Billmon:
II. Turn, turn, turn
—
[Gates] should fit right in.
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November 8, 2006
WB: Auf Wiedersehen … +
Comments
Michael Rattner just announced that Center for Constitutional Rights will be filing War Crimes charges against Rumbo in World Court next week. Sorry no link – Thom Hartmann just announced it. Should be up later on CCR-NY website.
Posted by: jj | Nov 8 2006 19:46 utc | 1
i would like to initiate a b appreciation moment for hosting the last 24 hrs (including all the thousands before of course) of election mayhem.
take a bow bernhard!
Posted by: Anonymous | Nov 8 2006 19:47 utc | 2
While he still owes Boa Constrictors everywhere a reasoned apology — you rock, B-mann!
Posted by: Austin Cooper | Nov 8 2006 19:51 utc | 4
now could you get back to the issue? – that would be the best laudation you can give me .. I’m just pointing out obvious stuff – btw: McCain just called for much more U.S. troops in Iraq on CNN.
McCain and whose army?
Just asking. Last time I checked, they were picking borderline illiterate dropouts, and are close to go on a prison tour to fill their recruitment needs.
Posted by: Clueless Joe | Nov 8 2006 20:26 utc | 8
The official Iran/Contra report‘s summary of Gates’ involvement:
Independent Counsel found insufficient evidence to warrant charging Robert Gates with a crime for his role in the Iran/contra affair. Like those of many other Iran/contra figures, the statements of Gates often seemed scripted and less than candid. Nevertheless, given the complex nature of the activities and Gates’s apparent lack of direct participation, a jury could find the evidence left a reasonable doubt that Gates either obstructed official inquiries or that his two demonstrably incorrect statements were deliberate lies.
Frontline interview with Robert Gates on the 1991 Gulf War
Posted by: Uncle $cam | Nov 8 2006 20:29 utc | 9
Billmon, I was hoping you’d post that picture again. It was the first thing that came to mind today when I heard that Rumsfeld resigned.
Posted by: Coral | Nov 8 2006 20:33 utc | 10
Debs is dead
That is that it is ‘ethically OK’ to give one’s support to a politician whose point of view is not ‘ethically OK’.
As can be seen on any discussion of Israel – there are a whole lot of people who do not have this ethics problem. For those who do, I think that you are being unfair.
The first step is to realise that the US is not a democracy. You are not necessarily correct in thinking that anyone thinks that it is ‘ethically OK’, but rather:
“Boy am I screwed. Damned if I do, damned if I don’t.” The option of saying – Screw this – I’d rather stand naked than vote for either of these assholes just isn’t there.
Posted by: edwin | Nov 8 2006 21:08 utc | 11
I’m putting the fur earmuffs and snowshoes back in the closet, but near the front.
Posted by: citizen k | Nov 8 2006 22:02 utc | 13
Clueless Joe :
Watch for the Demoplicans to reinstate the draft. Rahm and Schumer and (come home, all is forgiven) Lieberman will be working on that.
Look also for a “guest murderer” program, wherein would-be “illegal aliens” are offered US citizenship, or death, for service to the empire.
Posted by: John Francis Lee | Nov 8 2006 23:05 utc | 15
More troops in Iraq, eh?
Mr. McCain does not state the assumed outcome of that step. He does not state the method, which would be armed soldiers and police on every damned street corner, to the point where no citizen would be more out of rifle range at any given moment of their lives.
That’s >I>uber occupation.
It is like winning a family argument by holding a gun on every member of the family, in every room of the house. Such an armed arrangement falls apart the moment you nod off, or look the other way, or forget to watch your back.
The REAL goal in Iraq is a peaceful society, which can only be obtained by getting people to agree to a framework they can all live under.
There IS NO MILITARY SOLUTION to Iraq at this point. There is no further role for the US that is helpful or constructive. ONLY THE IRAQIS can choose and implement what government(s) they wish to live under.
.
Posted by: Antifa | Nov 9 2006 0:08 utc | 16
How to seat a pardon-rich GOP prez in 08?
Let Dems wear the chef’s hat just in time to take blame for the burned casserole.
Posted by: Anonymous | Nov 9 2006 1:17 utc | 17
What the democrats need to do, and its pretty simple really, is to define for the american people what victory in Iraq REALLY is. And especially NOT to define that victory in terms beneficial to the U.S. — like PSA oil deals, like permanent military bases, like privitized economic assets, like that mega embassy. They should define, and only support, policy that works to resolve Iraqi problems, by the elected Iraqi government itself — give them exclusive control of their police, their military, their oil, and their economy. In that way the democrats can still be seen as trying to resolve the problems in Iraq, without appearing defeatist — and if the administration balks at the prospects of fighting a war without the prospect of winners spoils — then so fucking be it. Then, the democrats can begin to de-fund the war from that beginning point.
Posted by: anna missed | Nov 9 2006 1:44 utc | 18
I just whipped up a nice pictorial representation of the Pulp Fiction post:
http://img465.imageshack.us/img465/3817/revengewx9.png
Posted by: scarshapedstar | Nov 9 2006 2:41 utc | 19
Er, that is, a nice pictorial representation of the Pulp Fiction post.
Posted by: scarshapedstar | Nov 9 2006 2:42 utc | 20
How many of you believe that the whole military debacle of Iraq, aside from the original decision to invade, is all a product of Rumsie’s bad judgement? In thinking about it, I am beginning to wonder.
It all goes back a few weeks ago when the posting of nuclear bomb instructions on a govt website was revealed. At the time, the story was that a few GOP Congressman came to Bush pressuring for those boxes of documents to be posted up on the Internet. Bush asked Negroponte to do it. Negroponte objected, saying there was no telling what was in that batch of papers, that they hadn’t been vetted yet. Bush then said he didn’t care and ordered Negroponte to post them up, which he did.
What I am driving at is how many of the bad decisions did Rumsie make? Or was it really Bush playing toy soldier and giving the orders through him. The whole body language in a photo I saw tonight of Rumsfeld is that of a broken man who is being blamed for some things he may not have done. Another ‘good soldier’ like Powell.
Personally, I’d have resigned first. But we all react differently when asked to hold our noses. And the way the media are pouring the blame on Rumsie, he’s beginning to look more and more like a scapegoat for Bush and others.
What do you think?
Posted by: Ensley | Nov 9 2006 3:12 utc | 21
A few days ago the Chimp declared that he wanted Rumsfeld with him for the remainder of his two years in office.
The day after the national disaster for the Republican gang of criminals, the Chimp dumps Rummy.
Does that mean he is a flip-flopper?
Has anybody asked that question?
Posted by: Roland Stroud | Nov 9 2006 3:21 utc | 22
man, I just want to hang with Rummy tonight, down at the bar, sippin’ Scotch and talkin’ about the things that went down.
Today Nouri al-Maliki said (in reference to U.S. politics) that “the U.S. will do whatever is in their interests”. I suppose it has just dawned upon him, that soon after Bush’s reiteration of confidence in his leadership, Bush also reiterated his confidence in Rumsfeld leadership. So much for a vote of confidence from a Bush, especially a burning Bush. As the pile of dead burnt bodies stacks up around the fire boy god and his heated breath of death. Maliki, with the appointment of Gates (see re-Baathification/coup) must surely detect that infamous wiff of sulfur wafting over the green zone.
Posted by: anna missed | Nov 9 2006 8:30 utc | 24
To plagiarise Richard Perle…
Ding Dong, the Wicked Witch is dead.
Well, one of his flying monkeys at least.
Posted by: CluelessJoe | Nov 9 2006 14:36 utc | 26
So much for a vote of confidence from a Bush, especially a burning Bush.
LOL anna missed… great post.
Posted by: Bea | Nov 9 2006 16:21 utc | 27