The Truth Most Definitely Laid Bare

NZ Bear notes some gamesmanship within the ecosystem, as initially reported by the commissar.

Trendy, did you say? Visit here, and here, and here.

Multiple blogs by the same person, links to the point of absurdity, gaming the system on site counters... to what end? All those great numbers mean nothing when you've got zero credibility for your opinions.

What aspect of anything you say can be considered valid? Comments on your blog and others - how many do you add yourself?

Site meter visits - how many due to your own repeated clicking, when you're not copying and pasting links?

New Weblog Showcase votes - do 4 or 5 people account for those 60-vote results?

Really I think most folks look at the blogosphere as a place where their voice can be heard. What benefit is there in lying about those stats? There's still nobody listening to you now, and less likelihood of it in the future.

Weird. Unfortunate. Sad.

But not surprising. See this post, from early last summer.

The whole thing is especially disappointing with respect to the New Weblog Showcase, where deserving new bloggers come in second every week.

Like Baysense, a Blog with an old fashioned (pre-pure political motivation) look at environmentalism. (Yes, that's my vote.)

A great contrast to the I-believe-anything-I-read, America-is-destroying-the-world robotic collection of comment-free re-posts that is going to win this week.

Keep up the good work NZ. There are those who appreciate what you do.

DOBA!

Marisa Tomei and Joe Pesci in My Cousin Vinny:

Vinny: Is that a drip I hear?
Mona Lisa: Yeah.
Vinny: Weren't you the last one to use the bathroom?
Mona Lisa: So?
Vinny: Well, did you use the faucet?
Mona Lisa Yeah!
Vinny: Why didn't you turn it off?
Mona Lisa: I did turn it off.
Vinny: Well, if you turned it off, why am I listening to it?
Mona Lisa: Did it ever occur to you that it could be turned off and drip at the same time?
Vinny: No, because if you turned it off, it wouldn't drip.
Mona Lisa: Maybe its broken!
Vinny: Is that what you're saying? It's broken?
Mona Lisa: Yeah, that's it, it's broken.
Vinny: You sure?
Mona Lisa: I'm positive.
Vinny: Maybe you didn't twist it hard enough.
Mona Lisa: I twisted it just right.
Vinny: How can you be so sure?
Mona Lisa: If you will look in the manual, you will see that this particular model faucet requires a range of 10-16 foot pounds of torque. I routinely twist the maximum allowable torquage.
Vinny: How can you be sure you used 16 foot pounds of torque?
Mona Lisa: Because I used a Craftsman model 1019 Laboratory edition, signature series torque wrench. The kind used by Cal Tech High Energy physicists, and NASA engineers.
Vinny: In that case, how can you be sure THAT'S accurate?
Mona Lisa: Because a split second before the torque wrench was applied to the faucet handle, it had been calibrated by top members of the state and federal department of weights and measures, to be dead on balls accurate. Here's the certificate of validation!
Vinny: Dead on balls accurate?
Moca Lisa: It's an industry term.
Vinny: I guess the ... thing is broken!

I've shortened "dead on balls accurate" to 'DOBA', and use it to describe any situation where someone is exactly right, certified as calibrated by top members of the state and federal department of weights and measures.

As in "Baldilocks offers a dead-on-balls-accurate assessment of Jesse Jackson here."

(She also has a great MilBlogs roundup).

Blatant Republican Propaganda, Paid for by Your Tax Dollars

Drudge has published reporter Mike Allen's private notes taken during the President's Iraq trip.

8:27 p.m. (7:27 p.m. Texan) ? Air Force One was airborne. Journalists peeked out the shades and saw that the plane had on none of the running lights that are customarily visible, including the red or green ones on the wings. The movie "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines" had begun playing in the press cabin.

Layer upon layer of Republican propaganda. I'm not sure how the intrepid reporters survived this Clockwork Orange-type brainwashing but obviously we can not accept as fact anything these guys reported during the trip. A distinct call for outraged Lefty howling if ever I heard one.

Excerpts from and link to Allen's resulting WaPo story here.

Hat tip to he who knows not rest.

Battle Ground

Fox news reports that the fighting in Iraq continues:

MADRID, Spain — Seven members of Spain's military intelligence agency were killed and one was injured on a highway south of Baghdad Saturday when their convoy was ambushed.

<...>

The Spaniards weren't the only allies in the war on terror to suffer at the hands of guerrillas Saturday, as two Japanese diplomats were killed after their car was ambushed near the Iraqi city of Tikrit. The two were in the city to attend a reconstruction aid conference, according to Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi.

The Japanese deaths — believed to be the first by hostile fire in a war zone since World War II — came as the Asian nation prepares to send non-combat troops to help rebuild Iraq.

Japanese officials in Tokyo said Sunday that Japan would not change its plans to dispatch the soldiers.

<...>

After the attack on the Spanish agents, journalists for Sky News, Fox News' sister network in Britain, saw bodies in the road and a jubilant crowd of Iraqis kicking them.

Sky News gave an eyewitness account of a mob of 20 to 30 people rejoicing over the bodies. One correspondent saw a child of eight or nine pretending to kick a body. Another person was seen with a foot on the chest of one of the bodies. Shouts of "Praise to Saddam!" were heard.

The civilians then reportedly turned hostile to the journalists and they were forced to leave.

Some additional details from Sky News:

...seven members of Spain's National Intelligence Centre and two Japanese nationals were killed in separate attacks...

The Japanese men were diplomats attending a reconstruction conference.

They were shot as they stopped to buy food and drinks at a stand on the road between Baghdad and Tikrit.

<...>

Spain's defence minister Frederico Trillo said the Spaniards were members of an eight-man team returning from a mission when they were ambushed. Another member escaped.

Sky News correspondent David Bowden was first on the scene of the attack

<...>

"We were actually driving from Hillah and we saw these men lying by the side of the road after the ambush," he said.

"Locals said that 30 minutes earlier the convoy had been attacked."

The Sky team was forced to leave after the crowd turned on them." We filmed for a couple of minutes but the crowd were shouting 'Praise to Saddam', so we left. They were banging on our vehicle as we sped off."

Have we lost the peace? Perhaps not. In stark contrast, MilBlogger Jb at Jb's Sanctuary (Who am I? Well I'm a Program Analyst. In the National Guard I'm a Special Forces Team SGT, Prior Intelligence NCO and Communication NCO 12 years active duty) links to Paratrooper.net posts on some different news coming out of Iraq - forward progress being made towards shutting down some of these anti-coalition attacks and helping the people of Iraq to a better future.

Including

The 82d Abn. Div. has conducted three offensive operations, all of which were cordon and searches. Soldiers also carried out 167 patrols, including eight joint patrols with the Iraqi Border Guard and Iraqi Police, manned 47 observation posts along Highway 10. During this time, one enemy personnel was wounded and 78 were captured.

Paratroopers from 1st Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment conducted an air assault cordon and search northeast of Fallujah last night. The operation resulted in the capture of 37 enemy personnel. In addition to the captured personnel, the paratroopers confiscated numerous small arms weapons, Jordanian and Syrian currency, fake identification cards, radios, and Thuraya phones. All of the individuals are being held for further investigation.

and

AR RAMADI, Iraq – In a raid last night, soldiers from 1st Battalion, 124th Infantry Regiment of Task Force “All American” captured the individual believed to be responsible for the attack on the Ar Ramadi police chief’s son two nights ago. Coalition forces believe the captured man has also been carrying out attacks on soldiers in the region.

Local Iraqis tipped off coalition forces on where the attacker was located. Tips on anti coalition activities have increased six times since last month. Iraqis continue to take security into their own hands by cooperating with the coalition.

In a separate incident near Iskandariyah, soldiers from 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment captured 16 individuals in the act of preparing an improvised explosive device. The men were found preparing multiple mortar tubes, mortars, grenades, and rocket propelled grenades for an attack.

and

Based on a tip by a local Iraqi citizen, soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 34th Armor Regiment conducted a search of a house near Habbaniyah. At the house the soldiers detained four former regime loyalists and found two grenades, a shotgun, a computer with printer (found printing counterfeit Dinar as soldiers entered the house), rounds packed with C4 plastic explosives, three sticks of dynamite, 12 blasting caps, a 50 lbs bag of propellant, and a satellite phone. The tip that led to the search further demonstrates the increased cooperation between the local populace and coalition forces.

In a separate incident, soldiers from 1st Brigade conducted a cordon and search in Ar Ramadi last night. Their search yielded anti-coalition paperwork including Jihad sign-up sheets. Later this morning, the resident of that house was detained as he went to coalition forces to claim his paperwork. He is also suspected of financing the production and placement of IEDs in the Ramadi area.

In the town of Hit, civil affairs personnel initiated a sewer repair project in conjunction with local officials. The project will correct the current issues, which have local residents concerned about potential health problems in the city. The project will improve the quality of life and living conditions of the town’s 5,000 residents.

Could this all be true? are there two sides to the battle? CNN didn't report it! Reuters, the BBC, and Agence France Presse have no details either. So where's the truth?

Maybe we'll know soon, because on the heels of President Bush and Senator Clinton's Iraq visits comes this. (Hopefully not in the tradition of Jane Fonda, Howie Dean's brother, Rachel Corrie or the human shields - hey, I haven't heard, have the human shields gone over to help rebuild?)

Anti-war groups arrange Baghdad trip for families of servicemembers

By Sandra Jontz, Stars and Stripes Pacific edition, November 29, 2003

ARLINGTON, Va. — A 10-member delegation, made up mostly of U.S. military families, leaves the United States on Saturday for a eight-day tour of Baghdad organized by two antiwar groups to see first-hand what their loved ones face daily.

Their mission is to arm themselves with first-hand knowledge in hopes of enacting change when they come home, said Medea Benjamin, founding director of Global Exchange, an international human rights organization.

“God bless the troops, but bring them home,” Benjamin said. “The delegation is behind their loved ones, but we feel the best thing we can do is get them out of Iraq as quickly as possible.”

<...>

“We’ve talked to troops on the ground who are confused about why they’re there, who feel it’s not the right role for the U.S. … and the occupation has turned into something of a potential for a real quagmire,” Benjamin said.

The group hopes to meet with chief U.S. administrator L. Paul Bremer and Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, the top military commander, and with Iraqi governing council members, other human rights organizations, women’s organizations, and to visit hospitals and schools.

The delegation needs no U.S. military permission to travel into Iraq, though officials have recommended against it.

“We don’t recommend that any private group of individuals, no matter how well-intentioned, travels into Iraq until the country is more stable and secure,” said Central Command spokesman Marine Maj. Pete Mitchell.

So why do they go? One of the mothers had this explanation via press release on Global Exchange's homepage.

"I know it is very risky to go to Iraq right now, but I feel compelled to go there. I want to see my son and daughter and talk to the other troops. I want to talk to the Iraqi people, especially the women," said Anabelle Valencia, a military mother traveling with the delegation.

Sounds reasonable. (Though I'm not sure why women are more important to her then men.)

"And I want to talk to the US authorities there and ask them when they are going to send our troops home and allow the Iraqis to run their own country."

We'll await the answer with bated breath.

Speaking of Senator Clinton in Baghdad, John Galt, in Iraq with the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA), reports (via his Blog Deeds, a "Friend of MilBlogs") some ground truth on that event. Mr. Galt, who met the Senator during her stay, offers a few words and lot of insight.

She seemed disappointed at the cool reception she got at the CPA mess hall for lunch. Most just stared silently.

Some things are just bad for your digestion.

Fetch...the comfy chair!

Perhaps while the President was in Iraq he asked around about this story?

If you want to have your voice heard, you may want to try petitions here and here.

From European Stars and Stripes

ARLINGTON, Va. ? The Army?s investigation of an officer accused of crossing the line in an attempt to get information from an Iraqi detainee is generating a grass-roots protest among some Americans who say the safety of troops trumps any temporary violation of interrogation rules.

Army Lt. Col. Allen B. West, who is assigned to the 4th Infantry Division?s 2nd Battalion, 20th Field Artillery Regiment, in Tikrit, Iraq, stands accused of actions that occurred Aug. 20, at a detainee holding site in Taji, Iraq.

Some members of Congress, meanwhile, are asking whether those rules may not be too strict in light of the all-out war on terror.

?We?re trying to bring democracy and a better way of life to [Iraq], and you don?t do that by employing terrorist tactics in reverse,? John M. McHugh, R-N.Y., said in a Tuesday telephone interview. ?But how many American lives are we willing to trade for ideals?

?Maybe the days of putting someone in a comfortable chair and giving them a cigarette are over.?

In testimony during his Article 32 hearing last week, West, 42, said he had received information that Yahya Jhodri Hamoodi, an Iraqi policeman, was allegedly involved in a plot to attack him and his troops.

Article 32 investigations are pretrial proceedings that determine whether a servicemember should face court-martial.

West said he had Hamoodi brought in for questioning, but that the Iraqi would not cooperate, so West led him out of the detention facility to a weapons cleaning area, gave him to a count of five to talk, and then fired two shots near the detainee.

Hamoodi then gave information that led to the detention of additional suspects in the attack.

West said he immediately filed a report to his commanding officer, detailing the incident.

?I knew [my career] was over,? West said during the trial. ?I know that the method that I used was not the right method ? [but] to protect my soldiers, I?ll go to hell with a gasoline can in my hand.?

One month later, West was relieved of his command. A preliminary investigation by the Army?s Criminal Investigation Division alleged that West?s actions were in violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

With the Article 32 hearing concluded, the case ?is now in the hands of the investigative officer,? Lt. Col. Jimmy Davis, according to Master Sgt. Robert Cargie, a spokesman for the 4th ID in Tikrit.

There are three ?courses of action? Davis could recommend, Cargie said in a Monday telephone interview: dismiss the case; proceed with Article 15 charges, which are administrative, internal sanctions; or ?continue to process to a court-martial.?

Davis will make his recommendation directly to the 4th ID?s commanding officer, Maj. Gen. Raymond Odierno, Cargie said.

West has been assigned administrative duties while awaiting the outcome of the investigation, Cargie said. He refused to discuss details of West?s case, citing the pending recommendation.

In a Monday e-mail from Iraq, West also declined to comment on specifics concerning his case.

?I never wanted a public event as such we have,? West wrote. ?I will not open my voice until this is resolved and I stand in embrace with my wife and daughters, all that matters right now.?

He referred additional questions to his attorney, retired Marine Lt. Col. Neal Puckett, who is in Tikrit with West awaiting the outcome of the investigation. Puckett did not reply to e-mail and telephone messages seeking comment.

Public debate

West?s case has caught the attention of many Americans, including several who have e-mailed Stars and Stripes with their concerns.

Typical of those e-mails was this missive from retired Air Force member Roy S. Alba II of San Antonio:

?If the United States Army wants to improve morale they should promote LTC West way ahead of his peers,? Alba wrote. ?Besides providing tardy justice to West it will also say to the enemy, ?We?re taking the gloves off so don?t screw with us!?? wrote Alba.

Alba concluded: ?Nice guys finish last!?

Angela West, West?s wife of 14 years, said in a Tuesday telephone interview that she has personally received ?five or six thousand? letters and e-mails regarding her husband?s predicament, and that they have been running ?almost 100 percent positive.?

?People are being very supportive of him, and I?m glad,? Angela West said. ?It?s a huge support base, especially [responses from] the military.?

Grass-roots support for West appears to be largely driven by the Internet, where at least two dozen Web sites and chat rooms are tackling the controversy.

There's more, but remember those online petition sites were here and here.

And by way of clarifying, Lt Col West is awaiting the decision of an Article 32 hearing; essentially a process to determine whether a court martial is warranted. He has not been court martialed (though things don't look good).

Is it the Economy, stupid?

Let's contrast the domestic reports with the overseas coverage of the latest economic news:

From NY Daily News:

The wind is now solidly at the back of the economy, pushing ahead a long-awaited recovery.

Orders for durable goods, those made to last at least three years, climbed 3.3% last month, the biggest gain in 15 months, the Commerce Department said yesterday.

And weekly jobless claims fell 11,000 to 351,000, the lowest level since January 2001, the Labor Department said. Any figure below 400,000 suggests an improving job market.

"We're in a full-blown economic recovery," said Ethan Harris, co-chief economist at Lehman Brothers. "There are encouraging signs, such as a continuing broadening out of the recovery to include the labor market."

And from Chanel News Asia (bold emphasis added by yours truly):

WASHINGTON : US economic growth exploded in the third quarter to hit a 19-year record annual pace of 8.2 percent, much faster than first thought, the government said.

An initial estimate last month had already indicated roaring growth in the July-September quarter of 7.2 percent, more than double the 3.3-percent expansion of the second quarter.

Consumers, enriched by massive tax cuts and super-low interest rates, splashed out in the quarter and drove economic growth to its steepest rate since 1984, stunning analysts.

Critically, businesses also joined the party.

"The economy is firing on all cylinders," said BMO Financial Group analyst Sal Guatieri on Tuesday.

Consumer spending shot up by a six-year record 6.4 percent, with purchases of big ticket items such as cars up 26.5 percent and other goods up 7.6 percent, the Commerce Department said.

Expenditure on services rose 2.1 percent.

Housing investment leapt 22.7 percent.

The latest figures showed businesses stepped up investment by 14 percent, substantially more than first estimated.

It was the second quarterly increase in investment by companies, which had been too timid to spend money after repeated shocks from the September 11, 2001 attacks to the Iraq war.

Business investment in software and equipment shot up by a five-year record 18.4 percent, while spending on structures edged up 0.2 percent.

As the dollar weakened, exports surged 11.0 percent, reversing a 1.0-percent decline the previous quarter. Imports rose 1.5 percent.

"The report contains the seeds of a strong, sustained recovery," Guatieri said.

Text of another memo recently leaked from some unknown source in the Whitehouse:

Things to do this week

1. Appear in London. Give most important foreign policy speech of recent history while demonstrations fizzle.

2. Get that Medicare bill passed with support of AARP, in the face of rabid Democratic fat-cat opposition.

3. Have secret Thanksgiving diner with troops in Baghdad (check with Laura).

4. Have 3d quarter economic indicators released indicating gains exceeding all expectations; stun analysts, credit tax cuts

DNC operatives are still without comment.

Another leaked memo!

Text of a memo recently leaked from unknown source in the Whitehouse:

Things to do this week

1. Appear in London. Give most important foreign policy speech of recent history while demonstrations fizzle.

2. Get that Medicare bill passed with support of AARP, in the face of rabid Democratic fat-cat opposition.

3. Have secret Thanksgiving diner with troops in Baghdad (check with Laura).

Expect DNC response as soon as their meds kick in.

The Cloak and Dagger

From The Washington Post:

Inside Bush's Top-Secret Trip

...This reporter, who represented newspapers in the media pool and provided a download for all his colleagues who could not be there, was first approached about the trip less than four hours before takeoff. I was talking on my cell phone on the front lawn of Crawford Middle School, where the White House sets up a media filing center in the gymnasium, seven miles down the road from Bush's ranch. Steve Atkiss, 26, deputy director of presidential advance, beckoned for me to climb into his mammoth white rented Dodge pickup.

Atkiss drove a few blocks to a concealed parking lot and told me to step out, that someone wanted to talk to me. Bartlett stepped out of his car, smiling mischievously at the surprise meeting.

"I have news," he said. "The president is going to Baghdad."

He said that I was going, but that I could not tell my employer or family what was up. It was 3:45 p.m. Texas time, and Atkiss told me that I should get changed and meet him at 5:30 p.m. in the parking lot of the Baylor University stadium where the Secret Service and military aides regularly cream the press corps in softball.

At the rendezvous, several of the magazine and wire-service photographers were still convinced that they were the victims of an extremely elaborate practical joke, and were plotting what they were going to do to with Atkiss when he finally came clean.

The two-vehicle motorcade from the softball field was joined by a white Jeep Grand Cherokee with Blake Gottesman, the president's personal aide, at the wheel, Deputy Chief of Staff Joseph Hagin riding shotgun and Bartlett in the back seat.

Bush's simplest movements, even a trip to the Crawford coffee shop or a speech a block from the White House, are usually accompanied by an entourage of 50 or more. For now, it was 12. With no security, Atkiss led the way to the Waco airstrip, getting caught in rush-hour traffic, a rare experience in the White House bubble.

The shades in the press cabin on Air Force One had been pulled down, and both doors were closed, so the reporters could not see Bush arrive or what personnel and firepower accompanied him. The reporters knew he was aboard only when they heard the engines rev.

Now, the plane was cruising at an average speed of 665 mph, Baghdad or bust. Richard Keil, a 6-foot-3 inch reporter for Bloomberg News whom Bush calls "Stretch," leaned across the aisle of the hushed press cabin.

"The president of the United States is AWOL, and we're with him," a grinning Keil said as he shoved aside his iPod headset. "The ultimate road trip."

Two quotes to note "...deputy director of presidential advance, beckoned for me to climb into his mammoth white rented Dodge pickup."

and

"...Richard Keil, a 6-foot-3 inch reporter for Bloomberg News whom Bush calls "Stretch,"..."

White pickup? Stretch?

Feel free to comment to your hearts' content regarding the elitism of the Republican Party in general, and our Commander in Chief in particular. More from me later. (Nyuck nyuck)

Jesse's in the Game!

Thanksgiving is upon us, feasting and football are in store for America. I certainly hope yours is a peaceful one, with much for which to give thanks.

Speaking of football, former star running back of the Democratic party (and still a power broker) Jesse Jackson had some shocking revelations about the war in Iraq in a Chicago Sun-Times editorial this week:

Rush To Iraq War Backfiring On U.S.

By Jesse Jackson

On Sunday, two American soldiers were shot in broad daylight in Mosul, once thought to be a center of pro-America sentiment. An enraged mob of teenagers then dragged their bodies out of their vehicle and stoned them with concrete blocks.

These innocent men -- adding to the now nearly 10,000 casualties in Iraq -- are tragic witness to the gulf between President Bush's promise and his policy, between his rhetoric and reality.

Sure, Jesse's twisting the horrific deaths of two brave Americans to his own purposes, but hey, he's just whipping up the crowd. The early part of the sermon.

On his visit to our closest ally, Great Britain, and in the face of massive opposition from the British people, the president offered the British something that he has not offered his own citizens: a broad explanation of his policy and purpose.

Massive opposition? Since four times the number turned out to protest the fox hunting ban one wonders why the rev isn't cashing in on that hot button issue too. And yes, we can only hope that some day Americans will be able to hear speeches from Britain, and those words delivered only to Londoners could be heard all around the world. Perhaps, somehow, someday, using the web...

Now Jesse starts tossing bombshells.

Bush proclaims his support for strong international institutions and his commitment to NATO. Yet he launched the war on Iraq in the face of opposition from the United Nations and the NATO alliance. Our troops bear the burden of occupation virtually alone in Iraq.

Yes, you heard it here first; Shocker #1: the world was against us.

Only now, with U.S. soldiers shouldering an occupation that they were not trained for and with U.S. citizens presented with an $87 billion bill for a mission they were told would pay for itself, does the president sheepishly return to the U.N. and seek support. Sadly, the U.N. and the allies now demonstrate their relevance by leaving the American people to pay in lives and money for the war they opposed.

Shocker #1a and 2 (in one brief paragraph!): The world is still against us! War is expensive! (Could these be related? Jesse doesn't say.)

The president states that he must defend Americans, and this may require the ''violent restraint of violent men.'' He says that free nations must, when the last resort arises, be willing to ''restrain aggression and evil by force.''

But the war on Iraq was not a war of last resort. The administration disdained the pleas of U.N. inspectors and allies for more time. The war on Iraq was not a defense of America against aggression. It was not even part of the war on terror. The president admits that Saddam Hussein had nothing to do with Sept. 11, and in fact, Osama bin Laden despised the secular dictator.

#3: There was a "rush to war" - 12 years was just not enough!
#4: Iraq was not a threat to America!
#5: No connection between Saddam and Osama!

I'm starting to think Bush lied! Why? Why?

No, the war on Iraq was, as Bush's own former head of policy planning states, a ''war of choice'' -- waged not to defend Americans from an imminent threat, but to fulfill an imperial fantasy of freeing Iraq, transforming the Middle East and strengthening America's grip on oil.

Bombshell 6! "It's all about the oiiiiiiil!" Why didn't I think of that? I wonder if Cheney's Halliburton cronies are profiting from this.

Bush told the British that ''freedom must be chosen and defended by those who choose it.'' Heralding the progress of democracy in the Middle East, he acknowledged that the progress ''was not imposed from abroad, and neither will the greater progress we hope to see.''

But his policy is to impose democracy on Iraq by the point of a gun, by the boot of an occupying army, by the order of an American proconsul. He vows to ''finish the work of democracy we have begun,'' ending with grandiloquence: ''Democracy will succeed in Iraq because our will is firm, our word is good.'' But it is the Iraqi will that is in question, not ours. They must choose, not us.

Young American men and women are sacrificing their lives and their limbs in the gulf between the president's principles and his practice. They were sent into war without the support of allies or the world community. They were sent into a war not of self-defense -- for Iraq posed no threat to the United States -- but in a ''war of choice.''

They came to Iraq as liberators, but they are despised as occupiers. They came to introduce democracy, but they are viewed as imposing a foreigner's order. They came to build an Iraqi nation, but their presence rouses nationalist opposition. They came to bring peace, and are dying in what is only the beginning of a bitter civil war inside Iraq.

In defense of his policy, the president asks, ''Who will say that Iraq was better off when Saddam Hussein was strutting and killing?'' Surely, we can hope that Iraqis, freed of a brutal dictator, will choose a better way, but that, of course, remains to be seen.

Buried amidst most of this closing hyperbole is this concept, (shocker #7, though only hinted at): The Iraqis aren't capable of having a democratic society. The rev doesn't directly address his causes for concern; one gathers it's somehow because of Bush. They would have replaced Saddam with a democratic paradise, but Bush hosed it up.

But as the mutilation of U.S. soldiers by Iraqis demonstrates, one thing is clear already. This nation and those young men and women who serve it would have been far better off if the president had practiced what he preaches.

Those are Jesse's final words on the subject. (I wish) If you didn't get it, it's another twisted use of the American deaths in Iraq.

Summary of Jesse's points:

1: The world was against us.
1a: The world is still against us.
2: War is expensive.
3: There was a "rush to war" - 12 years was just not enough time. The inspections were working. The sanctions were working.
4: Iraq was not a threat to America.
5: There was no connection between Saddam and Osama.
6: "It's all about the oiiiiiiil!"
7: The Iraqis aren't capable of having a democratic society.

And here's one he missed: Where are the WMDs? Hmmm... perhaps it's inherent in #4.

In light of this new evidence, presented by a man of God, we must now conclude that Bush lied.

< /condescending tongue in cheek attitude. >

Yes, the rev published that screed on the day before Thanksgiving, months after all those arguments were beaten to death by the droolsquad wing of the Democratic party. I'm not sure why he was out of the game when the issues were current.

Jesse is the tired veteran running back of the Democratic Party; once feared by the opposition, still a cause for some concern as he has clout in some corners, but long past his glory. He'll take the ball, he'll run, but just not too far. Touchdowns will be rare, and he didn't score one here.

In fact I have a mental image here of a losing football team's kicker, attempting a meaningless late-game field goal to make the final score 47 - 6. Except Jesse just missed his kick; it went wide left.

Waaay Left.

Yes, Iraqi youth's are reported to have mutilated the corpses of Americans; in times of war and peace one expects such cruelty from certain elements. Recall the Blackhawk Down incident; this is eerily similar, except in that tragedy in Mogadishu we were trying to deliver food. I'm always shocked, always saddened, never surprised at the ruthless behavior of representatives of radical fringe groups like that.

Sadly I'm becoming increasingly less surprised at those like Jackson who cheer them on.

Greetings from 50 North

Welcome to 50 north.

Germany (and most of Europe) is on latitude with Canada, for the most part. Forty north, the line that runs through the American near-center-of-mass, paved and labeled I70, barely kisses continental Europe on the far side of the Atlantic.

At 50 north in summer there are a few more precious hours of daylight, and in winter comes the payback. These days I watch the sun rise on my way to work, and if I'm fortunate enough to call a day after a mere nine hours I see it set on my way home.

It's November now, in the sense I remember from where I grew up. November is brown in trees and fields, with green here and there to remind us what green is. But it's the brown month to be sure, leaves off trees, hint of cold, and sheet metal sky, steel-grey with a luminous sheen where sunlight almost pokes through.

There's a beauty in all that. This is a beautiful country, make no mistake. At least this part of it. God and men have conspired well to create a feast for the eyes in almost every direction. The Germans fully appreciate this beauty. Is it strange then that for the ears they rely so much on imports?

American imports, for the most part. Did you catch the American Music Awards? From teeny-bopper icon Justin Timberlake to golden oldies Fleetwood Mac, "appearing via satellite from Germany" and without a Dixie Chicks moment. I note the Dixie Chicks were resoundingly booed when the announcer read their nomination, nearly a year after torpedoing themselves to get a quick burst of applause here in Europe. I had forgotten; for an instant I didn't understand the jeering, for a shorter moment I pitied them, and then I returned to not-giving-a-damn.

The Beatles were here first, you know. These folks whose musical heritage runs the gamut from Wagner to The Scorpions can claim "discovery" of rock's first definitive band.

And the Germans are not fickle in their preferences; once they determine something meets their approval they support it whole-heartedly, and they'll maintain loyalty to the bitter end. Perhaps to a fault. Remember the crowd that cheered Michael Jackson in Berlin, as he dangled a baby over the edge of his 5-star hotel balcony? Accused once again of child molestation in America, the King of Pop can do no wrong here. In America he is innocent until proven guilty, in Europe he is innocent. Rallies are held on his behalf throughout the continent.

How do you supose this (from Agence France Presse) reads to a German audience, almost always eager to believe their atrocities from the past century could be repeated anywhere?

The star's mother, Catherine Jackson, told the online version of Germany's Bunte magazine Friday that there were two interpretations of the law in the United States -- "one for whites and one for blacks".

She suggested her 45-year-old son had been tricked ahead of a major police swoop on his house on Tuesday. "I wonder whether somebody could have set a trap for him and hidden false evidence in his house."

Always alert for opportunities to garner publicity get media "face time" serve justice, Jesse Jackson (no relation) has also gotten into the act.

"Michael deserves due process, the newsrooms should remain objective and the global community must not hasten to judgement (sic)," he said, branding the raid by up to 70 investigators on Jackson's Neverland Ranch "overkill."

Outrage from a man whose support of Shoshana Johnson has evaporated from the press and whose silence on the Lieutenant Colonel Allen West case speaks volumes as to his true character and motivation.

Make no mistake; Jacko is far from proven guilty. Perhaps, like Roman Polanski before him, he will come to live in Europe, where minds are apparently more open and accepting to certain behaviors. And where (at least in certain media circles) this view of American justice is considered witty and insightful.

(Cartoon and translation via David's Medienkritik.)

More to come...

LONDON CALLING II: THE OTHER SIDE OF TRAFALGAR

Meet Colin Gregory Palmer:

After graduating from high school, I enrolled at SUNY Geneseo, in upstate New York.

Geneseo was great for me. I became startlingly extroverted and I really enjoyed myself. I started out as a physics major. The department was a family and it was great to be surrounded my so many intelligent people. I had many interesting conversations that lasted long into the night.

A nice young man, and humble in not outright including himself as one of the intelligent, for from his writing one gets the impression he would be justified to do so. Let's learn more:

I eventually added a second major in sociology, and it was the best decision I made in college. It helped me better understand the environment I grew up in and to see the larger picture of the world. My political views on many subjects did a complete reversal. I've been unable to watch television since. It's great.

Indoctrination, anyone? Really, when I was in my late teens/early twenties, in post-draft, post-Vietnam America "cults" were the great threat to youth; young disaffected people much too savvy to be swayed by foolish ideas who 10-20 years earlier would have joined the hippies in San Fran were being snapped up by "religious" leaders who would "help them better understand the environment they grew up in and to see the larger picture of the world. Their political views on many subjects did a complete reversal." Echoes of such statements always set the alarm buzz off in the back of my mind.

Continuing, Colin tells us

I moved to London to attend the London Metropolitan University to obtain a masters in international economics and trade. It sounds like a plan, but I really have no idea what I want to do with my life. Sometimes I worry about the future, but I try not to. As Oscar Wilde says: Life is too important to be taken seriously.

We can check back with Colin in 20 years as to that last line, but for now let's assume his motivation is something other then to emulate a former president, that he is not a brainwashed product of lefty sociology professors desperately trying to re-ignite the passions of their youths, and instead is merely a young man on a voyage of discovery, out to broaden his horizons and see the wide, wide world.

Including the "big" anti-American demonstrations coinciding with his president's visit to London:

George Bush made me do it.

Politically apathetic all my life, I barely followed the issues, never voted, and never much cared to.

After September 11th, the United States had the sympathy of the world. There was so much potential. But, in a few short years, Bush and his foreign policy turned that sympathy into hatred.

Bush forced me to get up, get out, and take to the streets.

At 11:00AM on November 19th, I joined the anti-war coalition at the London Eye for a protest march against Bush. It was the first political action of my life.

Young Colin is going to provide a participant's viewpoint into the demonstrations for us. I will tell you right away that his report is characterized by thoughtful commentary and his personal views are not unusual for someone young and in his position. He is candid and without guile, thus he does not even realize those passages in his story that strip bare the ludicrous position of the left and give insight into the motivations that really drive their 'movement':

We rounded the first street corner, and there was the media. Dozens of video cameras were carefully aligned an the same side of the street so as not to film each other. I'm used to watching events unfold on television - not being part of them.

<...>

The march started at the London Eye, and ended in Trafalgar Square. Abruptly. I didn't know what I expected to happen at the end, an appearance by the real president, a regime change, a riot, a pro-bush protest waiting for us, but I expected \emph{something} to happen. Instead, the organizer told us when the next protest would meet, and thanked everyone for coming.

And then we dispersed.

Disappointed, Colin? It's because you passed the moment the parade was designed for without fully realizing it. That stumbling lock-step pass before the cameras was the sole reason the various fringe groups had you in the streets that day.

Overcoming his dismay, Colin presses on and even manages to inject some humor into his account:

I wandered off, and noticed that the fountains at Trafalgar Square were turning a deep, blood red. I went over to investigate. When I reached the edge of the pools it seemed that someone dumped a large amount of red powder in the water. I got some of it on my hands.

Without thinking, I tried to wash it off in the clear part of the water. Immediately, my hands went from having a small amount of powder on them to being completely red. I also realized this didn't look good for me. I was one of the first to notice the water, and now, to someone else, it would seem that I was the purpotrator of this vandalism.

In my head I heard the words my mother spoke to me many times: "I support you and hope you enjoy the protest, but please, please don't get arrested."

I walked quickly and (I hoped) unsuspiciously, to the bathroom. Inside, I filled my hands with soap, and washed furiously. It was no use. Cleaning my hands was unsuccessful, but I did manage to dye the stainless-steel sink red. Behind me, several Trafalgar Square workers came into the bathroom.

"I can't believe what happened to the fountains," one said.

"Yeah, I hope we catch the guy," said another.

With red hands in a red sink, it wasn't looking good for me. Luckily, I remembered I brought gloves in my backpack. I quickly dried my hands, put on the gloves, and got the hell out of there.

I'm sure the painted fountain won't be the only mess left by the "friends of the working class" for them to clean. But I told you this was a sharp young man, so now see how he turned his misfortune to a positive experience. Returning to Trafalgar our hero obtains a piece of chalk:

I picked out a clean spot on the ground and scrawled in large, capital letters: "I am American. Bush has covered my hands with blood." I removed my gloves and sat behind the words in had written.

For three and a half hours.

I wanted Europeans to know that not all Americans support Bush. I also did feel guilt at having lived my life a-politically until now. I talked to many people during my time in the square and had my photograph taken hundreds of times. (As a side note, if you are one of the people who took a photograph, I would deeply appreciate it if you would contact me. cgp@ColinGregoryPalmer.net I'd love to get a copy.) Nothing is a conversation starter like upturned bloody hands. Most supported me, but some didn't. One man asked if I would prefer that the Iraqi people were still under the dictatorship of Saddam. I explained to him my thoughts as best I could.

"The world is not as black and white as protest slogans portray it. I will not sit here and say that nothing good has come of this war. But, I believe that far more evil has been done than good."

Iraqis dipped into shredders this week: 0. Does the Left have a definition of "evil"? Most lefties I know choose to deny the inconvenient existence of absolute good and evil. Once he approaches realization that good has triumphed over evil in Iraq I'm worried Colin may choose to deny the existence of evil too. No doubt his sociology profs will explain it too him.

Of course that was the small protest; the next day brought the real deal; "The Mother of All Bush Bashings":

At 12:00 I went to Russell Square to meet with the American expatriates against Bush. I went for two reasons: I didn't want to be the only American in what I anticipated would be a vast crowd of people; and, I heard that we were to be one of the groups leading the protest. I figured, if I'm going to do this, I might as well go all the way and be front and center.

The group leader brought out the protest signs for us to carry during the march. This was the beginning of the internal politics of the protest: there were about five different signs, and people started trading to get the one they felt best suited them. We all wanted to be part of a group, but still maintain our individuality. I traded a "Proud of my Country, Shamed of my President" for a "Shamed by your stance on Civil Liberties" and was happy with the deal.

"Here are ze approved signs. Verily thou shalt hold no others. Swap amongst yourselves until you feel validated"

... Among us was as US World War II veteran in full uniform. In his old, knobby hand, he strongly held a sign denouncing the war. We stood ready to march with the London Muslim Organization, the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, and many others.

I feel your pride!

I marched with the other Americans that I could find after the initial chaos. On television, marches look like a single, cohesive unit. They aren't. While all the participating groups may agree on ending the war, they don't necessarily agree with each other.

For example, the American Expatriates didn't want to be near the neo-communists. We thought it wouldn't help our 'we aren't anti-American' image if we were photographed with hammer and sickle flags in the background. As we moved away, the socialist workers filled the gap. But the neo-communists and the socialist workers didn't like each other either. Each group tried to get as far away from the other, while still moving forward. It was like pushing the same poles of a magnet together.

If you think that's bad imagine the challenge of the seating arrangements at the nominees' section for the annual Darwin Awards Banquet; all the same groups are there too. I'd imagine in America the Democratic National Convention will be similarly conflicted.

Seriously though, please consider: you can't tolerate the groups that support you? Wasn't it Marx himself who said "I don't care to belong to a club that accepts people like me as members."? Yes, it was Groucho Marx.

From bad to worse for those concerned with the social niceties of protest:

At this point, the dreaded hippy-mobile came up behind the American expatriates. The hippy-mobile was a psychedelic construction. Bicycles, wagons, and carts connected together in a train, painted green, with a windmill on top and lots of speakers blaring music. Hippies with fairy wings and dressed in animal costumes maneuvered it through the crowed.

It was the physical incarnation of everything I hate about hippies.

While I appreciate their anti-war/pro-peace sentiments, I'd rather be photographed with the anarchists than the hippies. I know they want to help, but they only succeeded in making the rest of us look foolish, and they played into the anti-war stereotype. They were leaning into a punch the anti-anti-war people were waiting to deliver. My only comfort was that the rest of the crowd didn't seem happy to see them either.

"Damn! The dreaded hippy-mobile approaches! Nothing kills a party like the dreaded hippy-mobile. What would you do if you're marching along, full of Bush-hate and carrying a fully approved sign and suddenly the hippy-mobile shows up?

I suggested to a no-nonsence-take-charge woman with the Wesley Clark 2004 campaign that we should make a break for the front and get away from the hippies. She agreed. We then led a mad dash through the crowd, dodging and weaving around hundreds of protesters and police. The rest of the Americans followed as best they could.

No mention of whether the general's people had a big Cheney puppet on a stick or not. I'd have to think not; too hard to "mad dash" with one.

We approached Parliament. There were so many police in fluorescent uniforms that dusk turned yellow from the reflection. All the police in London had their leave removed for the three days Bush was in town, so all the cops, from the grizzled veterans to the guys who just got their billyclub issued yesterday, were out in force. Faced with a wall of stern faces, I tried to get the young girl cops to smile back at me, but was not very successful.

Note to all young idealistic protestors: The police are not happy to see you. You are the reason they lost their days off, and they know it. Again: your leaders are not "friends of the working class."

I was especially uncomfortable when we stopped in front of Whitehall, and I looked to the top of the building and into the eyes of a police sniper scanning the crowd. This was not a time for sudden movements. My life was within a twitchy finger of ending. I know that my chances of being killed crossing the street in my everyday life are many orders of magnitude greater than being killed a sniper. But the street is so mundane, I cross it all the time. Being in the sights of a sniper was a new experience for me. At least, I think it was.

It's not fun for the soldiers you're protesting in Iraq either, Colin. There's a fine line between youthful fun and the serious business of my world; you caught a glimpse of the line. Walk away and pretend it isn't there, kid.

As we marched along, a group of 16-year-old teenage girls were singing "George Bush is a prick, Tony Blair sucks his ----!" I couldn't help but laugh. However, an older woman in front of them didn't find it funny. I didn't hear what she said, but a yelling match ensued between her and the girls.

Harmony. Many voices raised as one... respect for your elders is so outdated. Those aging 60's radicals should so stay home, shouldn't they Colin? Senile old bat probably helped build the hippy-mobile. Do you think the witty young lassies could have made that old WWII vet blush too?

At last, Trafalgar!

I've never seen so many people in one place. The whole square was filled, and all the streets leading into it were clogged with people. As I angled for a good spot (very difficult in the tightly packed area) an announcement came over the speakers "We estimate there are 200,000 to 400,000 protesters in the streets of London today. We shut the city down."

<...>

One of my legs suddenly gave out from under me, and I hit the ground. I had been on my feet, standing and marching, for seven hours straight - something I don't think I have ever done in my life - and reached a point of physical exhaustion. I stayed on the ground for quite a bit and listened to the speakers, who now sounded oddly muted from below the crowd. I felt like a kid hiding under the dinner table during his parents' party.

<...>

He ended with "I want you to know that this is not an anti-American rally. God bless the people of the United States, and GOD DAMN GEORGE BUSH!" The loudest cheer when up, my voice was among them.

The statue of George Bush toppled, and the march finished.

I bet Colin felt just like the soldiers who've lost legs in freeing Iraq, there on the ground and unable to stand after all that mad dashing. But eventually Colin regained his strength, repainted his hands and spoke ill of America to all who would listen. Then the supreme leaders of the movement apparently went away...

Now that the leaders of the rally were no longer in charge, things got a little scary. Huge bonfires lit the square. Smoke filled the air, and it was difficult to breath, but I wanted to stay and see what happened.

There was an uncertain moment as we wondered what would happen now that control of the crowd had been relinquished.

Who are these leaders with such powerful control of the masses, that their absence is cause for deep concern? Why are "peace activists" so willing to submit to control of some small group? Did Colin expect Trafalgar to be similar to Iraq without the control of Saddam?

Eventually, the crowd began to thin, and I remembered I hadn't eaten anything since breakfast. It was time to go, and I headed to a Chinese take-out in Leicester Square to get food.

I stepped out of Trafalgar Square, and stepped back into the everyday world. In Leicester Square, I was suddenly out of place with my painted hands and poster. The chinese girl gave a screech when I handed her the money.

"What's wrong with your hands?" she asked, and I explained where I had been.

"It's pointless," she commented. "You won't change anything."

"Perhaps not." I replied, "But, I think I'd rather try and fail, than do nothing."

And at that same time, somewhere in Iraq, a young GI who may never see home again ate what may be his last meal, an MRE.

And at that same time, gathered around the glow of a TV set in Tikrit, the Baathist secret police group that plans to kill him cheered with you as that statue fell.

Validating the post war comparison: the left responds

At a certain few points in the President's speech in London one could believe for a minute that his writer was not unfamiliar with the blogosphere, as I heard the echo of a few points I've seen touted here and there over the past few weeks.

Take for instance the comparison of post-war Iraq to post war Germany. As noted by the CINC:

Since the liberation of Iraq, we have seen changes that could hardly have been imagined a year ago. A new Iraqi police force protects the people, instead of bullying them. More than 150 Iraqi newspapers are now in circulation, printing what they choose, not what they're ordered. Schools are open with textbooks free of propaganda. Hospitals are functioning and are well-supplied. Iraq has a new currency, the first battalion of a new army, representative local governments, and a Governing Council with an aggressive timetable for national sovereignty. This is substantial progress. And much of it has proceeded faster than similar efforts in Germany and Japan after World War II.

Now, certainly the blogosphere can't claim to be the source of this comparison point; one could as successfully claim the patent for the wheel. But without a doubt Glenn Reynolds has been the internet clearinghouse for supporting information, having linked numerous other bloggers' commendable efforts to document and validate the similarities.

Jessica's Well, perhaps the first out the gate, with the Life Magazine article that became an internet phenomenon:

The troops returning home are worried. “We’ve lost the peace,” men tell you. “We can’t make it stick.”

A tour of the beaten-up cities of Europe six months after victory is a mighty sobering experience for anyone. Europeans. Friend and foe alike, look you accusingly in the face and tell you how bitterly they are disappointed in you as an American.

We have swept away Hitlerism, but a great many Europeans feel that the cure has been worse than the disease.

Then this from Instapundit's look at The Saturday Evening Post:

We have got into this German job without understanding what we were tackling or why. Imagine how incredulous we would have been if anybody had told us---even so recently as five years ago---that hundreds of thousands of Americans would be camped in the middle of Europe in 1946, completely responsible for the conduct and welfare of approximately 20,000,000 Germans?

No wonder so many Americans are asking, “What are we doing in Germany?” They can see that the Russians and British and French are initiating projects which promise some direct benefits to them in their zones. But when they look at our zone they see only headaches.

And most recently this on occupied Japan:

Tokyo endured [the] winter [of 1945-1946] on the workings of an illegal economy. The black market encompassed thousands of sellers and millions of buyers dealing in every commodity of daily life. It was also a vast jungle of lawlessness that began with thefts and led to gang killings, turf wars, and casual murders, becoming at last a criminal demimonde of immense proportions. It embraced all classes and kinds of people. <...> It was the beginning for many mobster organizations, some of whose descendants still operate today. In Tokyo there were eight major syndicates, each with its own piece of turf around the major train stations...They fought amongst themselves and against other gangs, the Japanese mobs battling constantly for territory against the Koreans and Chinese. Guns were plentiful, another result of looted army depots. Unable or unwilling to intervene, police let gangs have at one another, and the shootouts continued for several years into the Occupation.

True or not it's well within the realm of possibility, and perhaps likely, that members of "Team Bush" are more then passingly familiar with Instapundit (and perhaps even Jessica's Well, it being a Midland, Texas based blog). So some influence from that source may have contributed to that brief mention in the speech.

You see the similarities, yes? The above articles give you that feeling of deja-vu? Of course, all of them are wrong. Thus sayeth Richard Benedetto of USA Today in an article Comparing Iraq To Nations After WWII (originally subtitled President's analogy draws criticism):

"It is correct to say that it took two to three years to establish democratic government in Japan," says John Dower, author of Japan in War and Peace. "But throughout that period, you had a stable society and an intact (local) government. You had terrific misery and confusion in Japan, but no chaos like you have in Iraq."

Japan adopted its constitution nearly two years after the war ended and put it into effect a year later.

Bush's timetable for Iraq envisions establishment of an assembly by May to form a provisional government by June. That would be the end of the U.S.-appointed Governing Council. By 2005, Iraq would write a constitution and elect a democratic government.

William Hitchcock, author of The Struggle for Europe, says the situation in Germany was similar to the one in Japan. Allied bombs had leveled many cities, and millions were hungry and homeless.

"The German story of U.S. occupation is an amazing success story, but you would not know it six months after the war ended," he says. "It took time."

It was three years before Germany had a constitution and four years before democratic elections.

Iraq is not as devastated as those countries were. That means things Bush named, such as schools, hospitals and newspapers, were back in operation more quickly.

Iraq is different in other ways:

• Unlike the violent daily attacks in Iraq, there was no resistance to occupying forces in Germany and Japan.

• Germany and Japan formally surrendered, which gave the United States authority in their countries. Iraq did not.

• Essential government-run services continued after the war ended. Iraq has no such system.

Note the introduction of the concept that Iraq never surrendered, thus the US has no authority to be there, a none-too-subtle hint as to the slant of this "news story". (Hopefully this isn't another pointless meme-flag to wave for the Baathists, al Queda, and the American Left)

If the contrast points were valid in the context of the argument (is there a legitimate comparison?) one might still wonder why such effort is put into refuting 18 words (count 'em: 'And much of it has proceeded faster than similar efforts in Germany and Japan after World War II') of a 4025 word (trust me) speech.

There are differences, but USA Today has missed the point. They could more effectively argue that "Germany" and "Japan" start with "G" and "J" while clearly "Iraq" is spelled with an I. Yes, Germany and Japan had been bombed into submission. The population was weak and demoralized with a significant number of draft-age men gone. Everyone needed shelter and food and the US was the only source of hope for survival. Generally this precludes even the angriest of vanquished combatants from taking pot-shots at the victors. This situation clearly does not exist in Iraq. (Because of US efforts, foresight, and humanity, I might add) But for those who "get it" the gist of the comparison argument is not academic, and is valid only in the context of supporting the "stay the course" position vs. the "cut and run" mantra perversely making it's way through certain quarters of the American population.

The point of the post-war comparison is akin to that nothing worth doing is easy concept that parents once instilled in their children. (And assuredly many still do.) But I believe that Mr. Benedetto and his USA Today editor (and the folks there that sign the paychecks) do 'get it' - and their reasons for attempting to cast doubt on an essentially minor supporting detail in one of the most important political speeches of this era obviously lie elsewhere.

Whatever their motives, they've proved the need to make the comparisons. There are those in our own country who would insist we can not overcome the degree of hardship we face in Iraq. Doubtless they state this in the full knowledge that they themselves could certainly not accomplish such a lofty goal. That's to be expected, but I ask that they please stand aside; there are those made of stronger stuff, those with a bit more intestinal fortitude who will carry this task to its conclusion.

USA Today's chooses to end their "news" article with an unsupported opinion:

"It is not, in fact, a great analogy," says Tom Engelhardt, a fellow of the liberal Nation Institute and author of The End of Victory Culture.

I'll add this insight on Mr. Engelhardt's worldview from the editorial review by Publishers Weekly on Amazon.com's site:

Freelance writer Engelhardt here traces the roots of American "triumphalism" back to early New England, where the massacre of Indians set the pattern for the self-justified slaughter of external enemies, a ritual that would be replayed endlessly not only in life but also in fiction, movies, toys and comics. In his sprawling meditation, he considers the effect of our "loss of enemy" when the Japanese surrendered in 1945. In his tedious recap of the Vietnam tragedy Engelhardt suggests that the American public's inability to view the Viet Cong as a savage, lesser adversary contributed to our becoming "the world's most extraordinary [because least expected] losers." The desire to create a Third World battlefield with maximum U.S. weaponry and minimum U.S. casualties was briefly satisfied, he contends, by the Gulf War with its seemingly bloodless, machine-versus-machine destructiveness. America, according to Engelhardt, is still yearning for a revival of our national identity via the victory culture, "the story of their slaughter and our triumph."

Far be it from me to refute a sprawling meditator, so I'll say indeed, it's not a great analogy. We've done far more and faster in Iraq, against greater opposition. Three cheers for our side, and thank you Mr. Bush.

To Mr.’s Benedetto and Engelhardt and others of like mind, another 'compare and contrast' topic: 'The difference between making history and making noise'.

Righteous Outrage: Beware the Wrath of Lileks

Lileks and I are on the same wavelength today.

You know what? Michael Moore is right. There are many Americans who are ignorant of the world around them. And they’re all TV news producers. Two big bombs in Istanbul, and what’s the big story of the day? Following around a pervy slab of albino Play-Doh as he turns himself into the police. I was stunned to discover last night that Nightline not only covered the Jackson case in detail, but bumped coverage of the Whitehall speech, which was the most important speech since the Iraq campaign began and arguably the most important speech of the war, period.

Hmmmm... come to think of it, I wasn't stunned by the supreme idiocy of the media. Disappointed, to be sure, just not stunned.

But he's got a lot more to say about a lot of things. All of which were on my mind already. I find myself shouting "Yes, yes, exactly!" when I read Lileks, but today for whatever reason that's especially true.

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London Calling:

The Forward Strategy of Freedom

I've already seen the CINC’s speech hailed here and there through the blogosphere as one of his best; I agree. Quotable throughout, but I note a definite ideological and introductory first half and a somewhat more brass-tacks second half. The shift occurs at the moment The Boss begins transitioning from historical ties to modern conflict, and takes a jab at old Europe:

...The last President to stay at Buckingham Palace was an idealist, without question. At a dinner hosted by King George V, in 1918, Woodrow Wilson made a pledge; with typical American understatement, he vowed that right and justice would become the predominant and controlling force in the world.

President Wilson had come to Europe with his 14 Points for Peace. Many complimented him on his vision; yet some were dubious. Take, for example, the Prime Minister of France. He complained that God, himself, had only 10 commandments. (Laughter.) Sounds familiar. (Laughter.)

At Wilson's high point of idealism, however, Europe was one short generation from Munich and Auschwitz and the Blitz. Looking back, we see the reasons why. The League of Nations, lacking both credibility and will, collapsed at the first challenge of the dictators. Free nations failed to recognize, much less confront, the aggressive evil in plain sight. And so dictators went about their business, feeding resentments and anti-Semitism, bringing death to innocent people in this city and across the world, and filling the last century with violence and genocide.

Through world war and cold war, we learned that idealism, if it is to do any good in this world, requires common purpose and national strength, moral courage and patience in difficult tasks. And now our generation has need of these qualities.

And I've little doubt that this will be known as the "three pillars" speech in some circles:

The peace and security of free nations now rests on three pillars: First, international organizations must be equal to the challenges facing our world, from lifting up failing states to opposing proliferation.

Like 11 Presidents before me, I believe in the international institutions and alliances that America helped to form and helps to lead. The United States and Great Britain have labored hard to help make the United Nations what it is supposed to be -- an effective instrument of our collective security. In recent months, we've sought and gained three additional resolutions on Iraq -- Resolutions 1441, 1483 and 1511 -- precisely because the global danger of terror demands a global response. The United Nations has no more compelling advocate than your Prime Minister, who at every turn has championed its ideals and appealed to its authority. He understands, as well, that the credibility of the U.N. depends on a willingness to keep its word and to act when action is required.

America and Great Britain have done, and will do, all in their power to prevent the United Nations from solemnly choosing its own irrelevance and inviting the fate of the League of Nations. It's not enough to meet the dangers of the world with resolutions; we must meet those dangers with resolve.

<...>

The second pillar of peace and security in our world is the willingness of free nations, when the last resort arrives, to retain* {sic} aggression and evil by force. There are principled objections to the use of force in every generation, and I credit the good motives behind these views.

Those in authority, however, are not judged only by good motivations. The people have given us the duty to defend them. And that duty sometimes requires the violent restraint of violent men. In some cases, the measured use of force is all that protects us from a chaotic world ruled by force.

Most in the peaceful West have no living memory of that kind of world. Yet in some countries, the memories are recent: The victims of ethnic cleansing in the Balkans, those who survived the rapists and the death squads, have few qualms when NATO applied force to help end those crimes. The women of Afghanistan, imprisoned in their homes and beaten in the streets and executed in public spectacles, did not reproach us for routing the Taliban. The inhabitants of Iraq's Baathist hell, with its lavish palaces and its torture chambers, with its massive statues and its mass graves, do not miss their fugitive dictator. They rejoiced at his fall.

<...>

The third pillar of security is our commitment to the global expansion of democracy, and the hope and progress it brings, as the alternative to instability and to hatred and terror. We cannot rely exclusively on military power to assure our long-term security. Lasting peace is gained as justice and democracy advance.

In democratic and successful societies, men and women do not swear allegiance to malcontents and murderers; they turn their hearts and labor to building better lives. And democratic governments do not shelter terrorist camps or attack their peaceful neighbors; they honor the aspirations and dignity of their own people. In our conflict with terror and tyranny, we have an unmatched advantage, a power that cannot be resisted, and that is the appeal of freedom to all mankind.

Then a shift to Middle Eastern issues, with a subtle(?) message to those countries not named as part of the "arc of reform":

The stakes in that region could not be higher. If the Middle East remains a place where freedom does not flourish, it will remain a place of stagnation and anger and violence for export. And as we saw in the ruins of two towers, no distance on the map will protect our lives and way of life. If the greater Middle East joins the democratic revolution that has reached much of the world, the lives of millions in that region will be bettered, and a trend of conflict and fear will be ended at its source.

The movement of history will not come about quickly. Because of our own democratic development -- the fact that it was gradual and, at times, turbulent -- we must be patient with others. And the Middle East countries have some distance to travel.

Arab scholars speak of a freedom deficit that has separated whole nations from the progress of our time. The essentials of social and material progress -- limited government, equal justice under law, religious and economic liberty, political participation, free press, and respect for the rights of women -- have been scarce across the region. Yet that has begun to change. In an arc of reform from Morocco to Jordan to Qatar, we are seeing elections and new protections for women and the stirring of political pluralism. Many governments are realizing that theocracy and dictatorship do not lead to national greatness; they end in national ruin. They are finding, as others will find, that national progress and dignity are achieved when governments are just and people are free.

And this, friends is a non-too veiled slap at the American (and European) Left:

Perhaps the most helpful change we can make is to change in our own thinking. In the West, there's been a certain skepticism about the capacity or even the desire of Middle Eastern peoples for self-government. We're told that Islam is somehow inconsistent with a democratic culture. Yet more than half of the world's Muslims are today contributing citizens in democratic societies. It is suggested that the poor, in their daily struggles, care little for self-government. Yet the poor, especially, need the power of democracy to defend themselves against corrupt elites.

Which country's poor do you think he meant?

Now meet the phrase "forward strategy of freedom"

Now we're pursuing a different course, a forward strategy of freedom in the Middle East. We will consistently challenge the enemies of reform and confront the allies of terror. We will expect a higher standard from our friends in the region, and we will meet our responsibilities in Afghanistan and in Iraq by finishing the work of democracy we have begun.

There were good-faith disagreements in your country and mine over the course and timing of military action in Iraq. Whatever has come before, we now have only two options: to keep our word, or to break our word. The failure of democracy in Iraq would throw its people back into misery and turn that country over to terrorists who wish to destroy us. Yet democracy will succeed in Iraq, because our will is firm, our word is good, and the Iraqi people will not surrender their freedom. (Applause.)

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The terrorists have a purpose, a strategy to their cruelty. They view the rise of democracy in Iraq as a powerful threat to their ambitions. In this, they are correct. They believe their acts of terror against our coalition, against international aid workers and against innocent Iraqis, will make us recoil and retreat. In this, they are mistaken. (Applause.)

We did not charge hundreds of miles into the heart of Iraq and pay a bitter cost of casualties, and liberate 25 million people, only to retreat before a band of thugs and assassins. (Applause.) We will help the Iraqi people establish a peaceful and democratic country in the heart of the Middle East. And by doing so, we will defend our people from danger.

Stirring words, coming at just the right time, from the land of Churchill. More then a few people could use a little stiffening of the spine.

Another long passage applies the "forward strategy of freedom" to the Israeli/Palestinian issue, with challenges to both sides, and a call for Europe to shun certain unnamed Palestinian leaders who may not have their peoples' best interest as their top priority. And in a surprise left hook:

Leaders in Europe should withdraw all favor and support from any Palestinian ruler who fails his people and betrays their cause. And Europe's leaders -- and all leaders -- should strongly oppose anti-Semitism, which poisons public debates over the future of the Middle East. (Applause.)

A reference to the many sorts of bonds formed between our nations during WWII leads to this last word:

Americans gained a certain image of Britain, as well. We saw an island threatened on every side, a leader who did not waver, and a country of the firmest character. And that has not changed. The British people are the sort of partners you want when serious work needs doing. The men and women of this Kingdom are kind and steadfast and generous and brave. And America is fortunate to call this country our closest friend in the world.

May God bless you all. (Applause.)

A great one.

Unless they choose to focus on the "it's us against them" aspects of the speech, complete with British-accented quotes ridiculing it, expect the mainstream media to pretty much ignore it.

What with the Michael Jackson thing and all, right? Roight. Carry on then.

Full text of the speech.

Amidst Underwhelming Protest, President Bush Speaks in London

Today's raucous London protests bring to mind the San Francisco protests of last February. (Ahhh, February! The nadir, the halcyon heyday of the modern anti-war movement!).

From SF Gate:

San Francisco -- A survey using sophisticated aerial photography of Sunday's anti-war march and rally in San Francisco has produced results that indicate a far smaller crowd than the 200,000 protesters estimated by police and event organizers.

The results of the independent survey, commissioned by The Chronicle and SFGate.com, cast doubt on traditional counting methods and contradict the crowd estimate of 200,000, which was reported in this newspaper and news media around the world. Crowd size in a demonstration is important because organizers tend to use it as evidence of support for their cause.

In a series of detailed, high-resolution photographs, the aerial survey shows that around 65,000 people were in the area of Market Street and Civic Center Plaza at 1:45 p.m. Sunday, which organizers said was when crowd size was at its peak.

<...>

When told of The Chronicle's survey, Alex S. Jones, the director of Harvard University's Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy, said, "The number of people (in a crowd) is a mythical number, and now you're going to turn it into a fact, and that won't be welcomed."

Jones, a Pulitzer Prize-winning former reporter for the New York Times, added, "There's an old saying in journalism: People only see what they believe. This is an emotional issue, not a factual issue as far as most people are concerned."

<...>

Sunday's police estimates started with a calculation of Civic Center Plaza capacity made by the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department in the mid- 1980s, which found the plaza holds a crowd of 43,000 people, said Deputy Chief Suhr.

The plaza stayed full throughout the day, even while marchers still filled Market Street, Suhr said. Based on previous estimates of crowd sizes on Market Street, he concluded the roadway and sidewalks had about 100,000 people on them.

Other tributary marches and people in side streets pushed the number to between 150,000 and 200,000, he said. The crowd also had pushed the front of the march from First Street to Third Street before it began.

No officers were assigned to count the crowd.

"It's pretty much me," Suhr said.

In the aerial photograph of Civic Center Plaza, in which the area appears full, a count by Air Flight Service shows only about 20,000 people in the plaza at 1:45 p.m.

Greyhawk's rule on demonstrations:

Half the people at any large public gathering are there in the hope of getting laid. They are absolutely unconcerned with whatever the event is about, but will shout or chant enthusiastically if they think it will increase their chances of success by one zillionth of a percent. They will likely even take a turn holding up the giant puppets.

Here's Trafalgar Square London at 8PM local:

Now, that's no aerial photograph to be sure, but I'm thinkin' the square ain't too full. So either everyone completed their quest successfully and went home or else the 200k-strong anti-war movement just had other fish to fry.

Weather? From The Weather Channel:
55°F
Partly Cloudy
Humidity: 82%
Visibility: Unlimited
Pressure: 29.80 inches and steady
Wind: From the South Southwest at 7 mph

That's as good as it gets for London in November folks.

So as under the eyes of 14,000-odd watchful London cops a couple thousand drooling loonies protested and another couple thousand desperately sought someone with semi-straight teeth, a knowledge of personal hygiene, and a flat of their own, the President of the US had this to say:

"Americans traveling to England always observe more similarities to our country than differences. I've been here only a short time, but I've noticed that the tradition of free speech -- exercised with enthusiasm -- (laughter) -- is alive and well here in London. We have that at home, too. They now have that right in Baghdad, as well." (Applause.)

Slam dunk, boss. Well done.

Outrage

This:

TIKRIT, Iraq (Reuters). - A senior U.S. army officer told a military hearing in Iraq Wednesday he was wrong to fire his pistol near a detained Iraqi's head but vowed he would sacrifice his life to protect his men.

His voice breaking with emotion, Lieutenant Colonel Allen West of the 4th Infantry Division said he had told the families of the men and women in his battalion before leaving for Iraq that he would bring them home alive.

West said he believed the detained Iraqi, a policeman called Yahya Jhodri Hamoody, had information about plots to attack American troops when he was brought in for questioning at Taji, just north of Baghdad, around August 20.

Other officers testifying in the preliminary hearing at a base in Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit have said the plots included an imminent plan to kill West, the most senior soldier charged with assaulting Iraqis since the invasion last March.

The military has charged West with beating up Hamoody, firing a pistol near his head and threatening to kill him.

"I know the method I used was not the right method...I was going to do anything to intimidate and scare him, but I was not going to endanger his life," West told the hearing.

West said he watched his men beat Hamoody without intervening. He said he then went outside and fired a warning shot into the air.

Still unable to get information, West said Hamoody was forced over a sandbox which soldiers use to clear weapons.

"I placed my left hand against the side of his head and fired away from him," West said.

Hamoody then told of plans to set up a sniper position near a police station that West's soldiers visited, West said.

Asked by his defense lawyer if he would used such tactics to obtain information again, West, dressed in combat fatigues and wiping tears from his eyes, said:

"If it's about the lives of my men and their safety, I'd go through hell with a gasoline can.

"But t