Clipmarks | debbyski's 'war' clips

In The Cultural War Trenches

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 02:51:18 GMT

clipped by: debbyski

They call it the culture war. It has generated more hot air than most real wars in history.

Not military power, but the kind that comes from shaping the norms, beliefs and values by which people live, and the meanings attached to words like liberalism, patriotism or, indeed, culture.

Does this sort of thing matter? Over the last decade, it has mattered a lot

And let's be clear: This war will not finish with a victory of blue over red, or vice versa. It will finish with the accepted, peaceful coexistence in one society of different faiths, value systems and lifestyles -- along the lines laid down centuries ago by the classical liberalism of John Locke and others, which so much influenced the founding fathers

It won't be "liberals" (in the perverted sense in which that word is now used) trouncing conservatives, but classical liberalism remade for the 21st century. It won't be blue obliterating red, but red, white and blue.

Zip It Up Soldier

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 21:41:16 GMT

clipped by: debbyski

Clip Source: www.motherjones.com

The number of vocally anti-war soldiers appears to be growing.

"You take an average group of soldiers and ask them, 'Is the war worth it?' and you get close to a majority saying it is not really necessary or viable," says David Cortright, author of Soldiers in Revolt: GI Resistance During the Vietnam War, who has been touring and speaking at bases. "The anti-war sentiments are much more pervasive now in Iraq."

As a result, soldiers say, the military is increasingly trying to silence them with formal threats as well as less official intimidation techniques: At their own discretion, commanders can enact "non-judicial punishments," such as imposing a diet of bread and water, enforcing longer work hours, and requiring intensive physical activity like hauling sandbags back and forth or running for hours in full gear.

"It's hard to explain how much the military has control over your entire life,"

Tags: you, are, property, baby

Still No Exit

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 12:37:28 GMT

clipped by: debbyski
clipper's remarks: "Mr. Obama has offered a sensible blueprint for quickly drawing down American troops in Iraq and bolstering the fight in Afghanistan. After a befuddling silence, Mr. McCain on Tuesday finally agreed that more troops are needed in Afghanistan. What Mr. McCain has yet to explain is where those troops will come from.

Mr. Bush’s disastrous war in Iraq has so overtaxed American forces that the math is painfully simple: Until there is a real drawdown from Iraq, there will not be enough troops to win in Afghanistan. "

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

President Bush is nothing if not consistent. In a speech on Tuesday, he made it clear that he has no plan at all for ending the war in Iraq and no serious plan for winning the war in Afghanistan.

While Mr. Bush and his party’s nominee, John McCain, both want to stay the course until some undefined “victory” is achieved, American voters have run out of patience

Iraq’s leaders have also run out of patience, and they are pushing to have American troops out by 2011. That means the next president — whether it is Mr. McCain or Barack Obama — will have to quickly come up with a plan for a safe and responsible exit.

Mr. Bush was right on one point Tuesday when he said that “Afghanistan’s success is critical to the security of America.”

What he didn’t say is that Washington is in real danger of losing the war against the Taliban and Al Qaeda — the war Mr. Bush shortchanged again and again for his misadventure in Iraq.

Running Against Themselves

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 12:37:39 GMT

clipped by: debbyski
clipper's remarks: "Mr. McCain says he is the candidate who will better protect the country from terrorism. But about all he has to offer is his pledge to continue the war in Iraq. We have yet to hear an explanation for how he plans to do that while also salvaging the war in Afghanistan — the real front line in the war against Al Qaeda and the Taliban."

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

Three days into the Republican National Convention, it is clear that the G.O.P. has settled on a message: “Washington is not working.” The phrase is included in virtually every speech and every statement in St Paul.

We agree completely that Washington is in desperate need of renewal and reform. We’re not even going to quibble about the fact that Barack Obama said it first. The problem is that American voters have yet to hear — from John McCain or his warm-up acts — any serious ideas on what, exactly, is wrong with Washington, apart from the fact that a Democrat might win the White House, never mind how to truly fix it.

As hard as he tries, Mr. McCain cannot escape the burdensome shadow of President Bush because his policies offer no real change

Mr. McCain also has yet to explain to voters how he intends to go on paying for the war in Iraq — and also fix a dangerously stretched and overburdened military.

The Great Illusion

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 22:56:19 GMT

clipped by: debbyski

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

By itself, as I said, the war in Georgia isn’t that big a deal economically. But it does mark the end of the Pax Americana — the era in which the United States more or less maintained a monopoly on the use of military force. And that raises some real questions about the future of globalization.

So, can things fall apart again? Yes, they can.

Most obviously, Europe’s dependence on Russian energy, especially natural gas, now looks very dangerous — more dangerous, arguably, than its dependence on Middle Eastern oil

Most of us have proceeded on the belief that, at least as far as economics goes, this doesn’t matter — that we can count on world trade continuing to flow freely simply because it’s so profitable. But that’s not a safe assumption.

Angell was right to describe the belief that conquest pays as a great illusion. But the belief that economic rationality always prevents war is an equally great illusion.

This War Report Has Been Approved By Your Government

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 04:43:09 GMT

clipped by: debbyski
clipper's remarks: "Apparently, in the view of our corporate news editors and managers, it is important for Americans to fully witness the bloody horrors of war when that war is being fought by Russia, but we are to be carefully protected from seeing such things when they are being perpetrated by our own centurions. We aren’t even allowed to see the grievous injuries and death being suffered by our own troops.
And, of course, don't feel to good about the quality of the coverage of the Russian/Georgia conflict either. This too is biased. Indeed one reason we are shown all the carnage is that the US government has been backing Georgia, and there is evidence that the US even encouraged the Georgian attacks on ethnic Russians which provoked the invasion. The US also has obligingly airlifted Georgian troops back from Iraq to Georgia.

This is not news. This is propaganda, pure and simple. "

Clip Source: www.opednews.com

We Americans got a graphic illustration of the demise of any
independent American corporate news media these past few days

In the first case, we had the completely pointless if prurient
airing of Edwards’ sordid extra-marital affair.

It’s not that his personal sex-life
has any news value in and of itself. The point is that had he won the
nomination, or been picked as a vice presidential running mate, its
inevitable exposure later during the general election would have
destroyed any Democratic presidential chances

Then there’s the Georgia war.

We read that President Bush condemned the Russian invasion of another nation and called for an immediate ceasefire. Yet there was not one word of astonishment or challenge from reporters or commentators or editorial writers at this stunningly cynical statement coming from a leader who himself is responsible for the blatantly illegal and much more destructive invasion of another nation.

For those who think war is all glory

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 02:36:35 GMT

clipped by: cptenaud
clipper's remarks: Pictures from the Hell zone that Bush and Cheney created.

Clip Source: www.zoriah.net

My hands still shake and my heart pounds despite my fatigue. A combination of depression, fear, and adrenaline makes my thoughts race with the realization that a simple decision was the only thing that seperated me from a body count that grows daily. I look at the images I took on the 26th of June, and realize they do nothing to capture the emotion of being an eyewitness to the aftermath of the Al-Qaeda suicide attack in Karmah/Garma... the smell... the sound of screams and crying.

I want you to observe and comprehend what others live through on a daily basis -- to see what the Iraqi civilians and foreign soldiers see. I want people who follow my photography to understand that although I am able to bring images of war to the world in a form of art, what actually goes on here is horror. My message is not that war yields great photography. My message is: War yields human misery and suffering.

CLICK HERE to view my June 26th diary entry

Tags: war, glory, or, gory

NZ students offer reward for Rice's arrest

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 08:11:21 GMT

clipped by: tabsey
clipper's remarks: Nothing will happen, but the reward has drawn attention to the war and the attitude of Kiwis to the invasion.

Clip Source: www.abc.net.au

After her brief visit to Perth, the United States Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, will fly to New Zealand tonight.

Dr Rice will fly into Auckland tonight and her minders will need to be on alert after a student group announced a reward for anyone who could arrest her.

Auckland University's Student Association is offering $5,000 to anyone who can make a citizen's arrest.

Association president David Do says Dr Rice should be ashamed of her role in the Iraq war.

"I think New Zealanders have an inherent sense of fairness and justice and they understand why we are doing it," he said.

"They see the link between what the US has done to the people of Iraq."

He says while the New Zealand Government opposed the war in Iraq, he doubts he would have Prime Minister Helen Clark's support if a citizen's arrest actually happens.

Tags: kiwis, are, great

The Imprecise Meaning Of War

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 11:45:18 GMT

clipped by: debbyski

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

Unless Congress closes a gaping hole in the law against war profiteering, companies ripping off taxpayers in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars may never be fully prosecuted. This is because the latest conflicts are not declared wars.

The anti-fraud law dating to World War II allows prosecution of contractors up to three years after a war ends. But this statute of limitations was omitted from the resolutions authorizing military force in Iraq and Afghanistan, which carried no formal war declaration.

Investigators say that current war fraud runs into untold billions, including faulty ammunition and vehicles and not-so-bullet-proof vests. Investigative officials and the inspector general for Iraq reconstruction have testified that they’re hampered by the ongoing conflicts and need more time to catch contract thieves after they end.

The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder

Wed, 28 May 2008 04:10:24 GMT

clipped by: blueridge
clipper's remarks: by Charles Manson prosecutor and Helter Skelter author Vincent Bugliosi. Click on the video and see how serious he is about a legal case against Bush. His prosecution record is almost flawless too.

Clip Source: www.prosecutionofbush.com

A SEARING INDICTMENT
Famed prosecutor and #1 New York Times bestselling author Vincent Bugliosi has written the most powerful, explosive, and thought-provoking book of his storied career. As a prosecutor dedicated to seeking justice, he delivers a non-partisan argument, free from party lines, based upon hard facts and pure objectivity. More

“SOMEONE HAS TO PAY”
In The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder, Bugliosi presents a tight, meticulously researched legal case that puts George W. Bush on trial in an American courtroom for the murder of nearly 4,000 American soldiers fighting in Iraq. Watch this video interview to learn why he believes we must bring those responsible for the war in Iraq to justice. More

Tags: bush, iraq war, conspiracy, fraud, crime, bugliosi

What Happened?

Fri, 30 May 2008 12:58:04 GMT

clipped by: debbyski

Clip Source: www.latimes.com

WHATEVER qualities George W. Bush brought to the presidency, the ability to inspire loyalty in others obviously was not among them.

Truth to tell, though, there's never been anything in presidential history quite like the stream of self-justifying memoirs this administration already has generated.

* The president went to war against Iraq to secure his place in history and to spread democracy in the Middle East. Because he and his aides knew the case for war couldn't be sold to the American people on that basis, the president deliberately oversold and misrepresented intelligence on Saddam Hussein's links to international terrorism and his pursuit of weapons of mass destruction in what amounted to a "propaganda campaign."

The White House and its surrogates deny all this, stressing that as the deputy press secretary during the run-up to the war, McClellan wasn't in a position to have firsthand knowledge concerning some of the issues he discusses in this book.

Tags: duh

Coming Late To The Table

Sat, 31 May 2008 13:25:44 GMT

clipped by: debbyski
clipper's remarks: "The war in Iraq, which has taken 100,000 or more Iraqi lives, and which will cost the U.S. upwards of $3 trillion, and which continues indefinitely, is a scandal and a crime. Scott McClellan is a little late to be blowing the whistle on this outrage.
More important than his belated musings on the war, and his aggrieved take on the leaking of a C.I.A. operative’s identity, is Mr. McClellan’s warning about the “culture of deception” that has poisoned the very atmosphere of national politics and government.
Forget that this is supposed to be a government of, by and for the people, and that the truth is supposed to matter. Mr. McClellan is being denounced as a traitor by those who readily accept the culture of deception, and who believe that a government official’s primary loyalty is not to the people, but to power itself — in this case, to the president."

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

I guess it’s official now since we have a Bush administration insider, Scott McClellan, telling us that the war in Iraq was a monumental strategic blunder, and that it was sold cynically and deceitfully to a craven Congress and to a public still traumatized by the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Some of us already knew that, Scott. Some of us knew it at the time.

In his new book, “What Happened,” Mr. McClellan even tells us that wars “should only be waged when necessary.”

Gee, Scott, some of us have known that deep in our hearts all of our lives.

Reading Mr. McClellan’s book, I kept thinking of the many ordinary people — the service members, their relatives, and so many others — who have suffered so grievously from this misbegotten and thoroughly unnecessary war.

That is just the tiniest glimpse of the sort of thing that happens when a president refuses to heed the call of reason and instead, immaturely and unforgivably, sends his country’s brave young volunteers into a pointless conflagration.

Don't Fly Me Baby

Tue, 27 May 2008 12:57:23 GMT

clipped by: debbyski

Clip Source: www.latimes.com

Soon after the Gulf War in 1991, a group of military women pressed Congress to allow female pilots to fly combat missions. But a Vietnam War hero in the Senate, John McCain, pushed back hard.

McCain lost that legislative battle, and women pilots started moving into combat roles in the mid-1990s.

And though they remain barred from ground combat units, women -- who make up about 15% of the military -- are playing a bigger fighting role than ever. About 100 have died in Iraq and Afghanistan.

McCain's aides said only that he stood by his past positions, suggesting that he would resist pressures for change.

In the 1991 debate over women pilots, McCain took a traditionalist stance. "This nation has existed for over 215 years," McCain said. "At no time in the history of our nation have women been in combat roles."

McCain's long-standing opposition to women in combat has raised questions among his critics about his commitment to women's rights.

John Crusak Goes To War

Fri, 23 May 2008 16:01:22 GMT

clipped by: debbyski

Clip Source: www.latimes.com

John Cusack is angry. And he thinks you should be too.

He's angry enough to take what might be a suicidal cinematic chance: making a stylized satire of a war in progress.

STORY: Review: 'War, Inc.'

"Everything is outsourced; everything is for profit," the 42-year-old actor-writer-director said recently in an interview at his Venice production office. "I don't think people really understand that. Corporations have privatized the war to the point where the war itself is the cost-plus business. They are hollowing out the very core function of what it means to be a government. They're using the State Department as an ATM."

He scoffs: "They should be sent to prison. They should be convicted. Their ideology should be shamed. We should revolt against them. We should mock them."

What I Want to Ask Mary Tillman

Sat, 24 May 2008 11:32:53 GMT

clipped by: papananook
clipper's remarks: I want to ask her what she thinks of a president who, armed with the facts, would lie over Pat’s dead body. I want to know if she believes George W. Bush belongs in prison.

But I also want to ask Mary Tillman about the person her son was, and the person her son was becoming: the Pat Tillman moving against the war in Iraq; the Pat Tillman who was a voracious reader, turning his attention to critics of empire like Noam Chomsky; the Pat Tillman whose journal and personal effects were burned and destroyed immediately following his death.

This is a Pat Tillman who deserves to be heard.

Clip Source: www.commondreams.org

This Friday, I will have the privilege to interview Mary Tillman, the mother of the late Pat Tillman: former NFL player turned Army Ranger, turned casualty of a criminal war.

Mary Tillman has written a book along with Narda Zacchino called Boots on the Ground by Dusk: My Tribute to Pat Tillman. It’s a heart-ripping account of one family’s lonely search for justice, and how, even aided by public outcry and heavy hitters in Congress, the truth about what actually happened to Mary’s son remains at arm’s length.

Mary Tillman and the Tillman family are a very true reflection about where we are as a country and where we are as a people desperate to end this war. They are furious and disillusioned, like so many of us. They are also isolated and dislocated from the kind of movement that could bring the troops home…like so many of us.

I want to ask Mary Tillman about all of this. I also want to ask Mary Tillman why she believes this government chose to smother Tillman’s death in propaganda

Clipmarks | debbyski's 'war' clips

In The Cultural War Trenches

Zip It Up Soldier

Still No Exit

Running Against Themselves

The Great Illusion

This War Report Has Been Approved By Your Government

For those who think war is all glory

NZ students offer reward for Rice's arrest

The Imprecise Meaning Of War

The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder

What Happened?

Coming Late To The Table

Don't Fly Me Baby

John Crusak Goes To War

Related

What I Want to Ask Mary Tillman