2011 archive
Iraq Coda 0
The attempts of the US administration to put the best face possible on the withdrawal from Iraq does not hide the crucial fact that the Great and Glorious Patriotic War for a Lie in Iraq has
- done nothing to further peace and stability in the Middle East or in the world as a whole,
- failed to find the weapons of mass destruction that the Bush administration sold as a reason for war, because they never existed, and
- increased the stature of Iran as a Middle Eastern power.
The proximate cause of the end was rooted the Iraq Withdrawal Agreement negotiated by the President George the Worst and the Iraq government in 2006 and 2007; the deadline had arrived.
Asia Times summarizes how the this came about. Here’s a snippet from a lengthy exploration of the events:
A central element of the Maliki-Iran strategy was the common interest that Maliki, Iran and anti-American Shi’ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr shared in ending the US occupation, despite their differences over other issues.al-Sadr shared in ending the US occupation, despite their differences over other issues.
I have no doubt that the Bush administration expected the Iraqi government to be much more malleable than it turned out to be, its having been, after all, an American creation.
No doubt some will try to use the timing of the withdrawal, coming under President Obama, to start a “Who lost China” who-shot-John.
Nevertheless, the prints, indeed, the DNA of President Bush and his circle pervades The Great and Glorious Patriotic War for a Lie, from its conception in arrogance, through its promotion with deceipt and its pursuit with incompetence, to its conclusion in confusion.
QOTD 0
Thomas Carlyle, from the Quotemaster (subscribe here):
I do not believe in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance.
The Lowe Down 0
Facebook Frolics 0
Unless you tell it not to, Facebook will take your picture and arbitrarily pop it into ads shown to your “friends,” implying that you “like” whatever it is.
Some Californians have had enough:
U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh in San Jose rejected Facebook’s bid to dismiss the lawsuit on Dec. 16, ruling the plaintiffs may pursue claims that the company’s sponsored ads violate state law and are fraudulent. Koh granted Facebook’s request to dismiss a claim that it unjustly enriched itself with the sponsored ads.
The California law says that you can’t be shown as endorsing a product without your permission. This hearing was not about the merits of the suit, but about standing.
I expect that Facebook will argue that accepting its terms and conditions equals giving it permission to do whatever the hell it wants to do.
Dis Coarse Discourse 0
Writing at Psychology Today, Douglas LaBier considers the indications that our political discussion has left reality far behind.
- From the left, President Obama is attacked for not achieving and pushing for a more progressive agenda, despite a range of accomplishments that he’s achieved. But the greater insanity is that he’s operating with the new “requirement” instituted by Republicans: That every piece of legislation must now be able to overcome a filibuster threat, rather than be hammered out through compromise and then subjected to a majority vote.
- On the right, the Republican/Tea Party vilifies Obama’s “socialist,” “anti-American” or — in Newt Gingrich’s description — “Kenyan, anti-colonialist” agenda, despite an ironic reality to the contrary: President Obama’s policies and behavior are much closer to those of a moderate Republican of yore; the kind that doesn’t exist anymore.
- Then there’s the ongoing clown show — Republican presidential hopefuls who argue for returning to policies that — as data show — have created the economic mess we’re now in. Moreover, they try to outdo each other to embrace anti-science, anti-knowledge positions, whether about climate change or evolution; and they vocally embrace anti-human rights positions when those rights concern gays and lesbians.
He goes on to cite some faint positive signs. Follow the link to read them and decide whether you consider them significant.
Verdict First, Trial Later 0
Daniel Ellsberg comments on the persecution of Bradley Manning.
This is one area in President Obama is charting the wrong course.
Beating Feet to China 0
The United States was happily selling its excess chicken feet (which are pretty much all its chicken feet) to China, until China slapped a duty on them.
The Chinese move raised an interesting legal question: How can the United States be dumping an item at below cost in China when that item is considered virtually worthless at home?
I haven’t decided a policy opinion on this, but I find the story has a bit of irony, as almost everything in a typical American consumer-goods store is made in somewhere else.
No Place To Hide 0
The efforts to bamboozle us to buy things we don’t need at prices we can’t afford continue to gain new weapons:
Click to read the rest and give up privacy.
Developer Magic, Throwing Good Money after Bad Dept. 0
The local rag has a long, detailed story about the proposal to shovel money to a developer to build a hotel adjacent to the Convention Center so as to magically materialize tourists.
It reminds us that, for their previous trick, consultants predicted that the Convention Center itself would magically materialize tourists.
That hasn’t worked out so well:
Believers in developer magic are doing the same thing that believers in magic tricks have always done, as illustrated by the paragraph that preceded the one I quoted above:
They are listening the magicians’ patter rather than watching their hands.
“The center’s success should be measured by its overall impact on the community,” said Courtney Dyer, convention center manager. “It draws people to the city who wouldn’t otherwise come, it fills hotel rooms during our traditional slow season, and the space is there as a resource for local groups.
“I’d say it’s doing what it’s supposed to do.”
Yes indeedy-do it sure is. It’s filling developers’ top hats with money.
This magic act will be same as the Convention Center and the Pavilion that preceded it: Developer magic will appear another white elephant while disappearing the money.
How touching the faith in developer magic.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
When invited to a tea party, be on your best behavior.
Mark Meckler was charged Thursday with criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree, a Class C felony, for traveling with his Glock handgun and 19 cartridges without a New York permit.
Video of Mr. Meckler beating feet at the link. No word on whether he was shouting “Live free or die” as he disappeared into the darkness.
TSA Security Theatre 0
Now showing, Thoreau’s Unqualified Offerings.
QOTD 0
Friedrich Schiller, from the Quotemaster (subscribe here):
It is criminal to steal a purse, daring to steal a fortune, a mark of greatness to steal a crown. The blame diminishes as the guilt increases.
Cell and Driver 0
Radio Time takes a look at the NTSB’s recommendation to ban cell phones. From the website:
Any one who pays attention knows the pros and cons. Having been nearly killed by a cell phone wielding driver who went straight ahead (at 65 mph) at a spot where the road went left, I sympathize with efforts to limit cell phone usage by drivers.
The reason I’m recommending this is because of the last third, starting at the 35 minute make, in which Mr. Gerdes describes what’s happening and not happening in experiments to automate driving. It is a plain-English description of what’s been accomplished, what appears possible with today’s science, and what appears to be a Jetsonian pipe dream with today’s science.
Follow the link to listen or listen here (MP3).
For another take, check out this episode of the Diane Rehm show. The antics of the anti-cell-phone ban guy are quite amusing. His arguments against a ban seem to boil down to, “Don’t take my toy away from me. Waaaa waaaa waaaa.”
