMZ is the most dangerous place to live, but for a long time there’s been no fighting.  Oh, to be sure, the North has made occasional attempts to infiltrate the South, but apart from defectors there has been no successful invasion since.  Again, relative peace and stability.

Now, let’s look at the situation in Iraq, and what a “continued American presence” there would look like.  Here’s what the map looks like now:

It’s us, surrounded on all sides by people who don’t want us there, and are willing to blow themselves up to get rid of us.  Here’s what it’ll look like next year:

And in 50 years:

And if you seriously think the picture’s going to change in 100 years, then you’re an idiot.

My friends, a continued American military presence in Iraq will, indeed, mean war for as long as we’re there.  We can’t afford that.  Bush’s Blunder has already cost nearly 4100 American lives and inflicted over 40,000 casualties.  Every person killed or wounded over there represents a family shattered, a child left fatherless, a widow left to raise her kids on her own.  Multiply these numbers out 100 years.  Our nation does not have the resources NOW to deal with even the 40,000 wounded this disaster has created.  Imagine another 40,000 after six more years of this hell.  Another 240,000 after 25 years.

To say nothing of the expense.  McCain, Clinton and the rest of the Bush League want to keep pouring $1 Trillion a year into Iraq, for no better reason than to protect our credibility.  Well, my friends, it’s time for a little “straight talk” - something you WON’T get from McCain.

We’ve already lost our credibility.   We sacrificed it on an altar of lies, in the name of oil.  We gambled and lost.  We allowed a gang of incompetent fools to rush our country into a war we couldn’t win, based on assumptions that weren’t true.

And we’ll be paying for their mistake for years to come.

Elitism vs Elite

Barack Obama has come under a lot of fire for being “elitist” because he spoke the truth about a certain segment of society. But you have to look pretty hard to find any similar reference to Hillary Clinton, even despite her recent appearance on Bill O’Really’s show on Fox Noise (see my earlier post). So, I thought it was time to discuss what it means to be an elitist and what it means to be truly elite.

To be one of the elite means you have been trained or taught in ways that are different or superior to other people. You have been given something that other people don’t have, and are the better for it. When we talk about “elite military units”, it’s a good thing. It means they’ve been trained to fight and operate in ways that other units don’t, and that sets them apart from the rest. The other units don’t begrudge them this because they know the hardships and intensity of training that the elite go through. At the same time, the elite don’t hold their status over other troops because they know everyone has a role to play in combat and everyone is deserving of respect. In the same vein, the social and cultural elite (should) have received better education or training than the rest of us and (should) not lord it over us because of their experiences or opportunities.

Being the elite is a good thing. It means you’re better than the rest, but you’re not an arrogant asshole.

To be an “elitist”, one must think he’s better than everyone else, despite all evidence to the contrary. Having wealth doesn’t grant one “elite” status. But when one equates wealth and status with social superiority, then that is elitism. When a politician invokes God in reference to her own wealth, power and position (”Rich people - God bless us”), then that is elitism. When no one in the press or punditry calls her on it, they are both accepting and defending the outrageousness of the remark. They are being elitist.

Being an elitist is bad. It means you’re an arrogant, self-righteous asshole who thinks you’re better than everyone else.

So, to recap:

Elite = Good

Elitists = Bad

Elite = Good

Elitist = Bad

Elite = Good

Elitist = Bad

I hope that’s clear.

Maverick McCain exploits legal loophole to use wife’s private jet

As revealed a week ago in the New York Times, presidential candidate and political “maverick” John McCain made expeditious use of a loophole in a campaign-finance law that he himself championed last sumer, in order to use his wife’s personal corporate jet for campaign purposes:

McCain frequently used wife’s jet for little cost

What kind of a man has such foresight as to draft a law that contains a loophole that he himself can exploit later on?  Is this the kind of person we want in the White House?

Maverick, my ass.  He’s just another crass, craven, self-serving, corrupt politician.  He’s no different from the rest of them.

John McCain admits Iraq war was for oil

Yep, you heard correctly.

Hillary Clinton - Elitist

Far worse than the Jeremiah Wright flap, and much more significant than Obama’s “bitter” comment, this little gem from Mrs. Clinton reveals more of her character than perhaps she’d like to admit:

Yes, she really said that.

“Rich people, God BLESS us.”

And now the Hillbots are trying to say that she really said “God blessed us”.

Give it another listen. It’s pretty clear what she said. This woman is practically the heart, soul and physical embodiment of the concept of “elitism”.

I’ll close with another quote that’s even more pertinent in today’s troubled times:

“And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.” -Matthew 19:24

Rich people everywhere would do well to remember this.

The Relevant and the Irrelevant

It’s been a while since I last blogged about much of anything, but there’s a pretty good reason.  See, I lost my job a month ago and I’ve been trying to support my family since.  I found one right away, but in the interim was kind of busy.  Things are going better now that I’m not working for a crazy Hillaryite from New York City.

But anyway, so much has happened in the past month it’s hard to know where to begin.  I suppose I’ll start with the most discussed, and unfortunately most trivial, item on everyone’s minds.  That’s right… or should I say

That’s Wright - Why won’t this infantile, self-centered, insignificant little prick go away?  He had a golden opportunity to take the moral high ground and behave like a preacher after Barack Obama made his groundbreaking, insightful and intelligent speech on race two months ago.  Instead, Pastor Wright seemed to say “decency?  Who needs it?” and stab his friend in the back.  Instead of responding in kind with a thoughtful speech about Obama, he chose to “play the dozens” as though this was a schoolyard fight.  It’s not.  We’re talking about the man who might be the leader of the free world.

That being said, I’m not the least bit worried about Obama’s association with Wright.  After this week’s little stunt, who’d want to see him again?  The man’s a selfish, irresponsible little twit.  Enough said about him.  I’m far more worried about John McCain’s association with

Hagee the Horrible - It would be nice if the press would pay as much attention to this psychopath as it has to Rev. Wright.  Jim Hagee, unlike his black colleague, actually does have the ear of Senator McCain, and is actually in a position to influence the leader of the free world.  And has expressed views far more extreme than anything Wright has ever said.

Here’s what he said about Jews (source:  The Columbia Journalism Review):

On Jews:

It was the disobedience and rebellion of the Jews, God’s chosen people, to their covenantal responsibility to serve only the one true God, Jehovah, that gave rise to the opposition and persecution that they experienced beginning in Canaan and continuing to this very day.

And:

How utterly repulsive, insulting, and heartbreaking to God for his chosen people to credit idols with bringing blessings he had showered upon the chosen people. Their own rebellion had birthed the seed of anti-Semitism that would arise and bring destruction to them for centuries to come.

And gays:

All hurricanes are acts of God, because God controls the heavens. I believe that New Orleans had a level of sin that was offensive to God, and they are — were recipients of the judgment of God for that. The newspaper carried the story in our local area that was not carried nationally that there was to be a homosexual parade there on the Monday that the Katrina came. And the promise of that parade was that it was going to reach a level of sexuality never demonstrated before in any of the other Gay Pride parades. So I believe that the judgment of God is a very real thing. I know that there are people who demur from that, but I believe that the Bible teaches that when you violate the law of God, that God brings punishment sometimes before the day of judgment. And I believe that the Hurricane Katrina was, in fact, the judgment of God against the city of New Orleans.

That’s not all, of course.  Read the full article for yourself.  And unlike Barack Obama, John McCain has yet to repudiate and reject Hagee, and in has accepted his endorsement.  Why has the so-called “left wing media” given McCain a free pass on this?  There’s a lot of blood in the water here.  They should be beating him up even harder, given Hagee’s virulently anti-Semitic, anti-gay, and anti-Catholic statements.  All of which he has yet to apologize for.

Hillary’s “Big Win” in Penn. - So what?  Will it be enough to counter her negatives?  All the candidates are going into this race with fairly high negatives, but Hillary’s are the worst.  Unlike Obama’s, which mainly relate to his youth and relative inexperience (oh, and trivial media constructs like Rev. Wright), Hillary’s are much more substantive - people don’t trust her, they think she’s a liar, they don’t like her, and they think she’s a political whore who’ll do and say anything to get elected.  Will a win among East Coast liberals, with whom she’s always enjoyed far support than she deserves, translate into a victory on a national level?  I hope not.  I think this country deserves better than yet another Clinton presidency.  On the other hand, if she does get the nomination, I will vote for her in November.  But only because the alternative would be much, much worse.

There’s so much more to talk about, but I must go.  Good morning and good luck.

Oh, please.

According to an article in the New York Times, and commented on by the Huffington Post, Hillary Clinton is refuting calls for her to bow out of the race despite recent pressure on her from Democratic party leadership.  In fact, In an interview, the Clintons compared the pressure to “the “big boys” trying to bully a woman”.

“I believe that a spirited contest is good for the Democratic Party,” Mrs. Clinton said in a late-afternoon news conference in northwestern Indiana, a few miles from Mr. Obama’s house on the South Side of Chicago. “We will have a united party behind whoever that nominee is.”

Is that what she thinks this is?  A “spirited contest”?  All I’ve seen is bad-mouthing and mudslinging, most of it from her.  This is more like a classic Bowie knife fight - no holds barred, in a six-foot pit, with the winner burying the loser.  She’s probably right in saying that Democrats will unite behind whoever the eventual nominee is, but that nominee will be too bloodied up by his/her fellow Democrat to make an effective fight against McCain in the fall.

And can we really trust that, if she doesn’t get the nomination, she’ll rally behind Obama and support him all the way?  She is, after all, a Clinton.  And Clintons don’t like to lose.

And if she does somehow clinch it, will she really be able to unite the party against McCain in the fall?  I doubt it.  I’m an Obamaniac - that’s no secret.  I’m also a Democrat.  If Hilllary is the candidate, I will accept it and vote for her, because the alternative is unthinkable.  But I’d much rather have a candidate who inspires hope than one who inspires fear.  I’d rather vote for the man who I think can truly unite the party and the country, and inspire us to better and greater deeds, than the woman who’s repeatedly demonstrated that she’ll do just about anything to acquire and maintain power.

I don’t trust Hillary, and not because she’s a woman.  I don’t trust her because she’s ruthless, divisive and destructive.  And as recent events have shown, a complete and unabashed liar.

It’s time for her to go.

RWCFA Alert!

That’s a new acronym I’m trying to turn into a “meme.” It stands for “Right Wing Christo-Fascist Apocaloon”. Basically it’s anyone who has read Tim LaHaye’s atrocious “Left Behind” series and actually believes it.

It’s anyone who thinks the Christian creation mythology is literal scientific fact.

It’s anyone who thinks if you don’t believe either of these two heresies, then you’re not a true Christian and you’re going to burn in hell on judgement day when God’s true followers are taken up directly to heaven and leave a bunch of empty shoes all over the place.

It’s anyone who thinks that Christians should vote for RWCF Neocon Republicans, force schools to teach “Intelligent Design” or “Creation Science”, and stand opposed to peace and environmentalism because by doing so we are “helping bring about the second coming.” No, really. I’ve heard people say that.

(edited by owner for content)

Realize, though, that this irrational philosophy is actually gaining strength in America today. People seriously believe this garbage.

And worse, they vote. They vote for candidates who’ll do nothing to stop the problems growing under our noses, because they think they’re doing God’s will.

For the record, I am a Christian. I believe that humans were put on this earth to be stewards of the environment and everything in it, not hoarders and wasters of it. Our great intelligence (despite some evidence to the contrary) means that means we have been given great power. And with that comes a responsibility to use that power wisely and effectively, and not shit where we eat just because we can and it’s expedient to do so.

I also don’t believe that Christ’s second coming will be a literal “here I am to take away my people and leave you sinners to rot” kind of thing. For the Bible teaches us that “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” (Mark 13:32) And yet, the world is full of false prophets and heretics claiming foreknowledge of events no human can know.

We cannot afford to dismiss them or ignore them. They must be confronted and exposed both for their scientific illiteracy and their religious heresy. And they must be opposed, at all costs.

Our survival as a civilization may depend on it.

Does this fireproof racing suit make my butt look big?

Today we take a break from the serious news and focus on the (ahem) not so serious. And for that, what better place to turn than the wacky world of racing, where Indy racer and slammin’ hottie Danica Patrick has become the center of attention for her weight. Apparently she doesn’t have enough of it.

See, according to a new IRL rule, the weight of the driver must be factored in to the total weight of the vehicle, and the driver must be at least 120 pounds. And Ms. Patrick, at 5′2″ and a petite 100 pounds, is 20 pounds under the limit. The two other female drivers in the Indy circuit, Milka Duno and Sarah Fisher, each tip the scales at 120 pounds each. Some say the difference in weight gives Ms. Patrick a slight speed advantage in the race, where the weight of the vehicle and everything in it is critical.

Others say it’s hogwash. She hasn’t won a single try in the last 47, so where’s the advantage?

I say it’s much ado about nothing.  Almost literally.  Seriously, folks.  If Ms. Patrick gained an extra 20, 30, or even 40 extra pounds, would she be less hot?

I think not.  Compare her figure to those of her female competitors in the circuit, each of whom, as discussed earlier, weighs in at 120 pounds.  No, really.  Take a good look.

Milka Duno and Sarah Fisher

I rest my case.

Now, would it have any effect on her racing ability?   Apparently not, considering she hasn’t won any of her last 47 trials.  Kind of like Anna Kournikova.

Now, while it is refreshing to hear a skinny minnie being told she needs to gain weight (she kinda does), this whole thing has a really easy solution.

Someone take her out to dinner and buy her a steak, some baked potatoes, and a pitcher of beer.  Then watch while she eats it.  Or, if that doesn’t work, design a racing suit for her that has 20 extra pounds of padding.

Unless her competitors might think that would give her an unfair advantage in surviving crashes.

Now back to our regularly scheduled seriousness.