Alarming News: I like Morgan Freeberg. A lot.
American Digest: And I like this from "The Blog That Nobody Reads", because it is -- mostly -- about me. What can I say? I'm on an ego trip today. It won't last.
Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler: We were following a trackback and thinking "hmmm... this is a bloody excellent post!", and then we realized that it was just part III of, well, three...Damn. I wish I'd written those.
Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler: ...I just remembered that I found a new blog a short while ago, House of Eratosthenes, that I really like. I like his common sense approach and his curiosity when it comes to why people believe what they believe rather than just what they believe.
Brutally Honest: Morgan Freeberg is brilliant.
Dr. Melissa Clouthier: Morgan Freeberg at House of Eratosthenes (pftthats a mouthful) honors big boned women in skimpy clothing. The picture there is priceless--keep scrolling down.
Exile in Portales: Via Gerard: Morgan Freeberg, a guy with a lot to say. And he speaks The Truth...and it's fascinating stuff. Worth a read, or three. Or six.
Just Muttering: Two nice pieces at House of Eratosthenes, one about a perhaps unintended effect of the Enron mess, and one on the Gore-y environ-movie.
Mein Blogovault: Make "the Blog that No One Reads" one of your daily reads.
The Virginian: I know this post will offend some people, but the author makes some good points.
Poetic Justice: Cletus! Ah gots a laiv one fer yew...
Not Articulated Outright II
Just amazing. Two little pieces of news arising naturally from developing events: Rumors of Osama bin Laden being dead, and a string of polls indicating President Bush’s approval rating is headed upward. Seems like a given that the former will have a further effect on the latter…but the readings we have on the current President’s popularity, are already pretty positive, presumably without that effect even setting in just yet.
And from those, we get three pieces of news arising artificially as media-driven things, from acts deliberately undertaken by people. Clinton throws his hissy-fit on Fox, someone leaks a report from the spooks at 16 agencies to the New York Times…and John Kerry writes an editorial As is usually the case when things come up to make President Bush look somewhat good, the sense of urgency the Democrats have in getting their word out, is nothing short of explosive. It borders on the hysterical. It borders on the prissy.
Losing Afghanistan
We’re not adequately fighting the war we should be fighting.
BY JOHN KERRY
Monday, September 25, 2006 12:01 a.m. EDTAs we marked the fifth anniversary of the worst attack on American soil, there was enormous discussion of the lessons of 9/11. But after the bagpipes stopped, and news coverage turned to other issues, perhaps the first lesson of that day seemed quickly forgotten: We cannot allow Afghanistan to become a terrorist stronghold and a staging ground for attacks on America.
If Washington seems to have forgotten Afghanistan, it is clear the Taliban and al Qaeda have not. Less than five years after American troops masterfully toppled the Taliban, the disastrous diversion in Iraq has allowed these radicals the chance to rise again. Time is running out to reverse an unfolding disaster in the war we were right to fight after 9/11.
Senator Kerry’s conclusions rest on a central premise, the entertainment of which is necessary for curious mind wishing to follow his argument — but which he will not articulate outright. The premise doesn’t make enough sense for him, or anyone else with a reputation worth protecting, to do so.
The premise has to do with this “staging ground” thing. I’m ready to call shenanigans on the whole thing. For it to make sense, the following must happen:
Men want to commit terrorist acts and kill Americans. They have no regard for innocent civilian life, and are sufficiently determined and resourceful to make it happen — but not without a staging ground. Okee dokee. They find the staging ground, we’re in danger, and if they don’t we’re not.
This is what you have to believe to sustain Senator Kerry’s argument. The gears these evil men have in their heads that have been long ago stripped, by…whatever. Their homicidal tendencies. Their nuttiness. Their willingness to follow others without thinking for themselves. Those things do not make a deadly terrorist act likely — or at least not much. Toss in a training ground or staging area, and whoa! Now we’re in some real trouble.
It’s the same kind of thinking you have with the gun control thing. Bad guy wants to kill you for your wallet — this doesn’t put you in danger. But he’s got a gun, and now, uh oh, you’re in trouble. With his psychopathic tendencies, his rap sheet, his freedom…without the damn gun, that would all be okay.
It’s not the disrespect for human life that puts innocent people in danger. It’s the equipment. Terrorists have a staging ground already, or other terrorists are looking for one. This makes some kind of enormous difference.
Does anyone anywhere believe that? For reals? Like they’d bet testes on it? A lot of people are willing to say so…or, not say so…just kind of suggest it in a weasely sort of way.
This monotonous drumbeat has been going on for years. Time to call bullshit on it and see if there’s something to it or not. How I’m going to go about doing that, I don’t know, but if someone were to simply step forward and assert this is the case it would be a dandy first step. Well…I’m waiting. So is America.
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