Tuesday, October 31, 2006

A Horror Story

Washington DC, Friday November 10 2006 (AP) – Democrats are still celebrating the takeover of both chambers of Congress in Tuesday’s mid-term elections, striking a serious blow to Republicans and the influence of now-lame-duck President George W. Bush.

Shaking his head, DNC Chairman Howard Dean laughed at his good fortune. “We had terrible turnout”, admitted the head of the Democrats’ national committee, “but we lucked out because the Republicans stayed home, too.

“It would have been very easy for the Republicans to have saved control of at least one chamber, but they sat on their butts and that worked for us
.”

Baghdad, Iraq Monday February 5 2007 (AP) – Ordered by Congress to pull out of Iraq as soon as possible, U.S. troops began the first of a series of scaled pull-outs, removing 25,000 troops from positions deemed by Congress to be “too risky”. In related news, sectarian violence surged in Fallujah, Sadr City, and along the border with Saudi Arabia, as insurgents took heart in the American retreat. Over a thousand people are believed to have died in the new surge in violence over the past ten days.

Washington DC, Monday March 12 2007 (AP) – The U.S. Economy continued its slide for the third straight month, with Unemployment and the Consumer Price index both rising again. Economists say confidence in the economy has weakened due to fears of tax increases and a Congress which is hostile to the average person.

Beijing, Wednesday March 14 2007 (AP) – Iran and China have signed a landmark cooperation and defense treaty, announced today in a ceremony in Tienamen Square. Analysts believe that the weakened U.S. position in Asian and the Middle East made the deal more attractive than It would have been in past years, especially since Senate Foreign Relations committee chairman Joseph Biden has publicly warned that Congress would not approve “any more adventures” overseas for the foreseeable future.

Washington DC, Monday May 21 2007 (AP) – The Senate today slapped a stinging rebuke to the Bush Administration, by demanding a complete review and “overhaul” to intelligence-gathering procedures. In a move unprecedented since the Church Committee hearings of the 1970s, the Senate announced that the proceedings would be aired live and in public. Concerns about protecting “critical sources and methods” would be endangered by the publicity were brushed aside as “spooks trying to cover their behinds”.

The Hague, June 8 2007 (AP) – The International Court of Justice today indicted sixteen U.S. Marines on charges of abusing the human rights of over one hundred suspected members of Al Qaeda, by detaining Iranian nationals and incarcerating them without due process under the terms of Sharia. The case is widely viewed as a test case to determine the new American mood with regard to nations like Iran and North Korea. “It appears that the Congress has finally tired of allowing Bush to treat sovereign nations like beggars” commented an Iranian diplomat through Al-Jazeera. Veterans groups in the U.S. protested that turning over American troops to be tried in a foreign court was unconscionable, but a spokesman for the State Department explained that the new bill by Congress, which overrode President Bush’s veto, requires the United States comply with international law “in all respects”, including abiding by rulings from the ICJ.

Washington DC, Friday June 29 2007 (AP) – Just before the Fourth of July break, Congress dropped a bombshell on the taxpayer, increasing the employer and employee portion of SSI taxes to 22.7% each, with a warning that further increases may be necessary. Explaining the hike, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said “look, no one likes raising taxes, but the only way to fix this problem is to put more money into the system.”

Baghdad, Friday July 20 2007 (AP) – U.S. troops are exiting Iraq as quickly as possible, promised General Peter Schoomaker, Army Chief of Staff, but casualties are an inevitable price paid by “quitting before the job is finished”. U.S. forces have lost over a thousand casualties, including more than six hundred deaths, since the February decision by Congress to pull out of Iraq. Analysts say the country is effectively in civil war at this time, “total chaos in places” as confidence in the nascent democracy was shattered by the sudden decision by the United States to go home.

Islamabad, Monday July 23 2007 (AP) – In a stunning move, the government of Pakistan has cut relations with the United States, opened talks with Iran regarding regional issues, and opened a consulate for Al Qaeda. Officials for President Musharraf explained, “we are merely adjusting to the reality of new conditions.”

Washington DC, Monday, July 27 2007 (AP) – The Fairness Doctrine is back, and bigger than ever. Both chambers of Congress passed a measure which will not only require radio stations and cable television networks to provide “equal time and resources” to contrasting points of view, but for the first time also requires that political opinion websites, often called political “blogs”, be registered their financing reported, and agree to abide by “fair and reasonable” standards. Questions remain regarding enforcement, but one official who spoke on condition of anonymity said, “we can make sure extreme voices don’t get out of hand”.



Is it all just a bad dream? If you sit on your butt or don’t vote Republican, maybe not.

Happy Halloween!


NOW GO VOTE!

39 comments:

Dan said...

Hahahaha. That's all pretty funny.

Given the failure of the Republican prediction that we would find WMDs and we would be greeted as liberators by rose-petal throwing Iraqis, I'm impressed by your courage in issuing yet more false predictions.

DJ Drummond said...

1. It's Halloween, dufus. Time to write scary stories.

2. We DID find WMD, just not what the Left was willing to accept. We found uranium, we found tons of CW, we found biotoxins, and we found literally BILLIONS of pages of documents confirming the intent by Saddam to acquire and use WMD.

3. WHO, exactly, promised "rose-petal throwing"? Please stop using Democrat rhetoric in pretense that a Republican said it, it's credulity beyond the pale of even the normal Leftist.

4. Like the previous column, it appears that you type your comments w/o reading the article in whole, and so - as usual - you miss the context and the message.

Keith said...

Great! Now I'm gonna have nightmares.

Anonymous said...

Dan:

How much poison gas constitutes WMD? Does 5 tons?

Because that is how much poison gas we found in Iraq. Or are you going to go by the "those aren't the droids you are looking for" meme so beloved of Libs -- that it was the wrong poison gas?

Five tons is five tons. Hussain was not supposed to have ANY. And, oh, by the way -- according to Cobra II (a book hostile to the adminstration's invasion of Iraq), Hussain actually USED poison gas AFTER the Gulf War. He dropped nine 500 pound sarin bombs on Shia in the south (from helicopters) as part of his effort to crush the rebellion there.

And we did not learn about that until AFTER we occupied Baghdad. Far as I am concerned, that closed the case for invading -- in favor of invasion.

Dan said...

http://democrats.senate.gov/dpc/dpc-new.cfm?doc_name=fs-108-2-211

Greeted as liberators. Heh.

DJ Drummond said...

... proving once again you can talk to the Liberal, but you can't help them learn.

Anonymous said...

Well, Lt. SMASH claims to have been greeted as a liberator.

But why should anyone believe him. He was just a junior officer that happened to be over there. Besides, he's just a Republican, BushHilter(TM) shill, even if he is a registered democrat.

No, a much more reliable soure are a bunch of politicians seeking to discredit the war for political gain.

So, Dan, can I interest you in some oceanfront property in the Big Bend? Formerly owned by a Democratic Senator. It's real cheap. Honest.

Dan said...

100 + Americans dead this month. That's a horror story, and it's not funny in the slightest.

DJ Drummond said...

Not funny, no. But terrorists routinely kill that many innocent people in 2 or 3 attacks.

Or do you really think Al Qaeda and such groups would be kind and gentle if we just left them alone?

The notion that we should quit because the fight gets rough, is a sad indicator of just why it is so important that Liberals are not put in charge.

Dan said...

Did I say quit? The fact that you are irrational and jump to conclusions is an example of why Republicans cannot be trusted in charge - that's exactly the sort of behavior that got us into this mess in the first place.

DJ Drummond said...

No Dan, that continues to be YOUR problem. Democrats make a lot of noise about demanding change, but won't say what their plan is.

The only specific plans we have heard from Democrats amount to cutting out at full speed. Just ask Murtha, Kerry, etc.

The ONLY Dmeocrat I heard with the guts and integrity to say we have to stay and finish the job, was Lieberman, and look what the Democrats tried to do to HIM.

Face it Dan, your party is the one without a plan, without loyalty to the troops, and without the integrity to even elucidate its strategy. All you can do is heckle and hate.

That's not nearly good enough.

Dan said...

We can also take over the House and Senate. Then watch us.

You are just like the president - you view leaving as losing. It's going to take some wise leadership, but the correct solution is to extricate ourselves from the mess Bush has created - not to stay and have a hundred soldiers (or more) killed every month as the civil war intensifies.

Wasn't it Colin Powell who said "you break it, you buy it"? Well, Bush broke it, and I don't think we want to keep buying it with the blood of our soldiers. It's too expensive.

That's loyalty to the troops, my friend.

DJ Drummond said...

"We can also take over the House and Senate. Then watch us.

Taking over power is not at all the same thing as being responsible with it. I note you still duck the question of what, precisely, you will do in any effective and constructive manner. Absolutely nothing from the Left in the past 6 years adds up to any more than whining and bitterness.

"You are just like the president"

Determined and aware of the historical implications of these events? Indeed I am, just as W. is.

"the correct solution is to extricate ourselves from the mess Bush has created"

The problems there:

1. It's a lie. Saddam and terrorists brought those conditions about, not the President with the guts to go in an answer the threat over there, not wait for us to get attacked her.

2. You STILL have no specifics - just admit you will either do what Bush has done, but you don't want to credit the man, or admit you don't have a clue and want to try the Clinton way of things again - e.g. the sparkling results he achieved in Somalia, Haiti, North Korea, etc.

3. Your notion continues to buy into the fairy tale that those terrorists are just misunderstood, and everything will be dandy if we just don't interfere with their jihad.

Your answers are getting Kerry-esque in their tone, did you notice that?

Anonymous said...

"That's loyalty to the troops, my friend."

I am "one of the troops", Comrade. If that's your "loyalty", I want none of it. I don't question your sincerity, just your judgement.
"Suspension of belief" is something you do when you watch a movie or read a fiction novel, not in real life.

Contrary to what Mr. Kerry believes, I had a degree before I decided to go into the military, and have grown more in the military than I would otherwise have out of it. I have a meaningful life, good friends, another degree, financial stability, and life experience worth far more than a Yale education (and thanks to the many awesome folks who have taught me--or knocked some sense into me--not to anything I've done for myself.)

If required, I will die for my country or my companions-in-arms. My husband, also in the military (also two degrees), would say the same thing. Why? Because we believe in our country, our President and the hardworking dedication of the guys/gals next to us. Oh, and we are very well-read on WHY we are over there...reasons that have been mentioned ad nauseum and which have been ignored completely or spun into complete science fiction by the left side of the aisle.

I get tired of the "we support the troops but not the war" meme. How do people who say that reconcile that many of the troops support the war and re-enlist in large numbers even after a tour or two to the sandbox. We are frickin' volunteers, folks, and to assume that you must protect us from ourselves is a huge condescension to a large body of intelligent, highly educated (compared to the general populace), sophisticated but street-savvy people.

I've digressed a bit from the main point! However, I can see the writing on the wall if the tide does turn (and I don't think this post was far off, if it was a Halloween scream), which is why I decided NOT to sit this election out. This was the first mid-term election I've ever voted in 16 years of being eligible (I've always voted in national elections), but I'll never sit out "half-time" again. I've already sent in my absentee ballot.

DJ Drummond said...

Way to go ammogirl, that's gonna leave a mark!

And thanks to both you and your husband for your service and sacrifice.

Anonymous said...

Add a final entry about a generation or two afterwards. Give the date as Year of the Hegira (with infidel date in parens), and a two-word text:

"ALLAHU AKBAR!"

Dan said...

Ammogirl - Thanks for your service. Please pay attention to what Kerry was joking about - it wasn't you, or your fellow troops. That's just the right-wing spin machine working overtime.

I know a lot of military men and women are signing up again - God bless them. But that doesn't mean the war is right, or that Bush didn't get us into a morass. It just means that we have a bunch of people who are willing to do their duty as they see it. Thank goodness.

Even though it sounds like you'll be voting in a manner I won't, I'm glad you're voting, too.

DJ Drummond said...

HOW IN THE WORLD can Kerry's words, cited verbatim, be spin?

Ah.

Yes.

Of course.

A Democrat cannot ever be guilty of those things of which he and his ilk accuse Republicans.

The Democrats have degenerated to bad comedy.

Dan said...

because they were clearly a joke, and you know it, but are falsely claiming that he insulted the troops

DJ Drummond said...

Nonsense.

Kerry said what he meant, got caught, and could not weasel out of it.

Simple as that. The only spin, came from Donkeys annoyed that Kerry did something that stupid this close to the elections.





















... and I notice you STILL have not mentioned even a single specific constructive plan the Democrats have in place, yet you still want to pretend they're a good choice for running the country.

THAT would be a sad joke, indeed.

Dan said...

This is yet another example of why right-wingers are so foolish. Why in the world do you want to follow me and my plans on Iraq? I appreciate the confidence you have in me, but I know only a little more about the military and Iraq than the moron in the White House - the guy who dismisses our troops and their blood as a mere "comma".

But, if you somehow installed me into office, I would consult with the best experts I could find and begin work toward a way out of the quagmire. Probably, I would choose a time frame, perhspa next Ramadan, as a goal for comleting a redeployment of forces, to be replaced with an international peace keeping force with a charge of minimizing the civil war that Bush has caused.

DJ Drummond said...

Well, that's certainly a Democrat's answer.

Long on aggrieved ego,

empty on substance.

Anonymous said...

The troops feel outraged and insulted by Kerry's remarks. Is Dan saying that they are -- you know -- less than bright, because they did not immediately grasp Kerry's meaning, but rather interpreted the remark as a demeaning put down?

If not, how does Dan explain their discomfiture?

Dan said...

Some troops are, some troops aren't. Quit making stuff up. And the ones who are upset have been misled by the right wing spin machine.

I have a buddy in Afghanistan, and he agrees this is a bunch of BS made up by liars and believed by the delusional.

DJ Drummond said...

There are printed reports as well as a photo run by the AP (Check the NY Post - the Times lacks the guts to run it) showing across-the-board outrage by the men in the "sandbox". I have yet to read a documented account of a serviceman in Iraq or Afghanistan to defends Kerry.

Maybe there are a few who don't care about Kerry's hatred and malice, but to pretend he didn;t slime the troops as he has done so often before, well, you'd have to be the one "making stuff up".

Dan said...

DJ - Your blind loyalty to the Bush regime is charming, but meaningless. And your claim of across the board misunderstanding is ludicrous - and laughably, based on a single photo (a funny one, I'll admit).

I notice that you still harp on Kerry's botched joke, but ignore Bush's intentional dismissal of our troops' sacrifice as a mere comma.

Anonymous said...

What am I making up, Dan?

Did I "make up" the picture of the Minnesota National Guard troops holding a banner that read "Halp Jon Carry. . ."?

Did I make up the outraged statements at Citizen Smash, Black 5, Miserable Donuts, Milblogs, Mudville Gazette and many, many other blogs run unofficially by American soldier throughout the world?

Or are they all just so dumb that they can be spun by misled by the right wing spin machine, and not even realize it? If you believe that, then you are being even more dismissive of their intelligence than Mr. "Jon Carry" was when he ignited this firestorm.

And no -- Bush did not get us into this morass. The morass started when Islamic terrorists slammed airplanes into buildings in New York and Washington. If we had not gone into Iraq, you would be complaining about the "morass" we are in in Afghanistan. Or South Korea. Or Ethiopia. Or Kuwait. Or Europe. Or maybe even the United States.

If we were not fighting in Iraq, far from American soil, and having gotten rid of one of the world's most dangerous, thuggish facilitators of terrorism, then we would be fighting somewhere else -- with the enemy enjoying the resoureces and support of Iraq, while we fought on the defensive elsewhere.

Your arguments about Bush are the typical "heads I win, tails you lose" equivication I see so much of from the left. Anything less than perfect is disaster. Yet we can never achieve perfection.

Better we be fighting in Iraq than cowering in our beds with our covers pulled over our heads waiting for the next terrorist attack on the U.S. Better that Americans skilled in the use of arms be the concern of terrorists than to give terrorists the space and time they need to plot attacks against civilians in the United States. They do not have that now due to our interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq.

If I have one criticism of the Bush Administration it is that they have not carried the Bush Doctrine to its conclusion, and gone after the rats nests in Syria and Iran. But I can forgive them that, seeing how they are hobbled by ankle-biters like Jon Carry, and . . . well . . . Dan.

DJ Drummond said...

Dan, your lies and sneering condescension do not mask the fact that you have still, even now, not answered even ONE of the key questions I asked earlier this week.

As they say, you cannot beat something with nothing, and well, all I see from you beyond the heckling is nothing.

Dan said...

I gave my plan, DJ - and it's a hell of a lot better than "stay the course", which is the best I've seen anyone on the right offer. It's not a plan, it's a demonstrated failure.

Mark - A few bloggers does not constitute "across the board outrage". That's what DJ made up, and I called him on it, and he knows he's wrong. As for your fear, I know you republicowards would be hiding in bed with your covers over your head if Bush weren't out there fighting the wrong war in the wrong place, but your cowardice is no reason to support this administration. Grow up and get some guts.

DJ Drummond said...

Ah.

Denial.

Predictable.

Sorry Dan, but NO, vague notions that you will do better without specifying a plan just don't count. Not in business, not in life, not in government.

You must still be in school, or you'd know that by now.

Dan said...

Bad guess, DJ. Way off. But keep trying, if my station in life is that important to you.

Here's the plan I posted - "But, if you somehow installed me into office, I would consult with the best experts I could find and begin work toward a way out of the quagmire. Probably, I would choose a time frame, perhaps next Ramadan, as a goal for completing a redeployment of forces, to be replaced with an international peace keeping force with a charge of minimizing the civil war that Bush has caused."

Is there anything better you have to offer? "Stay the course"?

DJ Drummond said...

Dan, you are all but perfect in your alignment with the Left. Ok, let's look at your "plan":

You said first "I would consult with the best experts I could find and begin work toward a way out of the quagmire."

First off, even you ought to understand that this is a very vague statement. It also falsely presumes that this step has not already been done. The best "experts", by the way, would be the JCS and the men whose boots have been on the ground there, and as muh as you hate to hear it, those men overwhelmingly support President Bush. So, you would be compelled to either

A - reject the best experts, or

B - accept a plan which is already in place.

Next, it is a stupid, stupid notion to begin with a word like "quagmire" - which, incidentally, is never used by anyone but political slime artists like yourself. I remember hearing about a "quagmire" several times when we first invaded, and every single time you were proved wrong by events. I have mentioned history, and strongly suggest you review the British management of the Indonesian insurgency of the 1950s, or the Indian management of several border incursions between 1980 and 1990, or the sticky negotiations between China and Vietnam regarding disputed territory and resources. The reason I mention these is not only the comparable aspects of military action and insurgent violence, but also the fact that the resolution was gradual and took the better part of a decade in every case. Only a fool plays the "Vietnam" card, by the way, and if you do not understand why those two episodes are not comparable, you lack the education and comprehension to conduct a genuine debate on Iraq.

You next said, "I would choose a time frame, perhaps next Ramadan, as a goal for completing a redeployment of forces, to be replaced with an international peace keeping force with a charge of minimizing the civil war that Bush has caused."

That statement effectively proves you do not know history. Insofar as an "international peacekeeping force" doing anything but watching the region turn into a Mideast version of Bosnia, you might as well wish for magic fairies to come do the job, for all the success your force would have. EVERY military analyst says that a US pullout before Iraq is completely self-sufficient would be tantamount to giving the country over to Iran. You would be lying to pretend otherwise.

Your "civil war" lie is not worth a response, except to call it out as a lie. The deaths of civilians is tragic, but again nothing next to what a genuine civil war would bring. Look to Rwanda, Somalia, Haiti, or Sri Lanka for genuine civil wars or countries which are truly on such a brink.

And once again, blaming Bush for the conditions brought about by Saddam's years of negligence and abuse, and the rabid desire for Jihad in Iran and Syria - which incidentally began long before Bush was in office, and is the main motive for their support and supply of men and weapons sent in to attack civilians and troops - is evidence for nothing so much as the fact that you cannot maintain a sense of context and cause/effect to any salient degree.

And finally, sneer as much as you want about "Stay the course", but it applies to a concrete set of plans. If you are too lazy or dishonest to pay attention to the policies and doctrines of the Bush Administration, then that's on you, pal. The plain fact is that like them or not, the Bush Administration has made specific plans and statements, and the Democrats - including you - can do nothing but bitch and moan.

I told no lie. You have told no truth. Sucks for you, huh?

Dan said...

The American people are rejecting the "stay the course" plan, under which Bush is abandoning kidnapped soldiers under the orders of al-Sadr. Maybe you don't consider 100+ dead in October with no visible gain a quagmire - maybe you are satisfied with the course of the trumped-up invasion and occupation. But the majority of Americans are not.

Yes, it does suck for me, and for our soldiers, and for our nation's lost credibility. Sucks for you, too, but you might not be willing to admit it.

Anonymous said...

The reason nobody
Could stop Islam
Is they were all too busy
Reliving Vietnam.

DJ Drummond said...

Dan, more Americans were murdered in California on average each month, than died in any month during the War in Iraq.

The U.S. casualty rate at the worst part of the Vietnam War was fifteen times the worst U.S. casualty rate of the War in Iraq.

Go tell your lies somewhere else, I know enough to laugh at your dissemblence.

And your are simply dreaming to believe that "most Americans" agree with the Democrats. Most, to be blunt, are sitting at home this election, because historically only about 35%-40% of the eligible population votes in off-year elections. So that lie of yours won't fly either.

Geez, you're not even original!

Dan said...

DJ - you're right that Vietnam had higher casualties than Iraq. So far. Yippee. That's really something to be happy about, I suppose.

I must have missed the news about 56 people being found murdered in California today, the way they were in Baghdad. Bearing signs of torture. If you want to believe that California had such a massacre, you just go ahead.

Check the polling, and you'll see that the majority of Americans reject Bush's bungling of this war. That's the simple truth.

DJ Drummond said...

No, it's the excuse you tell yourself so you can ignore your conscience reminding you what waits for the Iraqis and Afghans, if we desert them.

The only honest course is we finish the job. Only cowards quit because the fight gets rough.

Anonymous said...

that is indeed scary...

the liberal democrat must feel rather silly, having the NY Times admit Saddam was a threat, probably gaining NUKES in a year, if we had not taken him out...

time to make history...

Dan said...

They want us out. Glad you're so much smarter than they are.

And HNV - you need to read the article - you'll see that the documents that the right wing foolishly got published date from before the first gulf war. Keep grasping at straws, though.