Psychopathic Instability

Atrios links to this post from Josh, and gets close to the truth of the matter, but not quite.

Our country is being run by psychopaths. I don't know what to do about that.

That part is right. These guys are psychopaths.

Here's what Josh says to inspire this observation:

The world has sat by for six years and let Hizbullah's anamolous position in south Lebanon be Israel's problem. Whether their response was wise or just, I'll set aside for the moment. It's not about totalitarianism or Afghanistan or Iraq, at least not in an operational sense, or dingbat fantasies about Freedom and Terror. But there do appear to be forces in Washington -- seemingly the stronger ones, with Rice just a facade -- who see this whole thing as an opportunity for a grand call of double or nothing to get out of the disaster they've created in the region. Go into Syria, maybe Iran. Try to roll the table once and for all. No failed war that a new war can't solve. Condi's mindless 'birth pangs' remark wasn't just a gaffe -- or perhaps it was a gaffe in the Kinsleyan sense of inopportunely saying what you really think. That seems to be the thinking -- transformation through destabilization.

Josh's theory is that the neo-con program is to create turmoil and anarchy in the Middle East by destabilizing pretty much every regime that's not Israel, Jordan, or Saudi Arabia, and by virtue of superior firepower, impose the neo-con vision.

But Atrios is right. These guys really are psychopaths. The fact is they really don't give a shit about how things actually end up in the Middle East. All they care about is power. The program is to create enough fear in the minds of the American electorate that we keep returning them to power.

All those casualties in the Middle East? Civilian, military, our side, their side?

Collateral damage to the cause of maintaining the right wing power base.

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Lynn Rd., Durham, NC

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Porcupine sedge

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Chapel Hill Rd., Durham, NC

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Marigolds

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Iraq

With the casualty count climbing to some 100 civilian deaths a day by a U.N. estimate, Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki goes to Washington next week, where officials hope he can help them convince American voters that Iraq is turning a corner.

Ummmm, i kinda hate to say this, but what the fuck? Isn't it Iraqi hearts and minds that we're supposed to be winning over?

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Diez y neuve de Julio

July 19, 1979

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Old Chapel Hill Rd., Durham, NC

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What color is the sky on George Bush's planet?

I find this exchange, reported by Reuters, between Bush and Vladimir Putin, to be absolutely breathtaking in what it reveals about the bubble in which our President so obviously dwells.

"I talked about my desire to promote institutional change in parts of the world like Iraq, where there is a free press and free religion, and I told him that a lot of people in our country, you know, would hope that Russia would do the same thing," Bush said.

He quickly added: "I totally understand, however, that there will be a Russian-style democracy. I don't expect Russia to look like the United States. As Vladimir pointedly reminded me last night, 'We have a different history, different traditions."'

Putin pounced on the reference to Iraq. "We of course don't want to have a democracy like the one in Iraq, to be honest," he deadpanned, to laughter from Russian-speaking listeners.

Upon hearing the translation of Putin's remark, Bush interjected: "Just wait."

Just this morning, news reports that 30 Iraqi government officials, mostly from the Iraq Olympic organization, were kidnapped by armed men wearing "Iraqi army or police uniforms."

Free press?

Free religion?

Does the man have a clue what the situation is in Iraq?

Continue reading What color is the sky on George Bush's planet?

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Peppers

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Oceania has always been at war with Eastasia

US applies Geneva Convention to military detainees

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The
Pentagon acknowledged for the first time that all detainees held by the U.S. military are covered by the protections of an article of the Geneva Conventions that bars inhumane treatment, according to a memo made public on Tuesday.


. . . snip . . .

"It is not really a reversal of policy," said White House spokesman Tony Snow. "Humane treatment has always been the standard, and that is something that they followed at Guantanamo."

Here.

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RIP, you crazy diamond

From the BBC:

Pink Floyd's Barrett dies aged 60

Syd Barrett, one of the original members of legendary rock group Pink Floyd, has died at the age of 60, the band's spokeswoman has confirmed.

He was born Roger Barrett in Cambridge and met future bandmates Roger Waters and David Gilmour at school there.

The guitarist was invited to join Pink Floyd by Waters in 1965 but left three years later after only one album with his mental state affected by drugs.

"He died very peacefully a couple of days ago," said the spokeswoman.

"There will be a private family funeral."

He had suffered from diabetes in recent years and had not been recording music.

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Cole Mill Rd., Durham, NC

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World class World Cup writing

I think one of the reasons why Americans don't get soccer is the lack of really great sportswriters paying attention to the game. There's no Ring Lardner or even Red Smith of American soccer.

Here's an excerpt from the best British column on the World Cup that i've come across;

It's hard to argue with the Peruvian legend Teofilio Cubillas when he summarises France's victory over Spain with the words "The score says all you need to know about this match" and indeed my only displeasure with the Technical Study Group is that they have stolen the acronym of my own unofficial World Cup working party: The Trivia Study Group.

While Fifa's TSG investigates playing methods my own TSG brings matters of altogether lesser footballing import to the world such as the fact that Sepp Blatter's wife is a professional dolphin trainer. (A woman in a halter-neck who throws raw fish at you - what more could a man want?).

For many Germany 2006 has been the best World Cup since 1982. For the TSG, however, it has been about as entertaining and innovative as that moment on Five Live when they read out the text messages: "And Big Tezza on the M62 says: 'England! England!' and we've got 'England! England!' also in from Wezza on the A4, while Pezza in Willesden says: 'England! England!' Keep them coming in!"

Where, for example, have been the irritating pre-planned goal celebrations of yesteryear? Last time around we were treated to the sight of dozens of goal scorers removing their tops to reveal a T-shirt bearing a picture of a newborn child (quite often one the player believed to be his own). This time it has just not happened. Not once. Have footballers stopped procreating? And if so where will the Frank Lampard juniors of future generations come from?

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Coneflower

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We hold these truths to be self-evident . . .

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

So here's my agenda for the day.

First, i'm off to the park for my neighborhood association's annual picnic and parade. Then, Richard and Perry are moving to the west coast, so they're having a going away party at the armory. Finally, we'll watch the fireworks at the ballpark from the top of the parking deck.

See, the question i have is, if we're all given the unalienable Right to pursue Happiness, why is it that the State feels it can tell Richard and Perry that they can't get married? I may even drink a beer sometime during the day.

Best wishes, on what should be just an ordinary 4th of July.

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Lieberman

I'll live it to the big bloggers to gloat over Lieberman's announcement today that he'll abandon the Democratic Party and run as an independent if Connecticut Dems choose Ned Lamont as their Senatorial candidate in the upcoming primary.

I'll just note that things would be simpler if Connecticut, like North Carolina, had a "sore-loser" law preventing primary losing candidates from doing exactly what Holy Joe is talking about.

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Mangum St., Durham, NC

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