"Responsibility is a unique concept... You may share it with others, but your portion is not diminished. You may delegate it, but it is still with you... If responsibility is rightfully yours, no evasion, or ignorance or passing the blame can shift the burden to someone else. Unless you can point your finger at the man who is responsible when something goes wrong, then you have never had anyone really responsible.
"
Iraq
Submitted by cvining on
Oliver Stone mentioned this conversation on a recent episode of Bill Maher. The main speaker is former Argentine President Néstor Kirchner. Yes, the Bush era is over. Still, this is pretty amazing:
I said that a solution for the problems right now, I told Bush, is a Marshall Plan. And he got angry.
He said the Marshall Plan is a crazy idea of…
Submitted by cvining on
Speaking at the West Point commencement Vice President Cheney said today:
"We're fighting a war on terror because the enemy attacked us first, and hit us hard."
See this link for the full text of his speach:
http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/news_theswamp/2007/05/cheney_war_do…
Submitted by cvining on
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6575717.stm
BBC is reporting the "Sunni extremist surge seems to be having more effect than the American one."
One more example that Iraq is a Dollar Auction: each time we up the ante, so does "the extremists". Bush keeps telling us we can't afford to lose. Trouble is, neither can the other side(s). So the game will go on until one side wises up and walks away.
Nothing to win here. Please move on.
Submitted by cvining on
The "Dollar Auction" has been popularized by Poundstone. It illustrates the futility of war, and some other forms of competition as well. See Wikipedia for a discussion and links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dollar_auction
The basic idea is simple enough. Here's how the auction works: the auctioneer offers a prize, in this case a one dollar bill ($1), to the highest bidder. Bidding starts at one cent. The only catch: the SECOND highest bidder must also pay up, even though they get nothing in return.
Submitted by cvining on
In a year end news conference President Bush announced he has not yet decided what to do in Iraq. Selected quotes:
- - "I will tell you we're looking at all options. And one of those options, of course, is increasing more troops."
- - "would require difficult choices and additional sacrifices because the enemy is merciless and violent."
- - "And I encourage you all to go shopping more."
The one thing he knows for sure is that shopping will help.
Submitted by cvining on
Today's NY Times reprints a previously secret memo by Rumsfeld titled: "SUBJECT: Iraq — Illustrative New Courses of Action", and also an article about the memo: "Rumsfeld Memo on Iraq Proposed ‘Major’ Change".
Submitted by cvining on
[img_assist|nid=32|title=Satanic Symbol of Peace?|desc=Source|link=none|align=right|width=640|height=480]
Homeowners complained that a Peace sign/wreath might be an anti-Iraq war symbol or possibly even Satanic. When the rules committee determined the wreath was within the rules, the homeowners association president fired the committee.
My view is that the wreath is a Satanic symbol of peace. Who would oppose the Iraq war except Satan? The mind boggles.
Submitted by cvining on
"A study published by the Lancet says the risk of death by violence for civilians in Iraq is now 58 times higher than before the US-led invasion."
Submitted by cvining on
In his column today ("Why Iraq Is Crumbling") Charles Krauthammer says the trouble with Iraq is the Iraqis' themselves. It seems they aren't ready for Democracy. Or a Republic, even.
Submitted by cvining on
Chilling article in the Washington Post about a US soldier accused of rape and murder of a 14 year old Iraqi girl. The conditions he dealt with daily in Iraq were stressful to the extreme but when the soldiers themselves don't understand why they are there, the good become callous and the callous become brutal.
Telling quotes from the accused:
"I came over here because I wanted to kill people."
"I shot a guy who wouldn't stop when we were out at a traffic checkpoint and it was like nothing"