The Iraqi Refugee Crises

  One of the consequences of War in Iraq is the millions of well educated middle class Iraqi's that are fleeing their home country. The first time such a dynamic has played out, where refugees are not starving, but waiting out an end to a war, living on their savings. They have been swelling the ranks of Jordan, Syria and Lebanon.

 The poets, the technocrats, doctors, professors, the educated class, that graduated from Iraq's many Universities, speak English well that have fled the war zone, hoping to 'wait out' the war, earnestly waiting for the now broken promise from the US, of a new and stable Iraq. At the moment these once well to do Iraqi's are not so much concerned about food, but about their children who are not attending school, because there aren't any schools to go to.

               It is the economy stupid

Is the coming 'tightening' of the credit markets, or shortage of liquidity  a direct consequence of Alan Greenspans encounter with Ayn Rand? The free markes equal free  people advocates that believe free markets are the fulcrum that will bring balance to the world are often heard touting the glory of how unregulated markets are the answer to communism, and despotic tyranny. This ideology is behind Reagonics, Freidmanomics and the surge in privatization.

When Bush Jr. came into office Greenspan indulged in a bit of fantasy, thinking that it was the ideal time to implement his libertarian Republican policies of free markets with fiscal restraint, that would showcase the ideals that have driven his economic policy.

Though Mr. Greenspan does not admit he made a mistake, he shows remorse about how Republicans jumped on his endorsement of the 2001 tax cuts to push through unconditional cuts without any safeguards against surprises. He recounts how Mr. Rubin and Senator Kent Conrad, Democrat of North Dakota, begged him to hold off on an endorsement because of how it would be perceived.

 China the Model of Wealth Without Liberty by James Mann

 My opinion, this article is a must read.

While the US has vested all of its attention to the Middle East, while the Free Marketeers proclaim the beauty of unregulated capitalism to bring democracy to the world, while we were bringing bullets and bullying to Baghdad and our ex-allies, while folks here in the US, can't say support the troops enough times as the focus of all things patriotic, China has emerged as the fire breathing dragon in the closet, a force to be reckoned with, and the keepers of the US economic stability.

Our financial security rests on China, the country of one party rule. The values of liberty are not inherently tied to economic success, and China and its one party rule has shown us the way. You buy off the elite with special priveleges, and you stifle organized opposition and you control the flow of information.

Can we stop cowering in the corner and once again become the home of the Brave

I write this dairy mostly to highlight Zbigniew Brezezinski's wonderful article today in the Washington Post.

Why is our country dominated by a culture of fear and alarmism. And has it been used to cynically exploit the masses in the country for political gain.

Well of course the answer is Yes!

Where is American's sense of strength, confidence and hope? Why in the world are we being scared to death, thinking that evil arabs are going to swim the ocean, to come to America to destroy our way of life.

If America's principles are strong this is ludicrous on it's face. Do the leaders of this country think that our moral fabric is so weak? That is what the persistantly and methodlically keep trying to drum into our heads.

Here is the link to ZB's article which I hope some of you take the time to read.

Terrorized by the 'War on Terror

Love her or hate her, Hillary has got lots and lots of money. And she doesn't want anyone else to share in that fundraising pie.

I am not  against Hillary, or her all consuming ambition to become President, but I am not sure I am for her either. She is smart, knows politics well and would make a decent Head of State.

I just want to throw this out there. Has anyone else noticed the Bush style sweep Hillary is making in campaigning for President. She is using the same tactics that W did in 1999. Acting like she has already won before she has won the primary.

 I am not feeling quite comfortable with this seeming monopoly she holds on fundraising from large donors. And behind the scenes some fairly brutal tactics to make sure that no one gets a piece of the pie. Nor do I feel comfortable with this sense of dynastic entitlement that would put President Clinton and President Clinton in the oval office.

I would like to think that Hillary as President is not a foregone conclusion, at that the voters will actually have a choice of candidates, that is not based on who raises the most money from big donors, while excluding others from any chance.

The biggest issue facing our Western Capitalist Society is not terrorism, as is the popular conception, but in fact Climate Change.

Economists realize that unless this issue is addressed immediately there will be seroius economic results.

The End of the West as We Know It

"..... radically destructive climate change, then we must recognize that everything that the West now stands for will be rejected by future generations. The entire democratic capitalist system will be seen to have failed utterly as a model for humanity and as a custodian of essential human interests."

"[What will}.....our descendants make of a political and media culture that devotes little attention to this threat when compared with sports, consumer goods, leisure and a threat from terrorism that is puny by comparison? Will they remember us as great paragons of human progress and freedom? They are more likely to spit on our graves."

says Anatol Lieven,  who has won the George Orwell Prize for Political Writing

  What do we do on a daily basis. Look at the recommended daires. We are following the headlines around, being led by our noses and the media, and

"justifying" our superiority as progressives, by calling out conservatives as blatant liars, criminals etc.

 Okay so we see these truths as facts. But what is the context of those facts.

Are there progressive values reflected in your heated self righteous defense of the truth.

 We tend to think that Headlines Can Stand Alone and offer our moral arguments for us. This is not the case.

 In the last election facts were on our side, so why did we lose? We don't have a moral leg to stand on, so to speak. Why? In my opinion part of the culture wars in progress is the so called "left" needs to get a simple grip on its core values. And use those values as a integral part of every argument!

 
  The ultimate neocon strawman. A tale of absolutism.
We are fighting the forces of evil.

Fighting the forces of evil, who gets makes the sweeping decree.

  You can call us who say and reasonably so, that Israel is over reacting, to be evil as well. Who makes that call? And by what moral authority?

That you would denounce Lebanon's soveirgnty as a newly formed democracy is telling.

Hezbollah made a huge mistake in taking the soldiers. and many in Lebanon were angry about it. Israel's over reaction of flattening the newly formed democracy in the country of Lebanon with endless bombing has now changed the dialogue, and instead of the focus being on Hezbollah, they are questioning the actions of Israel and the US. I ask you, is this a good result?

  Asking Lebanon to oust the militant element in Hezbollah, is like asking the Democrats to oust  the Republican party. It can't be done right NOW.  So your calls for the Lebanonese to rid itself of Hezbollah is in and of itself a strawman.

What is your definition of a terrorist?

terrorism: the use of violence and intimidation for political aims.

terror: the use of fear to intimidate people; especially for political reasons

The use of this word as a strawman to discredit anyone that opposes the current political climate of war is disturbing.

The McCarthy era was filled with terror. if you were labeled a communist. Your career was over.

Victims of this convenient meme are Joe Wilson, Dan Rather, Israel, Republicans.

 
  Let's just call it sour grapes.

The Bush administrations glorifying of elections and democracy to promote freedom and liberty to all citizens of the world and end global tyranny has backfired.  There were elections in Iraq, in Palestine, and in Lebanon. Talk about sore losers. Accept the results of the elections and get over it.

 If you recall, that little talking point.  Bush won the election. Get over it.

  Hamas won the election in Palestine, so get over it. Oops no we were for democracy before we were against it.

  Lebanon had elections and was a new democracy. Yet you choose this country to fight your proxy war. Those that justify such destruction do not hold each and every life as precious.

  When you hold Democracy on a pedastal to support your hardline ideological claims for pre-emtpive attacks against nations, you should mean it.

  For Bush to stay true to his values, I call on him to outlaw the practice of fetal farming for in vitro fertilization. It is clearly a criminal enterprise, that creates potential life, embroyos, to be farmed and later tossed in the garbage. Why doesn't Bush respect life. He needs to outlaw this practice right away. Maybe with a constitutional ammendment, no more in vitro fertilization....... the fetal farming ammendment.

  Where is the outrage by the Christian conservatives of this horrendous and murderous practice. Creating hundreds of embroyo's for life and the MURDERING them? What a hippocrit.

 But I propose a compromise. We should allow fetal farming of Arab embroyo's only. Not for making children of course, but for research only. Because after all an Arab embroyo is a future terrorist. Therefore the farming would be okay cause we could just toss the embroyonic terrorist in the garbage without fear of assualt on our moral sensibilities or our country.

 Yes, all the discussion about what is a "good" liberal and what is a "bad" liberal.

  During the '60's liberal was a word Democrats embraced with pride. Lyndon Johnson on the stump claiming, "Let's get more good liberals elected.". No need to explain that the meaning of the word has changed. The right decries liberals as idiots incapable of persecuting a war, or defending our nation against outside threats.

  I would like to offer a different take. The worst kind of liberals are the conservative liberals that brought us their "beautiful" war in Iraq. Sitting at their desks, reading reams of writings, they devised a scheme of changing the world, with the export of the American Revolution, to bring freedom and democratcy not only to Iraq, but to the World.

  William Kristol and his merry band of ideologues are in fact the worst kind of liberals. They put on rose colored glasses, and are incapable of turning the page  on Iraq.

  David Brooks, why do you hate democracy?

  I can not imagine that you are so unfamiliar with a blogging, that an internet conversation would threaten you? Blogs like the Daily Kos have been born to counteract, the partisan poison that drips from your pen. We are tired of it. The New Left having experienced the Traditional Media's bias in stumping for the Republican Caucus, is the very reason we talk to each other. We are sick of the way we see the twisting of the truth, by you and your ilk. The Swiftboating of Democracy if you will.

  Your NY Times column calling Marcus the "Kingpin" of Daily Kos is utterly disengious and nothing more than a Swift Boat (read as:Slanderous, Hate Filled Rhetoric, Not Based on Fact) of one of the most dynamic and exciting tools for democracy in years.

 

 Did anyone watch Frontline's amazing special last night, outlining with personal interviews how Cheney went after George Tenet's CIA.

  Most remarkable! Tenet and Bush seemed to have a special bond, being men's men. Cheney on the other hand, despised George Tenet. Cheney viewed the CIA as a total  failure. Rumsfeld views the CIA as a threat to his power. They clearly wanted to make 9/11 about Iraq. This is the story of how they made it happen.

  Tenet traded integrity for access to the President, with his "Slam Dunk.". Many in the CIA were appalled and disbelieving at Cheney's out and out undercutting of the CIA.

  Watching this special, we see, why Joe Wilson, wrote his op-ed "What I didn't Find In Niger". He was standing up for the CIA, the same way he stood up to Saddam Hussein.

Fitz Cites WSJ Editorial as Evidence

 In an editorial in todays Washington Street Journal we find out that a previous article written by the WSJ will be used as evidence against Scooter Libby.

  Yellowcake Remix

 In it tidbits from  The National Intelligence Estimate were used to defend the Presidents claim that Saddam was pursuing urianium in Africa.

  Fitz will be using the Remix article as yet another effort by Libby to obstruct the truth. That in fact Libby leaked it to the WSJ as a form a self defense.

  People, I have daired this before, but I must express again my support for the Congressional hearings now being conducted re: the separation of powers.

  I hope that you realize that right now, the Congress for the first time is conducting oversight hearings on executive overreach. Whether it is to cover their asses or not, we should embrace this hearing. The President has not only overstepped in Congress, but has overstepped the Courts, by sealing the documents for 45 days, WITHOUT consultng a judge.

  Do not blur Jefferson's guilt with the separate issue of executive overreach. The FBI spent 18 hours in a Congressman's office, without  following protocol. The Raid was unconstitutional.

  We can have no investigation without Republican majority. We should celebrate this day! The President's own party is saying Stop! We have had enough.

 
  After unprecedented FBI raids at Jefferson's congressional office, now the government is seeking to find out who leaked the NSA story. I know Jefferson is guilty, and should step down. Nancy Pelosi is walking a fine line, calling for Jefferson to step down, but also questioning the over reach of the executive.

  Meanwhile Dennis Hastert, the leading recipient of Abramoff cash, says no he is not under DOJ investigation. Brian Moss, who was informed on background his phones were being monitored, said that he is one tangled in the Abramoff mess. Two contradictory tales. A government at war with itself.

  People this is a secret government accountable to no one. The DOJ can not investigate the NSA spying program. It seems no one has the authority to investigate or question anything the government does, due to expanded article II powers, and for the sake of National Security. While you may find it odd that Pelosi is on Hastert's side in calling into question the FBI raid on Jefferson's office, it is an opportunity for the Congress to call into question the broad overreach of executive power.

 Ultra conservative judge Michael Luttig resigned yesterday, reportedly in part due to civil liberties issues, regarding the case of suspected terrorist Jose Padilla.

  Luttig first asserted that Padilla could be held as a terrorist without charge, trusting that the govt must have had an extraordinary case against him. In a reversal of Luttigs position in November, the Justice Department said it could file charges against him as if he were a regular citizen.

 

When the Bush administration reversed position and in effect acknowledged that the regular old justice system was able to accommodate the case, Luttig was enraged, saying the reversal strained the Bush administration's "credibility before the courts." It was that frustration that helped lead to his resignation, the Journal reported.