December 2005

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...