No he won't win. I've got a feeling about this. I'm not a great Kerry fan, but I think enough of the American public are beginning to see Bush in a clearer light, and it's not a pretty sight.
I think an incumbent president has to f*** up really badly to lose (or have extramarital sex) and I think it's becoming clearer just what GWB's contribution to the world means.
I think I'll cheer myself up now by going back and re-reading Garrison Keillor.
Yes Garrison Keillor
Now if he was standing.
Loved the story about the Lutherans on the boat.
steve
That was a dilly of a story, wasn't it.
McTag wrote:Ican, why limit all this good stuff to Iraq?
We all should be able to share!
I'm do not intend to limit it to Iraqis. I merely intend to recommend it to Iraqis.
Also, I anticipate that some of what I intend to recommend will not be perceived by all here as "all this good stuff".
Steve (as 41oo) wrote: It seems vast numbers of Americans willingly believe what they believe the President said or meant, even if he didn't.
My acquaintenances don't give a damn what Bush or Kerry said or meant or didn't say or didn't mean. We look at the evidence, such as it is, and come to our own conclusions about what is probably true without any help from so-called
opinion leaders. Bush to us seems to be too narrowly educated. Kerry seems to us to be psychotic.
Quote:As of Friday, Sept. 3, 976 U.S. service members have died since the beginning of military operations in Iraq in March 2003, according to the Defense Department. Of those, 730 died as a result of hostile action and 246 died of non-hostile causes.
The British military has reported 64 deaths; Italy, 18; Spain, 11; Poland, 10; Bulgaria, six; Ukraine, six; Slovakia, three; Thailand, two; and Denmark, El Salvador, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia and the Netherlands have reported one death each.
Since May 1, 2003, when President Bush declared that major combat operations in Iraq had ended, 838 U.S. soldiers have died -- 621 as a result of hostile action and 217 of non-hostile causes, according to the military's numbers Friday.
Now, if we add in the innocent souls lost in the World Trade Center, that means we have to kill some 5 to 6 thousand Iraqis to get even. Or maybe not Iraqis, but somebody, possibly anybody. Figures on the dead innocents in Iraq and Afghanistan are not available, but I'm sure the Pentagon will be fair.
Morning blatham, would you settle for a reasonable estimate?
body count
cost of war
blatham
Add in the many,many thousands more who have lost limbs or are disfigured and whose lives have been and will be one of pain, discomfort and helplessness.
Informed Comment
Thoughts on the Middle East, History, and Religion
Juan Cole is Professor of History at the University of Michigan
Saturday, September 04, 2004
Two US Soldiers Wounded
Demonstration at Fallujah
Two US troops were injured near Tikrit on Friday.
There was a demonstration in Fallujah about the ongoing US bombing of the city. Al-Jazeerah showed videotape. I saw one cleric angrily denouncing the Allawi government for permitting foreigners to bomb its own citizens. It struck me that the speakers at this demonstration and their sentiments are not being seen on US television news, and it is a shame. Even if Americans just want to understand their enemy, they would have to be aware of these sentiments. My perception is that we almost never see dissidents or opposition figures speaking freely on US cable news, and seldom on the networks.
There are many murky charges and counter-charges about Fallujah. The US maintains it had a good view of terrorists killing someone, then going into their safe house, which the US then bombed. The Fallujah medical authorities keep insisting that such strikes are killing children and women. On Friday Fallujans charged that a US tank fired into the city, which the US military denies.
The Poles are turning over responsibility for Karbala, in preparation for their planned January departure from Iraq. Bush was boasting at the convention about all the foreign allies he had (he seemed to me to make Denmark an applause line; I like Denmark but it is no longer a Great Power.) But what he did not mention is all the countries that have withdrawn or are planning withdrawals in the next few months.
Tension was high again on Friday in Najaf, with US troops surrounding the city. Apparently there are fears of a Mahdi Army resurgence already. A small demonstration was held against Muqtada al-Sadr by Najafis.
A pipeline that had been attacked near Kirkuk continued to burn.
posted by Juan @ 9/4/2004 06:36:41 AM
has Rumsfeld moved into the "undislosed location" formerly occupied by Cheney?
Perhaps he's finally been located and captured by Osama. Such a capture was, I'd been led to believe, imminent.
Of course they pulled him out of the light because:
1) he was polling badly
2) he was a reminder of Iraq which we are not to be reminded of
Quote:Garrison Keillor
Now if he was standing.
Loved the story about the Lutherans on the boat.
What's this? What did I miss about my favorite humankind personage?
Blatham, do you think, as I have heard and read, that Osama bin Laden is captive and will be trotted out just before the election?
Kara
That's a thought I'm sure many have had bounce around in their noggins. It's bounced around in mine.
Would they ('they' being Rove and Bush, most immediately)? Yes, I think they'd do it at the drop of a hat if the opportunity was there, and if they felt it probable they could get away with it. We'll recall the fortuitous release of prisoners for Reagan. Obviously, if they caught him a month ago and then announce capture two weeks before the election, they'd be lying. But they lie every day.
The getting away with it part seems much trickier, as more than a few people would be involved (intelligence folks, soldiers, chain of command people, etc). It's quite possible that these folks might be expected to shut up for the good of their commander in chief (the fools), but the more people involved, the tougher secrecy becomes.
I think it is possible, but not likely.
But, I'd be very happy to wager anyone anything that they are putting HUGE effort and resources into a pre-election capture. They know it would be the winning card.
The State of the Nation:
Once upon a time in America
America is fired up about this year's election like never before. Michael Moore fills cinemas, the candidates are at each other's throats, and the country's artistic community is taking to the streets. As protest reaches fever pitch, nine American novelists tell Robert McCrum of their hopes and fears for their nation's next chapter
Sunday September 5, 2004
The Guardian
It is 9 August 2004, 30 years to the day that Richard Nixon left the White House in disgrace. Carl Hiaasen is fishing for baby tarpon in the shallow waters in front of his house on the Florida Keys. The bestselling author of Skinny Dip, Strip Tease and Stormy Weather remembers that day only too well. He had just started as a cub reporter with Florida Today, a local newspaper, and was assigned to do vox-pop interviews with Miami voters. 'You know,' he says, apropos of our conversation about American politics a generation after those momentous weeks, 'it's even worse now.' Hiaasen's lure snakes out across the water. There's a splash and a vicious swirl as the fish bite.
'Worse than - ?'
'Worse than Watergate.'
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/magazine/story/0,11913,1296010,00.html
McTag
Thanks for that piece. They're right.
Kara
McTag I think mentioned Garrison Keillor.....dont know why!
Regarding OBL its quite possible they are holding him to be wheeled out to swing the election. But they can only play the OBL card once (unless that is they let him escape and play hide and seek again) so if Bush is confident of winning without playing his best card, they might keep him in reserve for a rainy day. IMO.
Steve (as 41oo) wrote:Kara
McTag I think mentioned Garrison Keillor.....dont know why!
A few pages back I provided a link to a very good
very good
very very good
article by said gent, which I commend to you.
The subject: the bleak prospect afforded by any more years of Bush.
That's why.
I can re-supply the link later, if you need it, but it's there somewhere.
Cheers, McT
Sheesh...just imagine what Twain would say about these bastards.
