friday news dump

Posted by dada | Oct 5, 2007 | 23 |

friday news dump

watch where you step

ITMF’sA

The world always makes the assumption that the exposure of an error is identical with the discovery of truth–that the error and truth are simply opposite. They are nothing of the sort. What the world turns to, when it is cured on one error, is usually simply another error, and maybe one worse than the first one. h.l.mencken

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dada

23 Comments

dada on October 5, 2007 at 11:22 am

l’m glad you asked…but unfortunately, they don’t seem to get it:

Iraq parliament finds a quorum hard to come by

BAGHDAD: Mahmoud al-Mashadani, the speaker of Parliament, read a roll call of the 275 elected members with a goal of shaming the no-shows.

Ayad Allawi, the former prime minister? Absent, living in Amman and London. Adnan Pachachi, the octogenarian statesman? Also gone, in Abu Dhabi.

Others who failed to appear Monday included Saleh Mutlak, a senior Sunni legislator; several Shiites and Kurds; and Ayad al-Samaraei, chairman of the finance committee, whose absence led Mr. Mashadani to ask: “When will he be back? After we approve the budget?”

It was a joke barbed with outrage. Iraq’s Parliament in recent months has been at a standstill. Nearly every session since November has been adjourned because as few as 65 members made it to work, even as they and the absentees earned salaries and benefits worth about $120,000.

[…]

international herald tribune

but it’s really hard to concentrate when they’re blowing people up and the countries in the midst of devolving even farther back than the 16th century:

Conquer and divide

…security advances are not being matched by political progress.

Mr Maliki’s coalition government looks weaker than ever, unable to command a working parliamentary majority and apparently incapable of passing an oil revenue-sharing law or other “benchmark” reconciliation measures. Seventeen ministries are without a minister and much central government funding remains frozen in the ruins of a collapsed bureaucracy.

[…]

The impotence and inertia of the Baghdad government, coupled with growing willingness among tribal chiefs and provincial and municipal-level leaders to take charge of their own security, budgets and social programmes, is encouraging talk of partition – or at least a de facto devolution of power going beyond that envisaged in Iraq’s federal constitution.

Independence-minded Kurdistan, in northern Iraq, is already going its own way, whatever Iraq’s figurehead president, Jalal Talabani, may have told Mr Bush at their recent White House meeting.

To illustrate the point, the Kurdish regional government recently signed five unilateral oil exploration deals with foreign companies, including Hunt Oil of Texas, an erstwhile Bush campaign supporter, to fury in both Baghdad and Washington.

[…]

All this has not gone unnoticed among US legislators and policymakers such as Democratic senator Joe Biden, who have long argued that Iraq as a conventional, unified nation state is an unattainable chimera, and that Bosnia-style, ethnically-based partition is the responsible way forward.

Mr Biden won senate approval last week for a non-binding measure calling for Iraq’s division into separate Sunni, Shia and Kurdish regions.

“Attempts to partition or divide Iraq by intimidation, force or other means would produce extraordinary suffering and bloodshed,” the US government warned.

But many reply that, despite the surgistas’ recent successes, extraordinary suffering is what Iraq has already got – and the illusion of central control cannot be sustained much longer.

additional references in links above.

nation building’s hard work, eh chimpy?

lTMF’sA
dada on October 5, 2007 at 11:26 am

BushCo™ has the midas touch when it comes to fattening the wallets of the military-industrial complex:

Russia warns of arms war in space: report

Russia’s military space commander vowed to retaliate with an arms race if any country started putting weapon systems into orbit, he said in remarks published on Wednesday.

[…]

Tensions between Russia and Washington have deepened over U.S. plans to rekindle the stalled “Star Wars” program from the 1980s with a new generation of missile defense shields.

reuters

so what’s the response?…let’s harrass them in iraq…they don’t want to se us achieve victory there…

Russia Angry Over Iraq Security Incident

Russia voiced anger Wednesday over what it said was inappropriate treatment of its diplomats by a private security firm in Iraq.

The Foreign Ministry said armed employees of a company it identified as “Global” sought to search a vehicle belonging to the Russian Embassy and threatened violence during an incident Monday at the Baghdad airport.

It was apparently referring to London-based Global Strategies Group.

The actions were a “rude violation” of international rules governing the treatment of diplomats and could have led to “serious consequences,” the ministry said.

“Thanks to the restraint and composure of our diplomats and their clear and proper actions, the incident was resolved,” it said.

The complaint from Russia, a vocal critic of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, came amid concerns over the role of security contractors in Iraq following a shootout that left 11 Iraqi civilians dead. The private security firm Blackwater USA is under investigation for its role in the Sept. 16 shootout in Baghdad.

[…]

The Foreign Ministry said Russia registered a formal protest with the Iraqi Embassy in Moscow and that Iraq’s Foreign Ministry had apologized.

guardian uk
additional references in links above

it’s good to know that competent people are in charge.

lTMF’sA
dada on October 5, 2007 at 11:30 am

paul krugman looks into the mindset of the modern compassionate conservative, and it’s not funny:

Conservatives Are Such Jokers

…Today’s leading conservatives are Reagan’s heirs. If you’re poor, if you don’t have health insurance, if you’re sick — well, they don’t think it’s a serious issue. In fact, they think it’s funny.

[…]

On Wednesday, President Bush vetoed legislation that would have expanded S-chip, the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, providing health insurance to an estimated 3.8 million children who would otherwise lack coverage.

In anticipation of the veto, William Kristol, the editor of The Weekly Standard, had this to say: “First of all, whenever I hear anything described as a heartless assault on our children, I tend to think it’s a good idea. I’m happy that the president’s willing to do something bad for the kids.” Heh-heh-heh.

Most conservatives are more careful than Mr. Kristol. They try to preserve the appearance that they really do care about those less fortunate than themselves. But the truth is that they aren’t bothered by the fact that almost nine million children in America lack health insurance. They don’t think it’s a problem.

[…]

What’s happening, presumably, is that modern movement conservatism attracts a certain personality type. If you identify with the downtrodden, even a little, you don’t belong. If you think ridicule is an appropriate response to other peoples’ woes, you fit right in….

NYT

ayn rand must be proud.

lTMF’sA
dada on October 5, 2007 at 11:32 am

fnd6
the ratpublicans once again show haow they support the troops:

Army Denies Education Benefits To National Guard Troops Who Served 22 Months In Iraq

Approximately 2,600 members of the Minnesota National Guard recently returned home after serving multiple tours of duty in Iraq. They served 22 months — “longer than any other ground combat unit” — recieved nine fatalities, and were awarded dozens of Purple Hearts.

But the Army wrote the orders for 1,162 of these soldiers for 729 days, making them ineligible for full educational benefits under the GI Bill, which requires written orders saying they were deployed for 730 days or more…

thinkprogress

1 fu©king day!

accident?…miscommunication?…BS

supporting the troops….<long string of expletives deleted>

lTMF’sA
dada on October 5, 2007 at 11:34 am

Byrd of the senate speaks up…again:

Byrd warns of “chest pounding” on Iran

Sen. Robert C. Byrd (D-W.Va.) took to the Senate floor on Thursday to decry recent provocations against Iran, warning his colleagues against “sleep-walking” into another military conflict.

[…]

“I hope that we can stop this war of words before it becomes a war of bombs,” said Byrd, who voted against the measure.

“It is deeply troubling to see the U.S. Senate joining the chest-pounding and saber-rattling of the Bush administration,” Byrd said (video courtesy Breitbart TV) “I am no apologist for the Iranian regime…but I fear that we may become entangled in another bloody quagmire.” …

“We have been down this path before,” Byrd said. “We have seen all too clearly where it leads.”

the politico via tp

l remember Byrd’s eloquent speech in the senate regarding the Iraq War,
“Unprovoked Invasion of A Sovereign Nation”

…wonder if any, but the usual suspects, are listening.

unlikely, given the recent quiescence of the democratic majority.

lTMF’sA
dada on October 5, 2007 at 11:36 am

this one’ll soon be a jailbird if he doesn’t change his ways and abandon his life of crime.

from aberdeen, scotland:

A seagull in Scotland has developed the habit of stealing chips from a neighborhood shop.

The seagull waits until the shopkeeper isn’t looking, and then walks into the store and grabs a snack-size bag of cheese Doritos.

Once outside, the bag gets ripped open and shared by other birds.

The seagull’s shoplifting started early this month when he first swooped into the store in Aberdeen, Scotland, and helped himself to a bag of chips. Since then, he’s become a regular. He always takes the same type of chips.

snopes

scotland yard’s all over it:

h/t ndd for the tip

lTMF’sA
on October 5, 2007 at 11:52 am

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/10/04/tax.standoff/index.html?iref=newssearch
dada on October 5, 2007 at 11:53 am

gotz to give my Rock’s some props…

they came into

BooMans’

chris’ yard and took two….

now, l’m reluctant to say sweep, because both these ball clubs have some big hitters, and they’re playing in two of the most hitter friendly parks in the country…but broom sales have skyrocketed in the denver metro area.

this is fun, it’s been a long time…

lTMF’sA
olivia on October 5, 2007 at 11:57 am

Nikon International Small World Competition winners (click image for link):

1st Place, by Gloria Kwon
Double transgenic mouse embryo, 18.5 days (17x)
olivia on October 5, 2007 at 12:06 pm

Wired — Is your office cubicle soulless, bland, filthy, tiny, grim, or depressing? Does it suck the life force from all ye who enter? For once, it’s your lucky day.

[…]

Photo entries at the link.
- KNUCKLEHEAD on October 6, 2007 at 12:05 am
  
  Olivia,
  I`ve seen larger urinals. At first I couldn`t figure out how both images were connected.
  Holy cramps, said Batman`s secretary.
cruz del sur on October 5, 2007 at 1:39 pm
Pinochet’s wife and 5 sons and daughters arrested in chile :o)

Pagina 12 reports that not only his family was arrested, but also civilians (some of them lawyers) who workrd for him.They say that there is a new badge of judges that ha ve a new attitude towards human rights violations Here is a list of those indicted and arrested
1. Augusto Osvaldo Pinochet Hiriart: hijo mayor de Pinochet.
2. Inés Lucía Pinochet Hiriart: hijo del general (R).
3. Marco Antonio Pinochet Hiriart: hijo del general (R).
4. Jacqueline Marie Pinochet Hiriart: hija del general (R).
5. María Verónica Pinochet Hiriart: hija del general (R).
6. María Lucía Hiriart Rodríguez: viuda del general (R).
7. Oscar Custodio Aitken Lavanchy: ex albacea de Pinochet.
8. Mónica Victoria Ananías Kuncar: ex secretaria de Pinochet.
9. Jorge Ballerino Sandford: general (R) del Ejército. Jefe de la Casa Militar entre 1981 y 1984.
10. Ramón Castro Ivanovic: general (R) del Ejército. Se desempeñó en la Casa Militar bajo el mando de Ballerino y fue secretario de Pinochet.
11. Guillermo Garín Aguirre: ex vicecomandante en jefe del Ejército, vocero de la familia Pinochet. Asumió la Casa Militar en enero de 1985.
12. Gustavo Collao Mira: coronel (R) del Ejército. Abogado que formó parte de la defensa de Augusto Pinochet Ugarte.
13. Gabriel Vergara Cifuentes: coronel (R) del Ejército, fue secretario privado de Pinochet entre 1992 y 1995.
14. Juan Ricardo Mac-Lean Vergara: coronel del Ejército en servicio activo. Fue secretario privado de Pinochet entre 1995 y 1996. Ex director de la Escuela de Suboficiales.
15. Eduardo Fernando Castillo Cádiz: secretario privado de Pinochet
16. Sergio Moreno Saravia: general retirado. Secretario general del Ejército, edecán de Pinochet.
17. Jaime Enrique Lepe Orellana: brigadier retirado del Ejército, ex secretario de Pinochet.
18. Patricio Salvador Madariaga Gutiérrez: hermano de la ministra de Justicia del gobierno militar, Mónica Madariaga. Fue cónsul de Chile en Los Angeles, California.
19. Mortimer Humberto Jofré Azuaya: coronel (R) del Ejército.
20. Héctor Guillermo Letelier Skinner: general (R) del Ejército.
21. José Hernán Sobarzo Poblete: ex gerente de Finanzas de Famae.
22. Juan Fernando Romero Riquelme: ex auditor general del Ejército.
23. Ambrosio Rodríguez Quirós: abogado defensor de Pinochet y ex procurador de la República.
- KNUCKLEHEAD on October 5, 2007 at 11:55 pm
  
  Thus the “coming home to roost” turn of phrase.
  HAHAhahahaaaa
  - cruz del sur on October 6, 2007 at 1:05 am
    
    Hi Tony!!!!! How are you doing?
    - KNUCKLEHEAD on October 6, 2007 at 12:26 pm
      
      I`m cool. Hope all`s well with you, Nico
      Check in on me here, to see.
      http://frenchpirate.blogspot.com/
      - cruz del sur on October 7, 2007 at 12:46 pm
        
        Thanks! Just went there and love your stuff.
on October 5, 2007 at 3:06 pm

http://uk.reuters.com/article/email/idUKYAT72246420071001?pageNumber=1

Hmm, what could we learn from this ….?
- dada on October 5, 2007 at 3:28 pm
  
  puts lie to the chaos hawk’s theory that any withdrawal will “produce extraordinary suffering and bloodshed“…
  
  which goes a long way in explaining this.
  
  the neoCons are flailing about like dying fish in the bottom of the boat…and the stench is getting worse.
  
  lTMF’sA
dada on October 5, 2007 at 6:49 pm

chris floyd fires up the wayback machine and ressurects a very prescient piece from oct 4 2002…six months before the first bombs fell in iraq:

Brass in Pocket: A Chronicle of Blood Money Foretold

While looking through the files to find a piece I’d done years back on some of the sleazy business dealings of Bush Regime honchos, I ran across the article below. It was a Moscow Times column that I wrote about Bushist war profiteering in Iraq. Pretty standard fare, you might think – after all, it is now a truth universally acknowledged that the Bush Administration’s rapine of Iraq is one of the most gargantuan corruption schemes in human history…

The point here is not to claim amazing Kreskin-like powers of prophecy for myself – obviously I have none – but to underscore, yet again, how blazingly clear the true nature of this war crime was from the very beginning. Everything I wrote in those days was based upon mainstream news reports and other public information; all of it was easily available to, say, the “liberal hawks” and Democratic leaders and others who now claim that they were hornswoggled by the wily Bush gang, that they are simply gobsmacked that this noble crusade somehow turned into a rampage of murder and loot: “Boy howdy, we never seen that comin’!” These gormless Gomers are either brazen liars or dribbling fools of the highest order – or both. But as Jon Schwarz reminds us, this hasn’t prevented them from continuing to dominate the “national debate” about the atrocity in Iraq — and the coming atrocity in Iran.

We don’t wish to be simplistic, however. Crude assertions such as “This is a war for oil” or “Bush will kill thousands of people to enrich his fellow oil barons” do a grave injustice to the complexities — the subtle nuances — of the situation. And Mr. Bush — despite the many unjust aspersions cast upon his intelligence by liberal bigots and late-night comedians — is in perfect command of these complexities. He knows he is not going to “kill thousands of people to enrich his fellow oil barons.” No; he’s going to kill thousands of people to enrich a whole range of special interests, not just oil barons.

Who says Dub don’t do nuance?

[…]

empire burlesque

all the usual suspects are there. the carlyle group, halliburton, et al. like he says: “These men have shown that they put profit above everything else — and for them there is no profit in peace.”

recommended reading

lTMF’sA
- KNUCKLEHEAD on October 6, 2007 at 12:02 am
  
  dada,
  Good ones.
  I was by early this morning & read & clicked 4`s for your work.
  I`ll keep my eyes open for the dump.
  I`m not GAZEBO THE FORETELLER, but I, like many others, could have written that same piece, using more swear words.
  And yet, no one will stand up & tell the monkey to “SIT DOWN & SHUT THE FUCK UP!!”.
  Cruz, might want to send his comment to the white house. Anonymously, of course.
infidelpig on October 6, 2007 at 8:38 am

great photo of Fox News in the heading bro…. ; )

ohhh but for the day when the news will include the judgement and imprisonment of these scoundrels making policy…..

I’m gonna stick around that long to see that, then I can rest in peace….;)

peace man,

wado
- KNUCKLEHEAD on October 6, 2007 at 1:18 pm
  
  I think the average lifespan stats will be climbing quite a bit, as more people wait for the inevitable outcome that shall come to pass, for the monkey & his tribe, before passing away themselves.
- dada on October 6, 2007 at 4:51 pm
  
  good to see yer still fightin’ the bastads, iPig…
  
  live long and prosper my friend
  
  peace bro
  
  lTMF’sA

friday news dump

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dada

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