June 12, 2006
SISTER...MOTHER....SISTER....MOTHER.... (via Kevin Whited):
US outflanked in Eurasia energy politics (F William Engdahl, 6/13/06, Speaking Freely: Asia Times Online)
The United States' global energy-control strategy, it's now clear to most, was the actual reason for the highly costly regime change in Iraq, euphemistically dubbed "democracy" by Washington. But while it is preoccupied with implanting democracy in the Middle East, the United States is quietly being outflanked in the rush to secure and control major energy sources of the Persian Gulf, the Central Asian Caspian Basin, Africa and beyond.
It's only Monday morning, but Brother Whited sends along a pice that may already have wrapped up the title for "incoherent mess of the week." The first paragraph alone argues that we didn't care about democracy, just oil, but are losing oil by focusing on democracy. Amazing.
MORE:
Democrats Are Winning... Except at the Polls (Michael Barone, 6/12/06, Real Clear Politics)
"This is just to cover Bush's (rear) so he doesn't have to answer questions" about things in Iraq, said Rep. Pete Stark, second ranking Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee. "This insurgency is such a confused mess that one person, dead or alive at this point, is hardly significant today," said Rep. Jim McDermott, formerly the lead Democrat on the House ethics committee. The deceased, said Rep. Dennis Kucinich, a candidate for the 2004 presidential nomination, was a small part of "a growing anti-American insurgency." He said the United States should get out of Iraq. "We're there for all the wrong reasons."Posted by Orrin Judd at June 12, 2006 11:35 AMSuch was the reaction of the left wing of the Democratic Party to the killing of al-Qaida terrorist Abu Masab Zarqawi in Iraq. It was not the dominant note sounded by Democrats. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid and 2004 presidential nominee John Kerry all hailed the death of Zarqawi in unequivocal terms. And if Democrats also made the point that his death probably won't end the violence in Iraq, they were only echoing what George W. Bush said.
Nevertheless the Stark-McDermott-Kucinich reaction, echoed and amplified, often scatologically, by dozens of commenters on the popular dailykos.com and myDD.com left-wing Websites, tells us something disturbing about the Democratic Party -- and provides a clue why Democrats were unable to eke out a win in last week's special congressional election in the 50th congressional district of California.
It comes down to this: A substantial part of the Democratic Party, some of its politicians and many of its loudest supporters do not want America to succeed in Iraq.
Ah, it's the Dilbert cartoon about hybrid cars:
Dilbert: "Still, it'll make a statement."
Dogbert: "And that statement will be: 'I don't know what Fungible means!'"
Can we have a regular contest for "incoherent mess of the week"? It could be fun.
Posted by: Brandon at June 12, 2006 12:45 PMNot “an incoherent mess” if you start with the assumption that President Bush and his administration are stupid and incompetent. As such they are easily out flanked by the brilliant, competent, and efficient Eurasians.
Posted by: TGN at June 12, 2006 2:09 PMAh, yes - the Chinese with their $800 billion in non-performing loans. Or the French, who may actually have negative GDP 'growth' in the second quarter.
Posted by: jim hamlen at June 12, 2006 2:48 PMIs the headline supposed to be a Chinatown reference? Then it should be "Sister...daughter...."
Posted by: PapayaSF at June 12, 2006 3:32 PMSo lame...
Lying about Democrats and Iraq
Find me a single Democrat who does “not want America to succeed in Iraq.”
Posted by: WPB at June 12, 2006 4:38 PMMurtha, call your office.
Posted by: Gideon at June 12, 2006 5:04 PMWPB:
The Left goes so far as to argue that democratizing Iraq isn't even defensible and that we should merely withdraw regardless of the consequences for Iraqis..
Posted by: oj at June 12, 2006 5:25 PMAll the congress critters on the left side of the aisle, 99.99% of the media, academics, Wall St., etc. Don't forget the RINO's too.
Posted by: erp at June 12, 2006 5:27 PMWPB: Go read MyDD or DU when Zarqawi was killed. Those Democrats live in fear of anything good happening in Iraq. I don't have the quote to hand, but Murtha has been explicit that he doesn't want any successes because he doesn't want us to think that Iraq can be won.
Posted by: David Cohen at June 12, 2006 5:28 PMWPB:
Find me a single Democrat who does “not want America to succeed in Iraq.”
You've got to be kidding. If you don't understand that worldwide anti-Americanism and much of the domestic variety is based upon a visceral yearning for American humiliation and self-abasement no matter who dies for it, you haven't been paying attention. I was hoping to link "America and the America-haters" in this months's Commentary, (by a British editor of The Telegraph) but they seem to have gone back to pay-only, so you will have to buy it. But c'mon, where 'ya been?
WPB: if you do want us to succeed, and if those who do not don't represent what you want the Democrats to be about, then kick them out of your party. It can be done: witness the purge of the Birchers from the conservative movement. And it will have to be done by you, nobody here can help you. But in fact, your views are the ones more likely to be purged. The Cindy Sheehan wing of your party looks to be winning this fight.
Posted by: joe shropshire at June 12, 2006 6:05 PMThe Birchers were right on the issues though, just wacky.
Posted by: oj at June 12, 2006 6:19 PMWPB:
It was Howard Dean (Democratic Party CHAIR) who said: "America won't always have the strongest military". It was John F. Kerry (Democratic Presidential CANDIDATE) who talked about a global test which we must pass before using force. It was Dick Durbin (Democratic Senate WHIP) who compared American troops to Nazi soldiers, Gulag guards, and Khmer Rouge butchers. It was John Murtha (D-PA and Majority Leader to be) who called for an "immediate withdrawal" from Iraq. The 3 votes in the House for such an immediate withdrawal were Democratic votes.
Michael Moore sat in the Presidential box at the DEMOCRATIC National Convention in August 2004. Paul Hackett was a Democratic Congressional candidate. John Edwards (Democratic candidate for VICE-PRESIDENT) has repudiated his vote in favor of the war.
Get the idea?
Posted by: jim hamlen at June 12, 2006 10:17 PM