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Delusional Surge Cheerleaders

By Larry Johnson on August 19, 2007 at 3:23 AM in Current Affairs

by
Larry C Johnson

Ralph Peters, a retired Army Lieutenant Colonel, apparently is trying out for the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleading squad. How else to explain his piece in Thursday’s New York Post, Killing for Congress? Peters performs an act of literary fellatio on General David Petraeus and insists that Al Qaeda is the primary threat in Iraq:

But the second reason for those dramatic bombings was that al Qaeda needs to portray Iraq as a continuing failure of U.S. policy. Those dead and maimed Yazidis were just props: The intended audience was Congress.

Al Qaeda has been badly battered. It’s lost top leaders and thousands of cadres. Even more painful for the Islamists, they’ve lost ground among the people of Iraq, including former allies. Iraqis got a good taste of al Qaeda. Now they’re spitting it out.

The foreign terrorists slaughtering the innocent recognize that their only remaining hope of pulling off a come-from-way-behind win is to convince your senator and your congressman or -woman that it’s politically expedient to hand a default victory to a defeated al Qaeda.

I commented on this piece earlier tonight in response to a query from a good friend, who is a retired Army Colonel. I wrote:

Sorry, but Peter’s analytical track record is pretty piss poor. He proceeds from the false assumption that we’re fighting only or primarily Al Qaeda. The intel simply does not support that position. The sectarian strife continues and in those areas where there is a decline it is not a positive for the national political picutre. Take Ramadi and Al Anbar for example. The Sunni tribes are cracking down on foreign fighters and we’re arming those tribes to protect themselves. However, who is pissed off by this? Prime Minister Maliki, who is saying very clearly that we’re arming his enemy.

Meanwhile, the bulk of the Iraqi Army and police are heavily infiltrated by Muqtada al Sadr’s guys. They warn off their compadres and go hell for leather after those who are their sectarian foes.

The politics on the ground have gotten worse, not better, in the last month. The Sunnis have pulled out completely from the Government. Anthony Cordesman provides a genuine and thoughtful analysis of what is really going on in Iraq.

My comment elicited this remark from Tom Maerten, a retired State Department Counter Terrorism official, who also served at the National Security Council. [Tom post's at VoxVerax].

Larry has it right. Peters is a cheerleader, not an analyst. His line is that the more people the insurgents kill, the more desperate they are. Huh? So, they have been getting more desperate for four years, and have been in their ‘final throes’ for almost three years.

Mythologizing Petraeus is just the latest wishful thinking. The secular trend since the summer of 2003 is continually downward.

Keith Olbermann on MSNBC did a compendium of Bush’s “We are making progress in Iraq” statements from 2003 to 2007. However much we would like those regular pronouncements to be true, they are fiction. U.S. troops cannot do what the Iraqi leaders won’t do: reach a political settlement. In fact, al-Maliki is dead in the water, a figurehead who is essentially powerless and depends on Shia militia to stay in office.

We can pacify some areas with enough troops — temporarily — but that doesn’t solve the political problem, which has gotten worse with the Sunni decision to pull out of the gov’t.

Meanwhile, consider what happens if the insurgents launch a spectacular assault on the Green Zone. So far, they have thrown a few desultory mortar rounds into the Green Zone, but you have to presume that at some point they have the capability to do much more. Will we see helicopters landing on the Embassy roof, again?

As for the U.S. military strategy in Iraq, can anyone explain how it took us 3 years to rediscover ‘clear and hold’, and a 4th to begin implementing it? Has any other counter-insurgency strategy ever worked? The Viet Nam experience was so traumatic that we refused to learn anything from it.

What Bush/Cheney/Rove/Libby/Wolfowitz/Feith/Kristol/etc. learned from Vietnam, of course, was how to evade military service. A bunch of armchair warriors with grandiose delusions who got us into another quagmire.

The best reporting on what is happening in Iraq is coming from McClatchy (gee, call me shocked!!). Leila Fadel’s piece, U.S. military leaders: Iraq security effort hampered by lack of political progress is a definite must read. She reports:

Despite U.S. claims that violence is down in the Iraqi capital, U.S. military officers are offering a bleak picture of Iraq’s future, saying they’ve yet to see any signs of reconciliation between Sunni and Shiite Muslims despite the drop in violence.

Without reconciliation, the military officers say, any decline in violence will be temporary and bloodshed could return to previous levels as soon as the U.S. military cuts back its campaign against insurgent attacks.

Then there is the tiny matter of the real security in Baghdad:

When President Bush announced plans to increase U.S. troop strength in Iraq to help calm Baghdad, U.S. officials had hoped that any decrease in violence would lead to greater willingness from Shiite and Sunni political leaders to reach an accommodation.

But that hasn’t happened. Sunnis have accused the Shiite-led government of Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki of making no effort to stop Shiite militias from forcing Sunnis from their homes. Sunni ministers have withdrawn from the government in protest.

In the meantime, the most touted success of the campaign — an alliance between U.S. forces and some Sunni insurgent groups against al Qaida in Iraq — has angered many in the Maliki government, who accuse the United States of supporting groups that could ultimately turn against the government.

The true test in gauging the success of the surge is whether or not the Sunnis, Shias, and Kurds in Iraq find a way to settle their differences using diplomacy rather than bombs. And the record to date shows no progress in achieving that goal. Thank God Ralph Peters retired from the Army. We don’t need sychophantic fools like that in a leadership position.

taters

Terrific, Larry. Thanks for an absolutely excellent thread. The cheerleaders have been laying it on extra thick and you’ve been nailing them at their every turn.
Delia

Peters is dishing out the same old BS we’ve been getting ever since they realized their lovely little war was going badly — “the bad guys must really be desperate cuz they’re doing so well!”

Thanks, Larry, and thanks for the link to the McClatchy piece. As we all know, they’ve become the only reliable wire service.

http://cujo359.blogspot.com Cujo359

Same old, same old. After four years of this nonsense, you’d think people would be catching on, wouldn’t you? The NY Post don’t appear to have.

Jess Wonderin

Well done!

But now we have a few words from 5 Sargent’s on the ground over THERE, published in this Sundays NY Times Opinion page “The War AS WE Saw It” read it and demand these brave brothers not be punished for a “non-Betrayus Report”:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/19/opinion/19jayamaha.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

I am so sick of pissy pants REMF and YMA Officers failing to stand up to the Chickenhawk Armchair Warriors grubbin’ at the Kool Aid pitchers . . .

After reading these troopers’ tale – write/contact newspapers Congresscritters, DOA, Rush, and every “Great American” you can, to urge no reprisals for speaking their “truth” . . .

http://andrewduncan.ca AndrewD

Wonderin,

Thanks for that link — I just meant to browse it quickly and ended up reading the whole thing. It’s a well presented summation of the whole business we’re in over there.

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Shirin

Some random observations:

Connecting The Surge™ to so-called “reconciliation” has never made any sense at all to me. How is an increase in violence on the part of occupation forces supposed to help Iraqis “reconcile”? Of course, I have also never understood how you pacify anything by means of massive violence. It is logically contradictory. In any case, it all sounds more like the Bush regime buying time while appearing to be doing something new – as if they have not surged™ many times before now.

And by the way, I do not believe it is Muqtada As Sadr’s guys who are responsible for the violence and ethnic cleansing against Sunnis. I believe it is primarily the Badr Brigade, which is the militia of The Party Formerly Known as SCIRI, which is, of course, a big part of the ruling party of the Iraqi make-believe government, and the militia that, along with the occupying power, keeps Al Maliki going. Muqtada Sadr, unlike Ad Da`wa and The Party Formerly Known as SCIRI, and contrary to his popular image, is more of a nationalist than a sectarian, is not allied with Iran, and is a strong advocate of a united Iraq who opposes all foreign interference, and has been consistent in trying to form non-sectarian alliances against the occupation.

Oh yes, and this: “Iraqis got a good taste of al Qaeda. Now they’re spitting it out” is pure propaganda. Claims that Iraqis, once sympathetic and even allied with so-called “Al Qa`eda” (which in Iraq is nothing more than a small number of knock-off groups and wannabes), suddenly became fed up with so-called Al-Qa`eda in Iraq and have “joined forces” with the Americans against them ignore the fact that the vast majority of Iraqis, including the resistance, have opposed those Al Qa`eda knock-off types from the beginning, and have been fighting against them from the beginning. The reality appears to be that finally the Americans decided to try to enlist the assistance of so-called “insurgents” in fighting the Al Qa`eda knock-offs, and Iraqis, being not as primitive and stupid as Americans think they are, took advantage of this naive effort, which will eventually backfire on the Americans just as so many other of their attempts to control others have backfired.

Montag

Shirin, the Indian Sepoy Rebellion of 1857-9 is a case in point. The British East India Company issued new rifle cartridges to its predominantly native soldiers that had to be bitten to pour the powder into their muzzle-loaders. A rumor was floated that the cartridges had been greased with a mixture of pork AND beef fat–thus insulting BOTH Hindu and Muslim soldiers, who had religious prohibitions against eating these animals. Whether the rumor was true or not isn’t important, but it was enough to set off a rebellion, resulting in the British Government having to put it down and acquiring India/Pakistan as a colony.

The lesson from this is that any occupation which depends mainly upon native mercenary troops is a house of cards.

CK

Proving that Karl Rove has lived a very long life.
Such a superb rumour. It would only take a week or three to disprove the rumour; by which time it had spread to every soldier. Would that we had someone today who could create such wonderous religious warfare.

The Oracle

Another great post, Larry.

The instant someone among the neo-con PNAC Republican leadership decided to fire all the Sunni Batthists in the overthrown Iraqi government and unceremoniously toss them and their families out on the streets, any hope of reconciling and stabilizing the new Iraq was thrown out, too. It would have still been touch and go, but this one insane act in the Spring of 2003 helped set in motion all the insanity and violence that has followed since in Iraq, costing countless lives.

Which just makes me wonder what bright ideas these neo-con PNAC Republicans have in mind for their planned assault on Iran?

I’d lay odds that following any such lamebrained attack on Iran, the Iranians will find someway to attack us inside the United States, which will be all the excuse Bush and Cheney will need to declare martial law, with Alberto Gonzales (DOJ) and Michael Chertoff (DHS) being the chief enforcers during this national “emergency,” which will last as long as Bush and Cheney decide it will last…but not for a second longer…than the “War on Terror” will last…like forever.

BushCo has already put into place most of the “tools” they would require for martial law, under the guise of going after any domestic terrorist sleeper cells.

One report the other day, though, specifically addressing the aftermath of any declaration of martial law, caught my attention. “Loyal Bushie” pastors are being organized into “Clergy Response Teams” to help quell any public unrest following a declaration of martial law, and the locking down of our democracy.

One of these pastors, a Tuberville, quoted some scriptural passages about governments being given to us by God, so we must obey the government (i.e. Bush and Cheney). Hmmm, and here I thought that the “Divine Right of Kings” went out of fashion a long time ago. I guess I was wrong. All hail King George. Ah, to hell with that.
bob h

Colonel Ralph talks about the “foreign terrorists slaughtering the innocent”. What about the Sunni nationalists, Baathists, Shiites, Mafia criminals, et. al., who commit most of the violence, and who will still be in business even when Al Qaeda is extinguished? Does
Al Qaeda leave calling cards at the scene of each attack?
mudkitty

Al Qaeda is not an army. They are thugs. Like the mafia.

If 9/11 changed everything, then the terrorists have won.

http://noquarterusa.net/ Leslie

The only thing 9/11 changed, was to give the Bushies their Reichstag fire—an excuse to wage unending wars.

http://noquarterusa.net/ Leslie

Wasn’t it last week when the Bushies were portraying Iran as the primary cause of violence in Iraq? Now we’re back to al Qaeda? Do the Bushies have a clue who we’re fighting or why, when they change the name of the enemy every week in order to “propel the propaganda”? Or do they imagine we won’t remember? Please roll the videotape….

By the way, Rove was on Meet the Press and every other Sunday “news” show this morning, and as predicted he wasn’t grilled on any of the scandals he arch-ee-tected. But he was given the opportunity to lie yet again about the CIA leak, the Wilsons, the Clintons, etc. I’m going to throw up now.
Cee

Peters is a terrorist. Now, on to another theory…

Why Kurdish warlords bombed the Yazidis?…update
————–Update———-

In an interview on Iraqi Alsharqiya TV, Yazidis leader Anwar Maaouya accused the Iraqi government on plotting the attack on the Yazidis saying: There evidence of Iraqi governemnt involvement to attack Yazidis.

————–End Update———

Were the Kurdish warlords (Barazani and Talabani) behind the bombing of the Yazidia’s villages in Sinjar?

Seems weird suggestion, but let’s follow the events:

On 2-August-’07, Haaretz reported

U.S. checking possibility of pumping oil from northern Iraq to Haifa, via Jordan

The new pipeline would take oil from the Kirkuk area, where some 40 percent of Iraqi oil is produced, and transport it via Mosul, and then across Jordan to Israel.

Which is an old issue since 2003 but thing wasn’t yet under the control (in other words: Kurdish militias weren’t ready)

Just few days before Haaretz published their report, on 30-07-’07 news came from Kurdistan that:

12 thousand Kurds militia ready to protect oil pipelines in Kirkuk and Mosul

The Iraqi government asked to send thousands of Kurds militias [Peshmargas] spread in the areas of Kirkuk and Mosul to protect oil pipelines, Kurdish authority has provided the required number.

After two weeks from the above report and on 13-August-’07:

The plan was delayed because of the tense security situation in area

After bombing the Yezidi, all they needed to do is add Al-Qaeda name to it, and revive the old plan of sending Kurdish Militias to Mosul to “protect the Yezidi” and you get it; the oil pipelines are virtually secured until the Jordanian borders.

Somebody answer this:

How 175 dead Yazidis became 500 in less than 24 hours? and needed urgent action
Montag

Larry’s analysis reminds me of that scene in one of the Godfather movies where Michael Corleone is checking out the possibilities for Mob activities in Batista’s Cuba. The other Mob figures down there are ecstatic about the potential under their friend Battista, even though there’s Cuban discontent with him. They give him a big dog-and-pony-show sales pitch during his visit. Then one day Michael is on the street and sees a young kid blow himself up with a grenade, taking a Policeman with him. Now Michael has been to war and he’s seen deadly violence in the course of his Mob activities–but he ain’t never seen violence like THIS! So he tells the guy who’s trying to sell him on betting on Batista: “I’m taking the next plane out of here, and I advise you to do the same. Battista is toast.”

http://www.liberaltopia.org RS Janes

Yes, the famous “the soldiers are being paid to fight; the revolutionaries aren’t.”

But then we don’t have Don Vito or Michael heading up the family; We’ve got Fredo at the DoJ, Luca Brasi as Veep, and the Pets.com sock puppet as president.

Where’s Frank Costello when you need him?

http://cujo359.blogspot.com Cujo359

A counterpoint to this cheerleading is an extraordinary op-ed in the NY Times today by seven American enlisted soldiers serving in Iraq.

Given the situation, it is important not to assess security from an American-centered perspective. The ability of, say, American observers to safely walk down the streets of formerly violent towns is not a resounding indicator of security. What matters is the experience of the local citizenry and the future of our counterinsurgency. When we take this view, we see that a vast majority of Iraqis feel increasingly insecure and view us as an occupation force that has failed to produce normalcy after four years and is increasingly unlikely to do so as we continue to arm each warring side.

One of them was wounded before the article came to print. Apparently, they just can’t see the big picture like LTC Peters (ret.) does.
Shirin

a” vast majority of Iraqis…view us as an occupation force…”

There is a very, very good reason for that, and the reason is that you ARE an occupation force, de facto, if not de jure.

“…that has failed to produce normalcy after four years and is increasingly unlikely to do so as we continue to arm each warring side.”

More than that, you are the primary cause of the lack of normalcy. The bottom line is that YOU CANNOT PRODUCE NORMALCY no matter how long you remain in part because your very presence there is abnormal. I would also remind these soldiers, and everyone else who goes on and on about the necessity of “counterinsurgency” that the reason there is an “insurgency” (sic) is that you are there. It is against your presence and your actions that this “insurgency” (sic) developed, and it is primarily your presence that continues to feed it. Therefore, your “counterinsurgency” is a self-perpetuating thing.

What part of that is so difficult for people to understand.

http://left.ru lidia

Shirin, there is some even more “clever” analysis :”the Shia of Iraq have been abused, discriminated against, persecuted, tortured and slaughtered by Sunnis. The Shia of Iraq are well aware of the 13 centuries of discrimination, vilification, and persecution they’ve suffered from a Sunni dominated Islamic power structure across the Hub of Islam” from some anti-war (and nati-Vietnam war) “expert” here

I wonder, from where he got his supreme understanding of Iraq history and modern condition?
Montag

Shirin, to paraphrase the late Chicago political boss, Hizzoner Richard J. Daley: “The Occupation Forces are not here to create disorder, the Occupation Forces are here to preserve disorder.”

http://www.phoenixwoman.wordpress.com Charles

If General Petraeus is the great hero he’s portrayed to be, he’ll show up before Congress and refuse to play Charlie McCarthy
Patrick Henry

Larry…Thanks for putting out a very interesting article for us to
chew on..lots to think about..and always from a “Reasonable” Alternative Perspective and unhindered Analysis….from Our Buddy.. “The Man in Black” Larry Johnson…..
Code name .. “The Man”..

note…Pat Lang is “The Old Man”..said reverently..

I think you are probably right about Current “Quaeda” operations..
of mass Muder and “Genocide” up near the Syrian Border..its either Queada.making a statement or someone wants such mass civilian violence/murder to be “PROOF” of Organized Quaeda Violence and presence in IraQ..and proof of queda control of Regions there..so that the amercians can continue to justify the War Because of such continued Acts…The “PETER PRINCIPAL”

did Quaeda claim responsibility…?? Proof..??

Probably was them..because of the viciousness and Contempt for other Cultures/Peoples here typical of the JiHaddists extremists acts of Terrorism against anyone they don’t like..

Plus the fact that the Area/Operation was close to syria…suggesting that is a QUAEDA Pipeline…just like down South on the Iraq/Iran SHIA Pipeline..Thats to be expected and thats part of why the insurgency…Civil war..sectarian War..and violence Continues..reality check…Deep Hatreds here…Lots of PREDJUDICE..with EXTREME..solutions for Problem solving..Fued solving…and to these Middle east Peoples..alot of the Men there believe its a Matter of HONOR..top settle scores and kill your enemys..who ever they are at the time..

The Countrys wide Open ..Big power struggles…Now its the Shia on Top..Got Control of the current irAQI GOVERNMENT AND NEW SECURITY FORCES…mAKING NO Attempt at true democracy or eslablishing a FAIR AND BALANCED Represenative government..when its in thier Nature ( Shia Mailitias who have the Guns behind the Malaki Government) to really hate and despise most of the other Peoples of Iraq..and consider them “INFERIOR”…similar to the attitude The Bush Administration Neo Cons seem to have toward the rest of Us Americans who are “Gasp”…Demorates..or independents..or some how..the most evil of all..any kind of “LIBERAL” in our thinking..or would dare question the SUPERIOR THINKING & POLICYS of the “NEW”Republicans..whose Mantre is the righteousness of the “New World Order:” Uber Alles..and the first move in achieving thast was to take over the Reins of True power in the united Statwes…That Mission “Accomplished…It has been Illusions of grandeur..while dragging us all…and the World behind them and thier “GLORIOUS VISION”..while they and the glorious new democracy in Iraq established by the Bush Administration..Now are clearly EXPOSED..for thier FAILURES ..

So…what next…The Bushniks have got to be held accountable ..and on that issue…Yogi..It ain’t over til its Over..and the BLOODHOUNDS are on the Trail of the CONS..and tracking them Down..relentlessly..Thats a drama that needs to be played Out..

Iraq..

Congress has to stand up now..for Our troops…get the Guard the hell out of there as soon as possible..Rotate in Fresh RA..Combate Troops..get out all troops who have down 3-4 deployments…let em come home..relax…rest…reunite..and when ready..Hopefully help rebuild a National Guard..that will never be depolyed like this again..Just stay home…be the First Line of Military defense here at home..while maintaining its Community support roles..for disasters and emergency response and assistance…coordinated with other appropiate agencys…That GURANTEE would inspire wide spread National support for the national Guard and encourage Talented and needed Enlistments…

I dont blame us for arming the Sunnis if we are and working with hem covertly and Overtly ..to counter Innappropiate Shia Moves..

The has to be settled the old Way…those in power in all the factions negotiateing and reaching agreements instead of carrying on Blood Fueds all the time that really do not settle anything except to stroke some male ego…Acts of Barbarians..and gets nothing accomplished..Smarter to get past that..Cut some business deals..everyone gets thier Turf…thier Cut..enough to run a “Civilian” Iraqi government…and right on down to the various peoples and communitys..

If any of them have turned against Quaeda..thats a good start..they should..since quaeda is trying to take over Iraq..”The Insurgency’. and Iran and Syria and the Saudis ought to stay out of it… as far as funding ..or fighting the Civil war and Sectarian violence on idelogical grounds or for any Political Reasons or desires to “Control” or influence Affairs in Iraq..

The real Question now is..how to clean up the MESS..the Cons have Made while trying to make thier Escape…after the Great American Bank Robbery…since they are a “GANG”…I wonder what they call themselfs..those LAP DOGS…that need THERAPY..

All i know.,…There is Now One BEST Political Solution and ONE BOTTOM LINE BEST..Military solution and Plan for Iraq…staring Immediately..

I am tired of the Stalling..and the political Games…

PEOPLE ARE DYING…and the United States is in a BIG and possibly NATIONALLY DISASTROUS MESS..Created by OUR POLITICIANS and National leadership..any and all of them who fail to show true LEADERSHIP or get sawny thing done besides maintaining the status Quo..

In the meantime..fellow HOUND DOGS…stay on the trail..Expose the tracks…and “BITE EM IN THE ASS..” all the way to the OPEN Courtroom of PUBLIC OPINION..so that they understand we will tolerate nothing less than a Democracy and Government OF THE FREE PEOPLE……BY THE FREE PEOPLE AND… FOR FREE THE PEOPLE..
whosew Motto is “WE THE PEOPLE”..and “DON”T TREAD ON US..”‘

Patrick Henry…
PrchrLady

Well said Sir Patrick… your words always help put things into perspective, and continue to inspire me to remember why we can not give up.

So much pain and suffering has come upon so many people because of the evil that has taken control of our government, from within. It is always easier to see much clearer, when time has passed. I think the old saying bears repeating, hind sight is twenty-twenty… many were fooled by these wolves in sheep’s clothing.

Shirin, Sir Pat, you are right, these people who are responsible must be brought to justice, if there is ever to be any justice. I cannot stand and remain faithful to everything I hold dear, unless and until I see this done. I think it is going to be an important step in the healing of many, throughout the world, to see those of us who KNOW the truth, do everything in our power to bring these criminals to justice.

Because of the momentous and disasterous changes to laws and policies affecting our freedoms, I believe it will become more and more difficult in the days and weeks ahead to fight the forces in power. I can smell their fear as more and more of their crimes are being brought to light. Yes, it will become harder, and we must work harder to stand up to these bullies… they are fearful, and will try everything and anything they can to work their evil…

I also want to briefly comment on the suggestion of how to bring home the troops. I think it is excellent, and should have been done yesterday. B ut start with those that have been there the longest, and send Jenna and her fiance over as the first replacements… Should make for a nice pre-nup holiday, don’t ya think??? could send her sister along as a chaperone, just to keep them from doing something they shouldn’t…
Patrick Henry

The question in my Mind..is WERE we, the United States..Suckered into a Trap ..by “Outsiders” i/e foreign Agents…..with a “Broader Plan”..who knew they could play off the greed and idealism of the Bush Cartel..
or were We LEAD
into a “Trap”..by “INSIDERS” (Being diverted from Afghanistan/Bin Laden through Propaganda means/Manipulation…).
to a War with Iraq..If so…by Whom…Why..?? What was the Bigger Plan…and what is the probable Outcome/ Consequences for the United States and the people of Iraq..?

What HAVE the Consequences been so Far..??

Is the United States dealing from a position of STRENGTH..
or WEAKNESS.. and which is Gaining momentum..??

Is all this being done to DELIBERATELY Undermine the United States.?? It seems like it to me…Were they so
GREEDY and NAIVE..that they couldn’t see that they would Create this CHAOS..which is the only MISSION they have “ACCOMPLISHED”…not Victory….Not PEACE..Not SECURITY..

What else is going on in the world in to Middle of this MESS.??

Russia….China..South America..Europe..?? Ah Yes..Russia is claiming the North Pole..and playing war Games with China…while China is playing CURRENCY Games..with the United States..and shipping us defective/contaminated Products..and Oh Yes..

The WEATHER..

! Anyone watching TV..?? “The Terrorist are Coming..The Terrorist are coming.”.Why they have a WMD now…Its call a Cat Five Hurricane..those sneaky guys..got right into the Gulf of Mexico..bet they are even gonna Come across the border too..

Texas…Oklahoma.Flooding…and DEAN Hasn’t even arrived yet..and the National Guard and Reserves are where..?? STILL..??

AGAIN..?? ReDeployed…to Provide..Ah…Yes..HOMELAND SECURITY..
and all the benefits of “Democracy”..in the Bush Administrations shiny new UTOPIA….IRAQ..Amazing what they were able to accomplish with Only One Trillion U.S. Taxpayers Dollars in Iraq..Muslims are flocking from all over the Middle East to live there..and we thought the PEACE CORPS was effective..HA..!! that was just another “LIBERAL GIMMICK”..and waste of money..like the JOB CORP..or HEALTH CARE..or Mercy Ships..

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED…..

Well hell..guess we have learned our Lessons and are on top of things Now…FEMA is swarming all over Texas…ahead of the arrival of “DEAN”…But I Have not heard much about FEMA in the newly created “LAKE of OKLAHOMA..”…We will have to check thier Voting records I guess..see if they are worth saving..or helping..

Wait..its all Liberal media and Hollywood manipulation..A~Trick..and Illusion ~

..there is no global warming..there are no domestic Problems..The economy is great..The Bush plan is Working.. the Corporations have made everyone so wealthy and secure in America..we can now go to the money tree and Spread the .Wealth around the world ..and free others from “Tyrrany”..

So..Get on your Bicycle..Mr. President..get that Torch of Freedom that was lit on the Bon fires at Valley Forge while George Washington the Continental Army were Freezing and starving there..Just like you Have Mr.”The Decider” President..You have lead the american people to the Top of the Mountain..and out of the wilderness..and Gave Us NEOCON COMMANDMENTS to live by..
and now you can Petal around the world..Wearing your Iraqi Sandles..carrying that Torch.. Mr. George Bush..Father of the World..New World Order messiah..
You Make us all Proud George..real Proud..

I’m sure our Founding Fathers would be Proud of you too..

Keep up the Good PR..

Just don’t Burn yourself or take a Fall….Mr. President..since you don’t have KARL to catch you any more..and since you don’t have a Brain..Write yourself a Note that says..”Don’t eat the Pretzils”

You will do just fine..Be sure to wave to all your fans ..remember
Spitting is a sign of affection in some cultures..

I’m sure you will be greeted as a “Hero” of the people..somewhere..

Patrick Henry..
mudkitty

You don’t get to shred the Constitution, just because you’re afraid of something, for crikey’s sake.

Montag

Midkitty,
To paraphrase the Mexican bandit Chief in “The Treasure of Sierra Madre:”–”Constitution? We don’t need no stinkin’ Constitution!”

taters

Patrick – I agree that it shouldn’t be too much to ask of the POTUS to be able to ride a bike, chew a pretzel and swallow correctly or be able to complete a thought. The bar has been lowered, indeed, Good post.

Mudkitty – Amen.
I’ve been meaning to tell you – cool handle. There was a band here in Michigan called Mudpuppy. Any relation?
ybnormal

Paraphrased parallels:
‘Instead of giving a man a fish, teach him to fish’
Translation for the lost recent past: Instead of pretending to have the ability to enforce local security militarily, which we don’t, some level of limited progress might have been made early on by simply guarding and protecting Iraqi law enforcement which had already been in place, while they enforced their own security; possibly along with some limited amount of assistance with training, resources and organizational support. Unfortunately, besides the fact we shouldn’t have been there in the first place, once we were, the narrow window of opportunity for accomplishing anything at all positive has long since passed.

‘The “Peter Principle” contends that the incompetent continue to rise until they reach their highest level of incompetence’
It’s a new day. In the new day, the incompetent not only rise to what used to be the highest possible level of POTUS, the current POTUS continues to reap rewards for incompetence in the form of unprecedented power and authority freely granted by Congress, beyond that of any previous POTUS. This appears to be happening because Bush’s incompetence allows incompetent others around him to push incompetent agendas by controlling his deciding, by way of filtering and slanting the information his non-analytical mind receives; and also by feeding his insecurities.

‘Condi previously said, “We were tired of swatting flies”
Why isn’t her ass on fire in the media? Why can’t the media aggresively ask the entire administration, ‘If you were tired of swatting flies, why was the solution to (metaphorically) solve a killer bee problem by beating on the hive with a big stick?’

‘Al-qaeda is reported to have gotten it’s start with U.S. support in Afghanistan against the Soviet Union, followed by abandonment, followed by desire for revenge for being abandoned.’
Why aren’t we learning from our own history? Now that we’re arming everybody from the rural Sunnis to the Saudis to the Iraelis, aren’t we planting the seeds, using super fertilizer, for a future super war involving the entire Middle East and beyond, with religious allegience as the catalyst? The side-bar oxymoron is that the Israelis don’t admit posession of nuclear weapons even though everyone knows they have them, with the blessing of the U.S.; while many allege that Iran will soon have nuclear weapons, though they deny wanting to, so the method we’re supposed to use to stop them is to support the already nuclear Israelis against them, and while we’re at it, look the other way while Pakistan gets a free nuclear pass, while sitting next door to India, who also has a free pass to have them. Under these conditions, why wouldn’t Iran want nuclear weapons?
wethornet

O/T jumping in here, haven’t read this post or comments. i cross posted this in the cartoon post, which is the most recent post currently, but just in case….

caps on purpose.

PLEASE CONSIDER SAYING A PRAYER FOR OUR ASTRONAUTS UP IN SPACE. THERE ARE DIFFICULTIES WITH THE MISSION. SOME PREVIOUS MISSIONS RESULTED IN LOSS OF LIFE FOR ALL ON BOARD. AND TELL YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS TO SAY A PRAYER ALSO. I’M TOLD THEY ARE DUE TO COME HOME TOMORROW, TUESDAY.

I AM WORRIED & CONCERNED.

I WISH THEM GODSPEED.
Patrick Henry

WETNORNET..

Thanks for sharing your Concerns..ans I share them and have prayed for the Shuttle crew…They are very brave and dedicated to go back up after the disasters we have had..The Shuttle is a remarkable Craft..and so are the People who fly Her..it cant be easy flying back to earth knowing there it a defect on the heat Shields..

I’m sure they are Praying too..especially during re-entry..

Patrick henry…
mudkitty

Helping hands are better than praying lips.
Patrick Henry

Hands Can Be wonderfully Creative and Helpful..
Or…Deadly Destructive and Hurtful…

So can Lips…and Words…

I have Seen and Heard Both….

It all depends on whats in the Hearts and Minds of those that Use them..and rather they are “Guided” by Love or Hatred..or Anger..or Rather they choose to be Guided by anything but “EGO”..

I Deplored all Acts of Violence..and Inhumanity..Foremost those done in the “Name of God”..those done by Criminal Acts and then those done by Societys and Cultures ..for various reasons..

Yy Bible says the “Fruits of the Spirit” are Love..Joy..Peace..
and Saint Paul Defines “LOVE” this way..

Love is Patient….Love is Kind..It Does not Envy..It does not Boast..It is not Proud..It is not Rude..it is not Self Seeking..It is Not easily Angered..it Keeps No record of wrongs..Love does not delight in Evil..but rejoices with the TRUTH..it always Protects..Always Trusts..Always Hope..Always Perserveres..

Love Never Fails..

These three remain…Faith…Hope and Love..But The Greatest of these is LOVE..

God is Love..I Believe in Him…and I Pray for his Forgiveness when I don’t live up to the Different Qualitys of Love Paul wrote about above..Because I believe they are True..Are Wonderful Standards to Live by..That the World would be a better Place if we did Display such Acts of Love..and that there is Indeed a God who knows when we Don’t..because of the “Temptations” of this world..

I get comfort from knowing that becuase God is “LOVE”..He also “Forgives” when we ask ..Through..”Prayer..”