tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41486942011-04-21T21:04:44.255-05:00Just My Thoughts and OpinionsEveryone has an opinion and (increasingly) everyone has a web log. This is my attempt at providing thoughtful, rational, and articulate opinions about the world around me.Ericnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1301100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-1096672267069249022004-10-01T18:11:00.000-05:002004-10-01T18:17:06.460-05:00Cubs turn out to be ... the Cubs
How inappropriate that on the day that Cubs lose their fourth straight, and are all but eliminated from the Wild Card, post this on their site. This was their top headline prior to the loss.
This year's Cubs is considered to one of the most dislikable. They have turned from the lovable losers into just... the losers. The big story today is how Cubs manager Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-1096643617733981422004-10-01T10:05:00.000-05:002004-10-01T10:13:37.733-05:00Who Won?
Glenn Reynold's wife thought that Bush won. My wife didn't think that Bush did well but she wasn't impressed by Kerry either. She is still ambivalent about the two (although she says she'll vote for Bush). She is not much of a political observer but she definitely has the opinion that Kerry is a flip-flopper.
As I mentioned in my earlier post, I think Bush did terribly. All Kerry Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-1096602046526998772004-09-30T22:28:00.000-05:002004-09-30T22:44:07.776-05:00Thoughts on the Debate
Hugh Hewitt calls it a "Big win" for Bush. I disagree.
Many of the bloggers that I have been reading believe that Kerry did slightly better. I think so to. Bush, with a few exceptions here and there, was awful tonight. He repeated some lines too often, like Kerry constantly changing positions. He repeated the "wrong war, wrong place, wrong time" too often. I think Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-1096410374385787702004-09-28T17:06:00.000-05:002004-09-28T17:26:23.666-05:00Article of Note
It came out several weeks ago, but I wanted to make note of the article "The Power of No" by ">Newsweek(It was their cover story).
Many of the observations that were made in that article rang true. It was an article that I had to share with my wife right away. I am constantly encouraging her (as she puts it - "arguing with her") to set limits on the children. I believe that Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-1096407779590102672004-09-28T16:34:00.000-05:002004-09-28T16:45:18.480-05:00Secret Plans
Jim Geraghty notes the many times that Kerry has accused the President of having a "secret plan" to do various bad things to the good people of America. Some of them are:
Call up more troops after an election
Suggest that Bush may re-implement the draft (This has been directly stated by others campaigning for Kerry - such as Howard Dean)
Hurt Milk Producers
Many others provide by Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-1096394438825472732004-09-28T13:49:00.000-05:002004-09-28T13:18:14.800-05:00Margin of Error
Prompting my first post in over a year was this post by James Joyner. It reminded my of something that I read recently by Mark Blumenthal:
Since the margin of error applies separately to each candidate’s support, the margin of error effectively doubles when applied to the margin between candidates. Consider an example: If a single survey with a sampling error of 3% (based on aEricnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-924486142003-04-11T15:25:00.000-05:002003-04-11T15:25:37.873-05:00Relativism
This war has demonstrated what certain aspects of the Left are all about. As a believer in healthy debate (which most of the debate in the previous months being unhealthy), it is encouraging that some on the Left have recognized the emptiness of many of the arguments against this war. John Lloyd, ex-editor of the New Statesman, explains this view:
The crimes of Saddam Hussein's Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-924482202003-04-11T15:17:00.000-05:002003-04-11T17:05:39.000-05:00Journalistic Integrity
I've seen many references to the Op-Ed by Eason Jordan in the NYTimes. What affect this might have had on the world-wide argument about the war I don't know, but how can a news organization justify with holding news for years in order to maintain access? At some point doesn't it seem that maintaining a Baghdad presence isn't worth the cost?
This is an astounding Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-924473972003-04-11T15:02:00.000-05:002003-04-11T15:02:37.436-05:00Substance
After all the heated rhetoric and voluminous opinion from all over the world, something of substance has occurred. Saddam is no longer dictator of anything and one of the most brutal tyrannies in world history has fallen. Some will continue to argue that the war was wrong. Reality says something different. War was, is, and always will be terrible. But there are things that are far Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-920036032003-04-04T14:50:00.000-06:002003-04-04T14:50:37.576-06:00Michael Kelly killed
The first American journalist killed in the war was one of the best. Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-916149702003-03-29T13:50:00.000-06:002003-03-29T13:50:53.000-06:00Is Canada a steadfast friend?
The National Post has column by two Univ. of Calgary professors that are extremely critical of the Chrétien government.
From where Chrétien sits, it is far better to elect 50 or 60 MPs in next year's election than to stand shoulder to shoulder with the world's other three English-speaking democracies.
In this sense, sitting out the war is not so much the policy of Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-916035452003-03-29T08:53:00.000-06:002003-03-29T08:53:03.920-06:00Media refuses to accept criticism.
The Washington Times has a piece on how the media reacted to criticism on their war coverage from the White House. Here is a priceless snippet:
Bill Plante of CBS blamed the White House for not correcting the media's expectations for a quick end to the war.
"You did very little to lower expectations in the run-up to this," he told Mr. Fleischer. "Even if Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-916023312003-03-29T08:15:00.000-06:002003-03-29T08:15:56.030-06:00"Living Nightmare"
From Andrew Sullivan, a link to an Assyrian Christian minister who went to Iraq and found a different truth than he expected. Ken Joseph Jr. writes about his experiences when he visited distant Assyrian family in Baghdad. The piece compares with other pieces that I have posted in the past and the general observations that I have made from the various media reports about real Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-915694702003-03-28T15:57:00.000-06:002003-03-28T16:39:43.000-06:00Do they want us or not?
The primary reason for this war is to remove Saddam and get rid of the the WMDs. That was the focus of argument that the Bush administration made for several months. Now that it has started the media now is portraying the primary purpose as one of liberation. Liberation is an easier one to grasp but it is a secondary (although still important) objective.
One of the Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-915682072003-03-28T15:32:00.000-06:002003-03-28T15:34:35.000-06:00al-Qaeda takes the side of the 'infidel'
The Sydney Morning Herald has a report that al-Qaeda has been found in Iraq near the town of Az Zubayr.A senior British military source inside Iraq said: "The information we have received from PoWs today is that an al-Qaeda cell may be operating in Az Zubayr. There are possibly around a dozen of them and that is obviously a matter of concern to us."
If Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-915677782003-03-28T15:24:00.000-06:002003-03-28T15:24:43.500-06:00Media Coverage
Could the media coverage of the Iraq War be some of the worst coverage ever. Different media outlets are showing some extremely misleading coverage. And I read that coverage in other countries is even worse. Why? Most reasonable analysis of the coverage seems to be that the media can magnify small glimpses but distorts the big picture. And for the media outlets with a Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-913873682003-03-25T21:25:00.000-06:002003-03-25T21:25:36.030-06:00Iraqi TV is off the air
Hopefully for good. I'm not going to give any advice on the war but I would have thought that cutting off all communication outside of Baghdad would have been one of the first things to do.Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-913682822003-03-25T15:24:00.000-06:002003-03-25T15:24:23.936-06:00The de-Ba'athification Process
Daniel Drezner has an extensive post on the difficulties of removing the Ba'ath party from Baghdad. He notes that the more loyalists fight during the war the better it might be in the long run.
Once in power, the party behaved, in some respects, as Leninist parties do everywhere. It built a parallel party structure on top of the normal government bureaucracy to Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-913664362003-03-25T14:50:00.000-06:002003-03-25T16:31:12.000-06:00Does Russian Technology even work?
The ineffectual Russian GPS jamming devices are no more.
UPDATE: ScrappleFace makes my point.Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-913193222003-03-24T20:49:00.000-06:002003-03-24T20:49:10.250-06:00Oh No
TV Ratings For Oscars PlungeEricnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-913148532003-03-24T19:28:00.000-06:002003-03-24T19:31:21.000-06:00Iraqi Officers have Cipro?
CBS reports that captured, high ranking Iraqi officials have Cipro. What would they need that for?
Meanwhile, CBS News Correspondent Phil Ittner reports that Army doctors who treated some Iraqi prisoners of war, believed to be some high-ranking Iraqi officials, found Cipro pills among the Iraqis’ personal possessions.
Cipro is meant to ward off the effects of a Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-913146802003-03-24T19:25:00.000-06:002003-03-24T19:25:23.670-06:00Frag incident in First Gulf War
Best of the Web links to a story about the DC sniper John Muhammed who had thrown a grenade in a tent during the first Gulf War.
In the first months of that year, the unit was in the Middle East preparing for the ground-attack phase of the Gulf War.
The story, according to [retired sergeant Kip] Berentson and at least two other former members of the 84th, was thatEricnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-912102292003-03-22T22:39:00.000-06:002003-03-22T22:39:00.343-06:00Who We Hit
The Telegraph gives details on who was hit during that first bombing.
The Telegraph has learned that [British] ministers were told at a special 40-minute briefing [with Tony Blair] that the Iraqi leader had been so badly wounded he needed a blood transfusion.
British soldiers look down at a trench containing the bodies of two Iraqi soldiers with a white flag His son, Uday, is also Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-912101072003-03-22T22:35:00.000-06:002003-03-22T22:35:58.340-06:00Another Human Shield sees the light
The account of human shield in the London Telegraph must be read. He went there a "naive fool" and found out that Saddam really is as bad as the US/UK have been saying. War is awful, but the protesters really do not comprehend what they are defending.
It hit me on visceral and emotional levels: this was a real portrayal of Iraq life. After the first Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-912098152003-03-22T22:28:00.000-06:002003-03-22T22:28:23.686-06:00A traitor among us
One of the most disturbing stories imaginable. A U.S. soldier seeking to attack U.S. forces. Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-911984302003-03-22T17:12:00.000-06:002003-03-22T17:12:25.543-06:00The Atlantic Divide
Paul Johnson has a column in the WSJ about the harm Chirac has done to UN, NATO and the EU. Also, he makes an interesting point on the position Britain finds itself in.
The first body Mr. Chirac has damaged, perhaps fatally, is the U.N. The old Security Council system will have to go: It is half a century old and no longer represents reality because three of the world's most Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-911497252003-03-21T16:43:00.000-06:002003-03-21T16:43:40.843-06:00Shocked back to reality
Human shields see the truth: A group of American anti-war demonstrators who came to Iraq with Japanese human shield volunteers made it across the border today with 14 hours of uncensored video, all shot without Iraqi government minders present. Kenneth Joseph, a young American pastor with the Assyrian Church of the East, told UPI the trip "had shocked me back to reality." Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-911351602003-03-21T11:51:00.000-06:002003-03-21T11:56:27.000-06:00A Thousand Words
Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-911346582003-03-21T11:41:00.000-06:002003-03-21T11:41:18.826-06:00Protesters
Everyone respects the right to free speech. The protesters have the right to promote their position and to rally in protest. Last night several thousand protesters marched through Chicago. They started in a rally in the Federal Plaza and promised the police that is where they would stay. They then proceeded to march through the streets and went on to Lake Shore Drive blocking Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-911338922003-03-21T11:26:00.000-06:002003-03-21T11:26:59.733-06:00Stand up to Bush
Emails from DNC supporting Daschle:
In the hours before and after the president's order Wednesday night to begin the war to topple Saddam Hussein's regime, the DNC sent e-mails to its grass-roots activists that said "Democratic leaders are standing up to Bush; Make sure you stand up for them!"Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-911267442003-03-21T09:16:00.000-06:002003-03-21T09:16:04.530-06:00McCain's response to Byrd
He are the opening paragraphs from Sen. John McCain's response on the Senate floor to Robert Byrd's anti-Bush tantrum.
I observed the comments of the distinguished senator from West Virginia concerning the events which are about to transpire within the next hour or so, or days. I did not really look forward to coming to the floor and debating the issue. It has been Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-911252652003-03-21T08:47:00.000-06:002003-03-21T08:47:50.826-06:00Coalition of the Willing
The Chicago Tribune has a thoughtful piece about what type of people make up the modern American military. All American should be proud.
As the battle begins this time, it is right to pause for a moment to consider this generation of American soldiers. No matter how you feel about this war, every American can share a sense of pride about those who voluntarily sacrifice Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-911244022003-03-21T08:30:00.000-06:002003-03-21T08:30:28.090-06:00Chirac speaks volumes
The Guardian has a piece on the European leaders who offered condolences to Tony Blair on the loss of 12 Royal Marines. There was one notable exception:
European leaders today expressed personal condolences to Tony Blair over last night's helicopter crash in Kuwait - but the French president, Jaques Chirac, was not among them.
The German chancellor, Gerhard Schröder, the Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-911240782003-03-21T08:23:00.000-06:002003-03-21T08:23:31.936-06:00Another family loses a loved one
The first combat casualty of the war has occurred. A marine was shot while patrolling an oil war.
Also, the captain of the chopper that went down was from Illinois near Kankakee. God bless the family.Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-911085182003-03-21T00:13:00.000-06:002003-03-21T00:14:29.000-06:00Opening Salvo
The opening shots have been fired....between Britain and France. The Guardian(via Andrew Sullivan) reports that the British government has released a document that indicates that France (and Germany) have been stretching the limits of UN resolution 661. It is not as damning as the dealings that William Safire has been reporting, but it is interesting that it comes out right beforeEricnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-910989732003-03-20T20:57:00.000-06:002003-03-21T14:23:02.000-06:00Prayers for their families
Marine Chopper goes down. 12 reported casualties. 12 families have been grievously hurt. I do not know their names, but I will pray for their families. They died in a noble cause, of that I have no doubt.
Washing ton Post account.Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-910980972003-03-20T20:41:00.000-06:002003-03-20T20:50:33.000-06:00Night
(Via http://outsidethebeltway.blogspot.com/Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-910974632003-03-20T20:28:00.000-06:002003-03-20T20:46:17.000-06:00Stop the Wa...
WaPo reports over 1,000 arrests made in San Francisco.Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-910973802003-03-20T20:27:00.000-06:002003-03-20T20:27:06.826-06:00Not the Moose!
WaPo reports:
Montgomery County Police Chief Charles A. Moose has been called up by the National Guard to help oversee security either at Andrews Air Force Base or closer to the fighting in Iraq, according to county police and Guard officials.Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-910888522003-03-20T17:40:00.000-06:002003-03-20T17:44:36.000-06:00Failed Diplomacy
The Poli-Sci trio of PoliBlog, Outside the Beltway and John Lemon have an interesting discussion about "failed diplomacy". I even added my 2 cents here.
PoliBlog
On this “failed diplomacy” issue, it strikes me that there is a fundamental flaw in the logic of those who argue that the President messed up, squandered political capital, threw his weight around, etc. The flaw is the Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-910878692003-03-20T17:19:00.000-06:002003-03-20T17:19:36.810-06:00Now that's just sneaky
From the Daily Record on what might have been behind that Tariq Aziz defected rumor. (via Best of The Web)
It was claimed the Americans had faked a story yesterday that Iraqi deputy premier Tariq Aziz had defected. Saddam was forced to scotch the rumour by ordering Aziz to appear at a news conference. Observers said US intelligence could have tracked Aziz after his TV Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-910867052003-03-20T16:57:00.000-06:002003-03-20T16:57:01.310-06:00Delta Force on the Job
There have been rumors that special forces have been operating within Iraq for weeks. I think most people would have expected as much. The Times of London has a story that says the Pentagon has confirmed this and that they have been training for this job for a long time.
ELITE teams of US Delta Force commandos who have been inside Iraq for weeks are preparing to descend Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-910863832003-03-20T16:51:00.000-06:002003-03-20T16:51:40.670-06:00Real Iraqi Perspective - V
Some comments from San Diego:
Shortly after cruise missiles and bombs rocked Baghdad yesterday, members of San Diego County's Iraqi-American community proclaimed their support.
Alan Zangana, director of Kurdish Human Rights Watch, said pre-emptive strikes were the correct approach. "This war should target Iraqi leaders, not the Iraqi people," he said. "Once the Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-910584292003-03-20T08:11:00.000-06:002003-03-20T08:11:49.950-06:00 Was that him?
WaPo on the "target of opportunity" strikes.
In their first urgent review, U.S. analysts were said to be uncertain whether the man on the screen was in fact Hussein, or was speaking live. One official said the case against the broadcast's authenticity included that Hussein has several body doubles and his glasses looked nothing like the ones he normally wears. Though Hussein Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-910578282003-03-20T07:58:00.000-06:002003-03-20T07:58:44.030-06:00Real Iraqi Perspective - IV
Andrew Sullivan has a transcript of John Burns comments from Newshour w/ Jim Lehrer. He says that reporters that have been there recently have witnessed a "breaking of the ice" in terms of Iraqis being able to express how they really feel.
Iraqis have suffered beyond, I think, the common understanding of the United States from the repression of the past 30 years here.Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-910309612003-03-19T20:49:00.000-06:002003-03-19T20:49:26.153-06:00Here We Go
Everybody pray. I believe this right but I am also anxious and nervous. God be with the innocent Iraqis. God be with our servicemen and women. God bless America.Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-910302012003-03-19T20:36:00.000-06:002003-03-19T20:36:35.686-06:00The most trusted voice in America
Walter Cronkite's speeck to the World Federalists Association while accepting the Norman Cousins Global Governance Award on October 19th, 1999.
It seems to many of us that if we are to avoid the eventual catastrophic world conflict we must strengthen the United Nations as a first step toward a world government patterned after our own government with a Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-910287672003-03-19T20:09:00.000-06:002003-03-19T20:09:48.060-06:00Did they go too far
Interesting analysis in the International Herald Tribune about those concerned that France and Germany may have taken their opposition to the U.S. a little too far. It indicates that Germany is worried it may have damaged their relations with easter Europe. The author's prognosis seems to be that Germany will improve their relations with U.S. before France.Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-910256412003-03-19T18:54:00.000-06:002003-03-19T18:54:37.060-06:00The Atlantic Divide
John Derbyshire has one of the most balanced assessments of why America is viewed the way it is by western Europe and other countries. He points out misunderstanding by both Americans and Europeans. Many of his observations confirm what I have suspected or read in other places, but he adds context to help explain them.
The key points:We don't understand — How much they Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-910243792003-03-19T18:30:00.000-06:002003-03-19T18:32:19.000-06:00Something's wrong with this story
From This is London:
An armed robber was shot dead today after grappling with a security guard during a raid on a Securicor van.
The guard, who was also shot in the leg, has been arrested in hospital for murder. Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-910242222003-03-19T18:27:00.000-06:002003-03-19T18:27:51.593-06:00Good News from Australia
Despite protests, PM John Howard is still popular in Australia.
JOHN Howard is winning the war for public opinion as Australia braces to invade Iraq by the end of the week.
....
Although Mr Howard's support as preferred prime minister has dropped to its lowest level since July last year, he still holds more than a 2-to-1 advantage over Simon Crean.
Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-909954472003-03-19T09:40:00.000-06:002003-03-19T10:22:06.000-06:00No Bias Here
The Sydney Morning Herald has a news article about a group of protesters blocking the entrance to PM John Howards Canberra residence. It praises how the protesters were not harassed but read how they think it would have happened in the U.S.
Now, imagine if a bunch of protesters tried to blockade the White House. Some Clint Eastwood wannabe with a magnum under his coat and a wire in Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-909902292003-03-19T07:58:00.000-06:002003-03-19T07:58:53.903-06:00Truth
(hat tip: Andrew Sullivan)
"A thousand things can happen to make life absolutely miserable for us. There is not one thing that can happen to stop us." - Brigadier General John Sterling, Infantry 3rd Division.Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-909579672003-03-18T18:52:00.000-06:002003-03-18T18:52:45.280-06:00Conviction
Tony Blair is a strong and courageous leader. Speaking to the House of Commons, he made it very clear that he believes this is make or break moment for Britain and if they back down he would have no part of it.
The truth is our patience should have been exhausted weeks and months and years ago. Even now, when if the world united and gave him an ultimatum: comply or face forcible Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-909485652003-03-18T15:56:00.000-06:002003-03-18T15:56:15.436-06:00Adopt-A-Troop
If you believe in prayer (like our President does) then visit
Adopt-A-Troop organized by the Presidential Prayer Team. JustMyOpEd has adopted a Marine named Jim. He has a wife named Donna and has 3 children. Our prayers are with them.
Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-909485412003-03-18T15:55:00.001-06:002003-03-18T15:55:59.826-06:00The Atlantic Divide
Excellent piece by Collin May comments on the problems with the European Union. The build up of the EU is part of the reason for the disconnect between the U.S. and western Europe.
In the end, however, the real problem with the EU is that it has no identifiable purpose. When it came into being, the EU was intended to both reconcile Germany and France while providing a common Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-909485132003-03-18T15:55:00.000-06:002003-03-18T15:55:33.640-06:00Thoughts
I support the war. I do not look forward to it (and I'm sitting on the sidelines), but I believe that it is absolutely necessary. War is a terrifying prospect. I think of the innocent civilians that will die. Men, women and children whose only crime was being born in a country ruled by a tyrannical dictator. The thought of them dying is almost enough for me to say "it's not worth itEricnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-908685192003-03-17T12:45:00.000-06:002003-03-18T14:54:00.000-06:00More on French Motivation
Vice-President Cheney, appearing on Meet the Press and Face the Nation, gave a detailed listing of steps against Iraq that France has opposed over the years. Quoted from The New Republic:
France, he explained, opposed a 1995 U.N. resolution finding Iraq in material breach; a 1996 resolution condemning the massacre of the Kurds; a 1997 attempt to block travel by Iraqi Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-908679332003-03-17T12:34:00.000-06:002003-03-17T12:34:34.593-06:00Has Blair Weathered The Storm
Matthew d'Ancona, in the London Telegraph, makes the case that those who have plotted to undermine Tony Blair's position may have overplayed their hand. He believes that Tony Blair will emerge from this crisis strengthened.
Regime change in Baghdad or regime change in Downing Street? I have lost count of the number of times I have heard that joke at Westminster in Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-908666352003-03-17T12:10:00.000-06:002003-03-17T12:10:56.216-06:00The Newest Pop Radio Station
WaPo has an article on Psychological Operations in Iraq.
The Central Command has received anecdotal reports from journalists inside Iraq, the official said, that the leaflets are starting to show up in Baghdad, and that coalition radio is among the most popular in Iraq with young people.
"People are picking the leaflets up, and they are having an effect. The only Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-908585832003-03-17T09:38:00.000-06:002003-03-17T09:38:50.500-06:00No Bias Here
Andrew Sullivan has been documenting many examples of bias in BBC reporting. Here is a particularly revealing quote from his post today.
Americans will talk of praying as if it were the most normal, rational thing to do. Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-907635742003-03-15T09:19:00.000-06:002003-03-18T15:53:27.000-06:00Citizen Kate
One of my favorite blogs is
Bjorn Staerk's from Norway. I found this comment by a "Citizen Kate" that was extremely well written and thoughtful.
Bjorn,
I just wanted to challenge one assumption: that no one is listening to Norway or Norwegians. I listened carefully to Ambassador Kolby speak to the UN on the 11th and during the last open debate. It's telecast on C-Span and sometimesEricnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-907621392003-03-15T08:29:00.000-06:002003-03-15T08:29:16.843-06:00North Korea
Jonathan Rauch has an article supporting the Bush administration policy. Although I am no expert I agree with Rauch. I believe we should do whatever we can to force other countries (in this case China and South Korea) to take some responsibility. For any type of lasting solution (without war) those countries need to exert as much pressure on North Korea as possible. China can Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-907619142003-03-15T08:20:00.000-06:002003-03-15T08:20:51.530-06:00Sincerity
Here is something uplifting by William Hague. (via Stephen Pollard)
Without America, France would have lived in a dark age of dictatorship for decades. Without America, Germans could not have rescued themselves from a racist ideology. And without America, Europe’s only alternative to Nazi tyranny would have been communist tyranny. American troops left behind them an independent and Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-907613722003-03-15T08:00:00.000-06:002003-03-15T08:00:13.546-06:00French Motivation
I was originally against the impetus to boycott french products or support other forms of retribution against the French. I believed they would act like they have in the past and eventually support action against Iraq. News from the past week seems to indicate that the French are really motivated by a deep desire to exert control over the U.S. What are the reasons for this? Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-907287412003-03-14T14:45:00.000-06:002003-03-14T14:45:09.843-06:00Unfortunate, but true
Victor Davis Hanson has a column on how the U.S. interacts with the world in the coming years. I for the most part agree. It does not appear that it is in the U.S.'s best interest to provide military protection for other countries, nor be dependant upon the whims of other countries when we must act. The U.S., as a superpower, has certain responsibilities, but we must act Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-906703972003-03-13T16:00:00.000-06:002003-03-13T16:00:21.153-06:00The meaning of Liberalism
Liberalism once championed change while conservatives fought for the status quo. Is that true any longer. It no longer applies to the modern American political movements commonly referred to as Liberal and Conservative. On domestic issues, liberals are the ones fighting for status quo in education reform, social security reform, tax reform and welfare reform. On the Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-906677242003-03-13T15:08:00.000-06:002003-03-13T15:08:12.983-06:00Impeach Bush?
Fascinating quote from RollCall by The Volohk Conspiracy.
HOUSE JUDICIARY RANKING DEMOCRAT ASSEMBLES MEETING TO DISCUSS BUSH IMPEACHMENT MOVE: From Ethan Wallison, Conyers Joins Meeting To Mull Ousting Bush Time To Impeach?, Roll Call, Mar. 13, 2003:
House Judiciary ranking member John Conyers (D-Mich.) assembled more than two-dozen prominent liberal attorneys and legal scholars Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-906667852003-03-13T14:50:00.000-06:002003-03-13T14:50:18.810-06:00Remember the International Criminal Court?
Ministers face the real prospect of waging an illegal war, which could lead to British soldiers being prosecuted by the newly constituted International Criminal Court (ICC).
International lawyers argue that any military attack that killed Iraqi civilians could lead to British soldiers being prosecuted at the new court.--The Independent, March 12, 2003
Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-904011402003-03-09T08:34:00.000-06:002003-03-09T08:34:39.890-06:00The Real Iraqi Perspective - III
Canada's The National Post talks more about what some real iraqis think about a war. If the U.S. is successful in limiting civilian casualties, I am convinced that most iraqis will view the overthrow of Saddam as liberation.
Last fall, however, the International Crisis Group, a respected Brussels-based NGO, managed to speak candidly with dozens of ordinary Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-903596022003-03-08T10:48:00.000-06:002003-03-08T10:48:37.983-06:00Response to a Human Shield
Tim Blair has a partial transcript of a radion interview with Australian Primer Minister John Howard in which he responds to a human shield:
Human Shield:I'd like to say, Mr Howard please, please, please do what you can to stop a military attack on Iraq. These people do not deserve to be attacked. These are now people with names and faces. These are children I've Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-903571642003-03-08T09:35:00.000-06:002003-03-08T09:35:53.216-06:00Theatre of the Absurd
Chicago's city council, like many others, passed a meaningless resolution against the war with Iraq a couple of months ago. It would not be to much of a stretch to say that the opinions of the city council members are worth less than that of an average American citizen. The city council rarely addresses the real problems that are supposed to deal with and instead usually Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-903564052003-03-08T09:13:00.000-06:002003-03-08T09:13:04.296-06:00The Response
Daniel Henninger in the WSJ writes a column about the possible backlash to anti-Americanism.
I believe most Americans couldn't care less how Russia, Saudi Arabia, France, Mexico or anywhere else chooses to organize itself, were it not for the fact that U.S. citizens inevitably have to die or pay to clean up the mess their dysfunctional economics and politics so often create. Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-902009072003-03-05T16:56:00.000-06:002003-03-05T16:56:51.013-06:00Those who dare speak
Martin Palous, the Czech Ambassador to the U.N., shares his thoughts on how to deal with dictators. He answers those critics that say that the Eastern European countries are becoming lackeys of the U.S. It is obvious such criticism is ridiculous. Those countries make their own decisions based on their real experiences.
In recent weeks, we have heard it suggested that Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-902002682003-03-05T16:45:00.000-06:002003-03-05T16:45:37.110-06:00Stalin Chuckles
Iranian journalist Amir Taheri maps the actions of the anti-war protesters from Stalin to today. He indicates that the protesters (at least the organizers and majority of the protesters) are very selective with their protests.
the peaceniks did not object to Stalin's decision to keep the entire Chechen nation in exile in Siberia. The peaceniks did not march to ask Stalin to Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-901346082003-03-04T15:49:00.000-06:002003-03-04T15:49:17.403-06:00Signs of Progress
Mansoor Ijaz has interesting piece about the capture of Khalid Shaikh Mohammed ("KSM"). He indicates that intelligence about KSM's actions lead to the recent Orange alert. According Ijaz the CIA and other agencies were tracking KSM for a while before they actually seized him.
[A] clean-shaven KSM was nabbed on Saturday morning when ISI, CIA, and FBI officials had concluded Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-901328442003-03-04T15:18:00.000-06:002003-03-04T15:18:03.966-06:00What it's really about
Andrew Sullivan notes that most opposition to the war is not really motivated by war, rather war is the organizing factor.
...very little of the opposition to this war is actually about this war. For some it's about "war" in general - a newly empowered new age pacifism. For France, it's about ... France, and its eclipse as a power of any significance. France's crisis is Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-900858432003-03-03T20:31:00.000-06:002003-03-03T20:31:07.450-06:00I think so too
Peggy Noonan has an interesting essay in the Wall Street Journal. It describes many of my own thoughts and experiences as I grew up. I grew up in a family of Southern Democrats. Both of my parents come from poor backgrounds, never went to college and earned everything they had by working hard. When my father was unemployed he found a way to stay busy by doing a multitude of Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-899270242003-02-28T17:16:00.000-06:002003-02-28T17:16:04.186-06:00Ahh, ScrappleFace.Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-899226842003-02-28T15:39:00.000-06:002003-02-28T15:39:00.013-06:00"moral duty to intervene"
Elie Wiesel is a Holocaust survivor and a person who was actually worthy of a Nobel Peace Price. He, like everyone else, believes that war should be a last resort. But he recognizes that a problem cannot be ignored. From his statement at the Whitehouse earlier this week:
I believe it is the moral duty to intervene when evil has power and uses it
He also points out Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-898693712003-02-27T18:18:00.000-06:002003-02-27T18:18:30.793-06:00Tales of Terror
Julius Strauss, in the London Telegraph, writes from Kurdish Northern Iraq.
Thousands of Iraqis are still being executed without trial, and tens of thousands routinely tortured. Millions live in a state of numb fear. As I stood this week watching the dispossessed coming across the border into Kurdistan, I spoke to Kak Adil, the officer in charge of the Kurdish post. "They all Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-898665312003-02-27T17:22:00.000-06:002003-02-27T17:23:10.000-06:00There is Other News - The Estrada Debate
I have not been able to understand the justification for filibustering Estrada. Is it anything other than pure politics? He has answered questions that sent to him in writing after his hearing. Dick Durbin (Illinois' very own) asked him to name justices he admired. He did. As for Schumer's question about Supreme Court decisions he disagrees with, Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-898655932003-02-27T17:04:00.000-06:002003-02-27T17:05:44.000-06:00Exactly
The Washington Post editorial is a response to letters they have received about their support for a "rush" to war. They make many good points, and they state exactly why the decision to go to war cannot be based on whether or not France and Germany agree.
So the real questions are whether every meaningful alternative has been exhausted, and if so whether war is wise as well as justified.Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-898623572003-02-27T16:03:00.000-06:002003-02-27T16:06:17.000-06:00Whatever happened to Afghanistan?
There have been a few articles recently on Afghanistan. Some want to paint it as a failure, some as a success. By any measure, however, it has improved over Taliban rule, especially in Kabul. I would think that it would take a country that was torn up by war and tribal conflicts for decades a while to become a peaceful place. I find it hard to believe anyone Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-898608832003-02-27T15:34:00.000-06:002003-03-04T16:16:05.000-06:00Anti-American Reasoning
One of the most perplexing phenomenons for me, and I believe most Americans, is anti-Americanism. Where does come it from? Why do Europeans, Arabs, South Koreans all dislike us? One place to look for answers is from extremists like Ramsey Clark or Noam Chomsky. But their point of view is so twisted that it's hard to believe that sane people believe it. Another reason Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-898128682003-02-26T20:58:00.000-06:002003-02-26T20:58:22.966-06:00Next Step
Tom Friedman in the NY Times talks about problem of ignoring tyrannical regimes. He lays blame on everyone's door and describes the reluctance that many Arab countries have about America being the one to remove Saddam. I generally think he is probably correct. Although, considering the grief that America gets for tackling Iraq it's hard to figure how America could confront other Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-898026522003-02-26T17:42:00.000-06:002003-02-26T17:42:56.000-06:00The Real Iraqi Perspective - II
An Iraqi exile, known to Christian Science Monitor staff, writes a revealing essay about Iraqi opinion toward anti-war protesters.
Since Amr Moussa, the secretary-general of the Arab League, started warning that a US invasion of Iraq would "open the gates of hell," the retort that has been flying around Iraqi exiles' websites is, "Good! We'd like to get out!"
Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-895667242003-02-22T15:36:00.000-06:002003-02-22T15:44:08.000-06:00The Other Protest - II
Amir Taheri, an Iranian editor for Politique Internationale has some revealing quotes from some of the Iraqi exiles in Britain:
Abdel-Majid Khoi, son of the late Grand Ayatollah Khoi, Iraq's foremost religious leader for almost 40 years, spoke of the "deep moral pain" he feels when hearing the so-called "anti-war" discourse.
"The Iraqi nation is like a man who is kept Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-895571232003-02-22T11:33:00.000-06:002003-02-22T11:33:02.973-06:00ScrappleFace at its best.Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-893335832003-02-18T17:06:00.000-06:002003-02-18T17:06:37.003-06:00Reality Check
At the EU conference on Monday, Tony Blair points out what all the European leaders know.
"There is no intelligence agency of any government around this table that does not know that the government of Iraq has weapons of mass destruction."
Only Chirac and Schroeder seem intent on ignoring reality.Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-893334202003-02-18T17:03:00.000-06:002003-02-18T17:03:58.423-06:00The Real Iraqi Perspective
Zainab Al-Suwaij, a director of the American Islamic Congress, writes in the LA Times about her life growing up in Iraq. She relates some of what she saw, what happened when the allies didn't support the brief rebellion after the Gulf War, and what a war really represents to the Iraqi people.
War is terrible. I never want my American children to experience what I livedEricnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-892603282003-02-17T15:03:00.000-06:002003-02-17T15:03:57.080-06:00The Other Protest
The London Telegraph has a piece about the other protest in Britain. This one was smaller, of course, and was attended by Iraqi refugees. A Dr. Khalif makes the following quote:
"Just ask yourselves why, out of 500,000 Iraqis in Britain, you will not find even 1,000 of them participating in the march? I am so frustrated by the appalling views of most of the British people. Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-892600352003-02-17T14:58:00.000-06:002003-02-17T14:58:37.806-06:00Remember Bosnia
Terrific essay on the danger of bluffing that draws some great analogies with what the U.N. did in Yugoslavia.
We saw this sorry pattern in Yugoslavia during the 1990's, with the UN and Europeans making demands and demonstrations and uttering awful threats, and then, when they were ignored, doing nothing. And the US was complicit in this, too. The ultimate tragedy was the Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-892596382003-02-17T14:51:00.000-06:002003-02-17T14:51:56.423-06:00Cost of Conviction
Tony Blair's speech on February 15 proves he is a courageous leader.
I know it is tough right now. I know it is an uncertain time for our country. But we will come through this and we will come through it together.
We will come through it by holding firm to what we believe in. One such belief is in the United Nations. I continue to want to solve the issue of Iraq and weapons Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-890545702003-02-13T16:03:00.000-06:002003-02-13T16:03:52.170-06:00A speech by Lord Conrad Black is fascinating and thoughtful. He commends Tony Blair for his support of the U.S. He also discusses at length about the problems of European Anti-Americanism.
It is not a privilege for the United States to act against Iraq, a favour and an indulgence America seeks from other countries, and a treat for the American armed forces and taxpayers. It is an enforcement Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-890460082003-02-13T13:07:00.000-06:002003-02-13T13:07:03.260-06:00Middle East expert Fouad Ajami, a professor at Johns Hopkins, has some interesting comments about the effect that war on Iraq might have on Iran. Here is an interesting comment on why we didn't support anti-Saddam rebels after the first Persian Gulf War.
As Iran battles its own demons, we needn't let our obsession with the power of the Iranian revolution that paralyzed American power after Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-890455732003-02-13T12:57:00.000-06:002003-02-13T12:57:50.876-06:00We can't look away
Snippets from a Washington Post editorial:
For more than two decades, the country tried a strategy of not poking the hornet's nest -- a strategy of accommodation, half-measures and wishful thinking.
......
In the 1990s a warlord's attacks prompted America to retreat from Somalia, and a fundamentalist government in Afghanistan allowed thousands of Islamist extremists to learn Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-890429702003-02-13T11:59:00.000-06:002003-02-13T12:06:27.000-06:00Max Boot points out the problems with the "War for Oil" argument. This argument has always been fraught with inconsistencies. Big Oil wants cheap oil prices but they also want high oil prices to increase profits. I remember the same argument during the first Persian Gulf War. The Big Oil companies don't want sanctions against Iraq but they've been there since 1991.
Realistically, what is theEricnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-890411602003-02-13T11:20:00.000-06:002003-02-13T13:10:20.000-06:00Charles Krauthammer summarizes the consquences of inaction and how the look-the-other-way policy of Clinton didn't solve anything and only made things worse.
UPDATE: More on why we can't look away by Matt Rosenberg
Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148694.post-890409392003-02-13T11:15:00.000-06:002003-02-13T11:16:46.000-06:00Australian Convictions
Australian columnist Miranda Devine has a thoughtful commentary on the debate to go to war. As with opposition in the U.S. the protesters like to blame Bush as being a "cowboy". She praises Australia's PM John Howard for having strength of conviction about what is right.
She comments about how Americans really feel about war:
Australians don't want war. But neither do Ericnoreply@blogger.com