An interesting confluence of events, the near simultaneous deaths of the premier comedian of the 1970’s, Richard Pryor, at 65, of an apparent heart attack, and former Minnesota Senator and Presidential candidate Eugene McCarthy, who died at 89. Pryor was in famously bad health, suffering from multiple sclerosis; at one point, he suffered from burns over 50% of his body in an accident. McCarthy… was 89, and was living in an assisted living situation. Both represented the promise and the energy released by the 1960’s, particularly, the late 1960’s. McCarthy was a darling of many a well-meaning student, and his...

Another visit to Pravda, another opportunity to ask an obvious question, this time against the backdrop of this report on rapidly improving relations between India and Russia: since defense trading is so damned critical to countries like Russia, and its desire to make money is what is driving it to sell weaponry to problem-children nations like Iran… and we spend so damned much on our own defense… why don’t we simply buy enough of our defense needs from Russia (or others who might sell to Iran), taking away their incentive to do so…? We know the answers: (1) the people...

It seems that as early as 1998, American officials in our embassy in Riyadh were warning Saudi officials about the threat posed by Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda against civil and military aviation. It seems the Saudis may have stepped up their airport security at the time and, ironically, the United States… did not… As everyone who reads this knows, 15 of the 19 9-11 highjackers were Saudi nationals… We won’t talk about warnings the American government might have had… Leads to too many questions. Oy.

How about “shortest ethics course”, when it is suggested by the current Republican speaker of the House. No doubt we can get ex-Majority leader Tom DeLay and ex-Congressman Randy “Duke” Cunningham to serve as guest lecturers. How about… shortest t.v. mini-series about the Holocaust…, in this case, a mini-series proposed by Mel Gibson set agaisnt the backdrop of the Holocaust. Mel Gibson’s father is already on record as a Holocaust denier (that will shorten the mini-series right there), and Mel’s Passion of Christ is regarded by many as anti-semitic… But hey… with rumors swirling that Mel may be the California...

The American Secretary of State Incompetetentalleezza Rice visited new German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and was promptly pelted with questions about American unlawful “extraordinary rendition” (no denying that, please) kidnapping and rendition of prisoners believed to be terror suspects to friendly third countries where they could be tortured and abused, and most importantly, be tortured and abused beyond the reach and oversight of American law. One such renditionee is a German national kidnapped to Afghanistan and unlawfully (he alleges) abused and tortured there… before eventually released after five months or so. Some of the cooperating third countries are our “New Europe”...

And thus the trial of Saddam Hussein and seven other high ranking officials of the Baathist regime proceeded, with testimony being taken. The graphic testimony included description of tortures and killing, evidently in revenge upon a Shiite village some of whose residents were involved in a plot to assassinate Saddam; details included a description of a meat grinder used for human flesh. Saddam Hussein himself stood up and made several outbursts, including at one point that he was not afraid of execution (healthy attitude, given his current position…) What’s fascinating, of course, is that Saddam Hussein was a horrible dictator,...

This week’s visit to our comrades at People’s Daily gives us this discussion of the American military’s admission of its use of a paid contractor (“the Lincoln Group”… funny, that… ) to dispense propaganda representing the American view of events in Iraq. This is the kind of story that epitomizes why I try to bring you stories from former Cold War propaganda outlets Pravda and PD… because in today’s bizarre world… those sources are more trustworthy than, oh, The New York Times. (Don’t believe me?) Of course, it’s not just the Iraqis who our government seeks to influence through the...

Our visit to Pravda gives us this article discussing the latest Russian arms deal, to wit, the sale of 29 defensive “Tor” missiles to Iran, for the unequivocal purpose of deterring a possible Israeli (or… American) air strike at Iran’s nuclear research facility at Bushehr… lest Israel repeat its 1981 assault (then, the exact same strike that Iran itself tried, and failed, to do) of Iraq’s nuclear research facility at Osirak. The current deal is at a pathetic $700,000,000… for such a ridiculously small sum, we risk hopelessly complicating a very dangerous situation… honestly… if our Department of Defense doesn’t...

Ukraine and Bulgaria, two members of our multi-national force in Iraq (it is, at least, that) have announced their intentions to withdraw their forces, a combined total of 1,250 troops, from Iraq in the next few months. This comes amidst a number of other countries (Italy, South Korea, Poland and others) already discussing or outright planning on partial or total withdrawals of their own, all while the 800 pound super-power gorilla debates whether the 98-pound weakling local Iraqi guerrillas have inflicted enough military and political damage to increase the Americanwithdrawal plans (around 1/3 of current forces, or a remaining force...

In a scripted speech given at the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, on the subject of Iraq, the President confirmed that the United States will be withdrawing troops from Iraq to bring the number to 99,000 or less (100,000 being the magic “too many”) not less than 30 days before next November’s all-important Congressional mid-term elections. Of course the President promised there would be no artificial timetables for withdrawal; that’s why the timetable he laid out will be organic: naturally tied to the American political election cycle. As usual, the expected babble-crap that oozed from the President’s lips (“We...