Category: War in Iraq

Athenae, Stupid Republican Tricks, War in Iraq3 Comments

Douglas Feith Just Can’t Stop

Allison Hantschel

The stupidest fucking guy on the face of the earth: Last weekend, one need not have looked further than the Foreign Affairshomepage for a little bit of political humor. There readers will find a lengthy, circumspect article authoritatively titled, “The War of Law: How New International Law Undermines Democratic Sovereignty.” The piece begins with applause for the Senate’s decision last December to reject the the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities, before critiquing a trend sustained by some legal scholars, called legal transnationalism, which favors enshrining articulated international norms of justice in national judiciaries. The punchline can … Continue reading Douglas Feith Just Can’t Stop

Athenae, Stupid Republican Tricks, War in Iraq3 Comments

Douglas Feith Just Can’t Stop

tommyfd

The stupidest fucking guy on the face of the earth: Last weekend, one need not have looked further than the Foreign Affairshomepage for a little bit of political humor. There readers will find a lengthy, circumspect article authoritatively titled, “The War of Law: How New International Law Undermines Democratic Sovereignty.” The piece begins with applause for the Senate’s decision last December to reject the the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities, before critiquing a trend sustained by some legal scholars, called legal transnationalism, which favors enshrining articulated international norms of justice in national judiciaries. The punchline can … Continue reading Douglas Feith Just Can’t Stop

Athenae, Stupid Republican Tricks, War in Iraq3 Comments

Douglas Feith Just Can’t Stop

The stupidest fucking guy on the face of the earth: Last weekend, one need not have looked further than the Foreign Affairshomepage for a little bit of political humor. There readers will find a lengthy, circumspect article authoritatively titled, “The War of Law: How New International Law Undermines Democratic Sovereignty.” The piece begins with applause for the Senate’s decision last December to reject the the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities, before critiquing a trend sustained by some legal scholars, called legal transnationalism, which favors enshrining articulated international norms of justice in national judiciaries. The punchline can … Continue reading Douglas Feith Just Can’t Stop

Adrastos, Immoral Values, Law/Justice, Political Crack, Stupid Republican Tricks, Terrorism, War in Iraq3 Comments

At least he didn’t call her hysterical

Peter Adrastos Athas

Legendarily dickish former spook MIchael Hayden is back in the news. He’s been known to insult people and he’s at it again: Who gets “emotional” about torture—or, rather, what is the proper emotional response to a history of torture and lies? On Fox News, on Sunday morning, Chris Wallace asked Michael Hayden, the former director of the C.I.A., about a report by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, sixty-three hundred pages long, that “says the C.I.A. misled the public about the severity and the success of the enhanced interrogation program.” Hayden’s first response was to talk about the feelings of … Continue reading At least he didn’t call her hysterical

Athenae, War in Afghanistan, War in Iraq2 Comments

Rumsfeld Isn’t Sorry

Allison Hantschel

Not that it would matter if he was: Rumsfeld and McNamara seem to be very different kinds of people. They couldn’t be more different. But they presided over disastrous wars. That’s not OK. You can be reflective, you can be remorseful, you can be really engaged by the tales of what you have done and haven’t done. And McNamara realized this. There’s no magic slate for any of us; we can’t just pull up the acetate and it all goes away. McNamara at least had some regrets that he was willing to share. Rumsfeld is also willing to share the … Continue reading Rumsfeld Isn’t Sorry

Athenae, War in Afghanistan, War in Iraq2 Comments

Rumsfeld Isn’t Sorry

Allison Hantschel

Not that it would matter if he was: Rumsfeld and McNamara seem to be very different kinds of people. They couldn’t be more different. But they presided over disastrous wars. That’s not OK. You can be reflective, you can be remorseful, you can be really engaged by the tales of what you have done and haven’t done. And McNamara realized this. There’s no magic slate for any of us; we can’t just pull up the acetate and it all goes away. McNamara at least had some regrets that he was willing to share. Rumsfeld is also willing to share the … Continue reading Rumsfeld Isn’t Sorry

Athenae, War in Afghanistan, War in Iraq2 Comments

Rumsfeld Isn’t Sorry

Allison Hantschel

Not that it would matter if he was: Rumsfeld and McNamara seem to be very different kinds of people. They couldn’t be more different. But they presided over disastrous wars. That’s not OK. You can be reflective, you can be remorseful, you can be really engaged by the tales of what you have done and haven’t done. And McNamara realized this. There’s no magic slate for any of us; we can’t just pull up the acetate and it all goes away. McNamara at least had some regrets that he was willing to share. Rumsfeld is also willing to share the … Continue reading Rumsfeld Isn’t Sorry

Athenae, War in Afghanistan, War in Iraq2 Comments

Rumsfeld Isn’t Sorry

Allison Hantschel

Not that it would matter if he was: Rumsfeld and McNamara seem to be very different kinds of people. They couldn’t be more different. But they presided over disastrous wars. That’s not OK. You can be reflective, you can be remorseful, you can be really engaged by the tales of what you have done and haven’t done. And McNamara realized this. There’s no magic slate for any of us; we can’t just pull up the acetate and it all goes away. McNamara at least had some regrets that he was willing to share. Rumsfeld is also willing to share the … Continue reading Rumsfeld Isn’t Sorry

Athenae, War in Afghanistan, War in Iraq2 Comments

Rumsfeld Isn’t Sorry

Allison Hantschel

Not that it would matter if he was: Rumsfeld and McNamara seem to be very different kinds of people. They couldn’t be more different. But they presided over disastrous wars. That’s not OK. You can be reflective, you can be remorseful, you can be really engaged by the tales of what you have done and haven’t done. And McNamara realized this. There’s no magic slate for any of us; we can’t just pull up the acetate and it all goes away. McNamara at least had some regrets that he was willing to share. Rumsfeld is also willing to share the … Continue reading Rumsfeld Isn’t Sorry

Athenae, War in Afghanistan, War in Iraq

Rumsfeld Isn’t Sorry

Allison Hantschel

Not that it would matter if he was: Rumsfeld and McNamara seem to be very different kinds of people. They couldn’t be more different. But they presided over disastrous wars. That’s not OK. You can be reflective, you can be remorseful, you can be really engaged by the tales of what you have done and haven’t done. And McNamara realized this. There’s no magic slate for any of us; we can’t just pull up the acetate and it all goes away. McNamara at least had some regrets that he was willing to share. Rumsfeld is also willing to share the … Continue reading Rumsfeld Isn’t Sorry

Athenae, War in Afghanistan, War in Iraq2 Comments

Rumsfeld Isn’t Sorry

Not that it would matter if he was: Rumsfeld and McNamara seem to be very different kinds of people. They couldn’t be more different. But they presided over disastrous wars. That’s not OK. You can be reflective, you can be remorseful, you can be really engaged by the tales of what you have done and haven’t done. And McNamara realized this. There’s no magic slate for any of us; we can’t just pull up the acetate and it all goes away. McNamara at least had some regrets that he was willing to share. Rumsfeld is also willing to share the … Continue reading Rumsfeld Isn’t Sorry

Adrastos, Political Crack, So Called Liberal Media, War in Iraq6 Comments

Deep State Visit Thought

French President Francois Hollande is here on a state visit.To my dismay, non-Fox MSM outlets are trotting out Bush-Cheney era cliches about the French. Yup, they’re on about “cheese eating surrender monkeys,” “freedom fries” and the rest of that shit. Hardy, har, har. Guess what: THE FRENCH WERE RIGHT ABOUT THE IRAQ WAR. I had many arguments with people at the time. A real friend tells you the truth instead of what you want to hear. If President Beavis had listened to Jacques Chirac instead of Tony Blair we’d be a helluva lot better off. Hell, Chirac was a center … Continue reading Deep State Visit Thought

Athenae, Congress, War in Iraq7 Comments

Well WHY DIDN’T YOU Shut Down the Government Over the War?

I mean, I’m sorry, Harry, but come on: In his letter to Boehner, Reid drew an analogy to Republicans’ current objects to the Affordable Care Act to his opposition to the Iraq War. “I hated the Iraq War. I think I hated it as much as you hate the Affordable Care Act,” Reid wrote. “There were manygut-wrenching nights when I struggled over what I needed to do to end the carnage. In those days, when President Bush was Commander in Chief, I could have taken the steps that you are taking now to block Government funding in order to gain … Continue reading Well WHY DIDN’T YOU Shut Down the Government Over the War?

Athenae, Congress, War in Iraq7 Comments

Well WHY DIDN’T YOU Shut Down the Government Over the War?

Allison Hantschel

I mean, I’m sorry, Harry, but come on: In his letter to Boehner, Reid drew an analogy to Republicans’ current objects to the Affordable Care Act to his opposition to the Iraq War. “I hated the Iraq War. I think I hated it as much as you hate the Affordable Care Act,” Reid wrote. “There were many gut-wrenching nights when I struggled over what I needed to do to end the carnage. In those days, when President Bush was Commander in Chief, I could have taken the steps that you are taking now to block Government funding in order to … Continue reading Well WHY DIDN’T YOU Shut Down the Government Over the War?

Athenae, Terrorism, War in Afghanistan, War in Iraq5 Comments

All War is a Crime

Allison Hantschel

Jude commented on this post: The government and the rebels have been indiscriminately bombing and shelling cities; conventional explosives are WAY more deadly than air-dispersed chemical agents. Yet we still have this 1916-era mentality about how poison gas is somehow just so ungentlemanly that it deserves a special level of outrage. That’s bullshit. Artillery barrages and bombs do terrible, terrible things to human bodies. When you’re suffering and/or dying, you don’t give a shit whether hot steel, concussion trauma, napalm burns, or poison gas did the trick. Which is really what my issue with any bombing is about. It’s not … Continue reading All War is a Crime

Afghanistan, Athenae, War in Iraq4 Comments

McCain: All Those Wars I Supported Are Not Any Fun Anymore

Allison Hantschel

It’s almost like spending a decade destablizing the Middle East had the effect of destabilizing it, you guys; “It was a coup and it was the second time in two-and-a-half years that we have seen the military step in. It’s a strong indicator of the lack of American leadership and influence since we’ve urged the military not to do that,” McCain said Sunday on CBS’s “Face The Nation,”according to Politico. “The place is descending into chaos but so is the entire Middle East because of the total vacuum and lack of American leadership…Whether it be the massacres in Syria; Lebanon … Continue reading McCain: All Those Wars I Supported Are Not Any Fun Anymore

Athenae, Happy Democrat Photo, So Called Liberal Media, War in Iraq2 Comments

Happy Kerry Photo

Allison Hantschel

THIS MAH BIG PLANE. In Iraq, we are apparently vaguely disappointed to not be blowing it up anymore: Mr. Kerry’s visit to Iraq on Sunday was the first by an American secretary of state since 2009. He came at a time when concerns are growing over Iraq’s role in the crisis in Syria, and when the United States’ influence in Iraq has been dwindling. The State Department has been sharply reducing its huge presence here, and its diplomats have seemed powerless to affect the course of events on two of Washington’s pressing concerns: Iraqi tolerance for the Iranian weapons shipments … Continue reading Happy Kerry Photo

Athenae, Happy Democrat Photo, So Called Liberal Media, War in Iraq2 Comments

Happy Kerry Photo

THIS MAH BIG PLANE. In Iraq, we are apparently vaguely disappointed to not be blowing it up anymore: Mr. Kerry’s visit to Iraq on Sunday was the first by an American secretary of state since 2009. He came at a time when concerns are growing over Iraq’s role in the crisis in Syria, and when the United States’ influence in Iraq has been dwindling. The State Department has been sharply reducing its huge presence here, and its diplomats have seemed powerless to affect the course of events on two of Washington’s pressing concerns: Iraqi tolerance for the Iranian weapons shipments … Continue reading Happy Kerry Photo

Television, War in Iraq12 Comments

The Way We Were

southernbeale2014

I never watch “Morning Joe” but Mr. Beale does and I happened to be in the bedroom long enough this morning to catch a truly horrible “both sides did it,” context-free, Iraq War dodge. It featured clips of prominent Democrats (John Kerry, Hillary Clinton, Carl Levin) calling Saddam Hussein a “brutal, murderous dictator” who needed to be disarmed, followed by clips of those same individuals criticizing Bush’s war later. As if that proved something. As if that meant anything. As if saying Saddam was a dangerous asshole also meant you wanted to invade his country and kill his people. As … Continue reading The Way We Were

Adrastos, Political Crack, War in Iraq3 Comments

Use The Google, David

Peter Adrastos Athas

I’m feeling like the political history police this week. Today’s entry involves a Salon piece by David Sirotaabout the lack of consequences for Iraq War policy makers and pols. I have bold faced the bit I’d like to to discuss: To appreciate how little political fallout the Iraq War generated, consider how different the reaction was to American history’s most recent antecedent to the Iraq conflict. A generation ago, a similarly misguided war of choice in Vietnam resulted in such a fervent political backlash that a president was forced to opt against running for reelection, a slate of anti-war legislators … Continue reading Use The Google, David

Television, War in Iraq12 Comments

The Way We Were

I never watch “Morning Joe” but Mr. Beale does and I happened to be in the bedroom long enough this morning to catch a truly horrible “both sides did it,” context-free, Iraq War dodge. It featured clips of prominent Democrats (John Kerry, Hillary Clinton, Carl Levin) calling Saddam Hussein a “brutal, murderous dictator” who needed to be disarmed, followed by clips of those same individuals criticizing Bush’s war later. As if that proved something. As if thatmeant anything. As if saying Saddam was a dangerous asshole also meant you wanted to invade his country and kill his people. As if … Continue reading The Way We Were

Adrastos, Political Crack, War in Iraq3 Comments

Use The Google, David

I’m feeling like the political history police this week. Today’s entry involves aSalon piece by David Sirotaabout the lack of consequences for Iraq War policy makers and pols. I have bold faced the bit I’d like to to discuss: To appreciate how little political fallout the Iraq War generated, consider how different the reaction was to American history’s most recent antecedent to the Iraq conflict. A generation ago, a similarly misguided war of choice in Vietnam resulted in such a fervent political backlash that a president was forced to opt against running for reelection, a slate of anti-war legislators wasswept … Continue reading Use The Google, David

Athenae, War in Iraq6 Comments

IF ONLY SOMEONE HAD SAID SOMETHING

Allison Hantschel

What you had to say actually DID matter, you self-absorbed bucket of mop water: I was less impressed by Chalabi than were some others in the Bush administration. However, since one of those “others” was Vice President Cheney, it didn’t matter what I thought. In 2002, Chalabi joined the annual summer retreat of the American Enterprise Institute near Vail, Colorado. He and Cheney spent long hours together, contemplating the possibilities of a Western-oriented Iraq: an additional source of oil, an alternative to U.S. dependency on an unstable-looking Saudi Arabia. And yet imagine if you had spoken out, as you are … Continue reading IF ONLY SOMEONE HAD SAID SOMETHING

Athenae, War in Iraq6 Comments

IF ONLY SOMEONE HAD SAID SOMETHING

What you had to say actually DID matter, you self-absorbed bucket of mop water: I was less impressed by Chalabi than were some others in the Bush administration. However, since one of those “others” was Vice President Cheney, it didn’t matter what I thought. In 2002, Chalabi joined the annual summer retreat of the American Enterprise Institute near Vail, Colorado. He and Cheney spent long hours together, contemplating the possibilities of a Western-oriented Iraq: an additional source of oil, an alternative to U.S. dependency on an unstable-looking Saudi Arabia. And yet imagine if you had spoken out, as you are … Continue reading IF ONLY SOMEONE HAD SAID SOMETHING

Athenae, War in Iraq2 Comments

Well, YEAH

Allison Hantschel

British people say fuck your war: Two-thirds of Britons do not care if refusing to intervene militarily in Syria damages the US-UK “special relationship,” according to a BBC poll released Monday. The poll also found 71 percent of Britons felt the House of Commons was right to reject Prime Minister David Cameron’s call for military action in Syria last week. Our “special relationship” can’t quite be quantified to most ordinary Britons, not the way, say, a bunch of coffins can. A. Continue reading Well, YEAH

Athenae, Economy, Games, Immoral Values, Kids Today, Terrorism, War in Afghanistan, War in Iraq5 Comments

It’s Always Time to Talk About Shit That Doesn’t Matter

Allison Hantschel

I keep going back to this, from the brilliant Cleolinda: (Here’s my thought on that in a nutshell: Violent movies and videogames do not make people violent. Violent people are attracted to violent media. Of course, so are many of the rest of us, just for different reasons. I ended up watching The Matrix about 46,000 times–at one point on a three-day loop–for the book, and I shot nobody. If you want to talk about warning signs, don’t look at the kid’s taste in movies or his literary output–look at those two things in the context of his real-life behavior, … Continue reading It’s Always Time to Talk About Shit That Doesn’t Matter

Athenae, Economy, Games, Immoral Values, Kids Today, Terrorism, War in Afghanistan, War in Iraq5 Comments

It’s Always Time to Talk About Shit That Doesn’t Matter

I keep going back to this, from the brilliant Cleolinda: (Here’s my thought on that in a nutshell: Violent movies and videogames do not make people violent. Violentpeople are attracted to violent media. Of course, so are many of the rest of us, just for different reasons. I ended up watchingThe Matrix about 46,000 times–at one point on a three-day loop–for the book, and I shotnobody. If you want to talk about warning signs, don’t look at the kid’s taste in movies or his literary output–look at those two thingsin the context of his real-life behavior, which was already disturbing … Continue reading It’s Always Time to Talk About Shit That Doesn’t Matter

Adrastos, Political Crack, Stupid Republican Tricks, War in Iraq10 Comments

Innocent Bystander

Peter Adrastos Athas

It looks like Senator Walnuts has spent too much time hanging out with Willard the soulless, shape shifter: “Colin Powell, interestingly enough, said that Obama got us out of Iraq,” McCain told the National Review. “But it was Colin Powell, with his testimony before the U.N. Security Council, that got us into Iraq.” Um, um, Senator, who was one of the leading cheerleaders for invading Iraq? Look in the mirror, dude. I was strongly opposed to the war BUT a lot of otherwise decent people-Tony Blair, Jack Straw, Hillary Clinton, John Kerry, Joe Biden to name a few-went nutty after … Continue reading Innocent Bystander