Holmes,
I am going to post to site9 your response to the New York Times article I sent you all, and invite my brother and his colleagues to do the dissection, since you have obviously had time to learn some political facts, which if they are "true facts" are impressive. I forget that you were once advisor to a progressive mayor of one of our great American cities, New Haven. Good luck to you all. I am going to be impressed if I see the Congress wheel all the way around from the Democrat's cut-and-run "policy" to something resembling a troop increase, which is what should have happened years ago. Interesting to see that the "ostracized" and fired Sinsekei is being rehabilitated now. Anyway, if the Democratic ship of fools can be turned by reality, great. Otherwise, we are in for another liftoff from the embassy by helicopter a la Saigon-- excuse me, Ho Chi Minh City-- and a blood bath that should compete well with the partition of India and Pakistan. Although, who knows?, perhaps with US outof the way, they wil settle their affairs peaceably. Another interesting current going -- we are living through a transition in which many ideas are flourishing-- is the idea of a strongman for Iraq. I have felt since early on when things started going badly that the best going away present we could probably give them is Saddam Hussein instead of the government now installed. What ever happened to that great American tradition of putting tinpot dictators in place all over to protect our interests and those of Dole Fruit?
Dave B.
On Nov 16, 2006, at 8:15 AM, David L. Holmes wrote:
I’m not sure I “get” why you and (coincidentally, I’m sure) the Neo-Con/Likud policy wonks (not to mention the mainstream “liberally-biased” media) are so down on Murtha as some Pinko, cut-and-run, pacifist lefty.
He’s a long standing member of the Blue Dog Democratic Caucus. He opposes freedom of choice and any form of gun control. He has never opposed a military appropriation bill and has in the past – and I believe most recently – been a parrot for the uniformed services. He is a decorated war hero and adored by the military whose bidding he is doing right now with his calls for redeployments in Iraq.
Steny Hoyer has opposed and betrayed Pelosi for years, supported Bush in his Iraq adventure, and expressed disappointment about the recent apparent democratic “mandate.” Moreover, most of the whining about Pelosi’s embrace of that leftwing, MoveOn-loving Murtha and her abandonment of her one true friend, Hoyer, has come from precisely the same Amen corner that was outraged at the Dem’s treatment of Lieberman, piled on Howard Dean when he ran in the presidential primaries – and has not let up since and is suggesting that any Democratic investigation of war profiteering or giveaways of U.S.-owned real estate to resource extraction industries would be damaging to the Dem’s long term interests. And, oh yes, if the Dem’s have any sense, they will support Obama for president. That last one has me mystified and a bit on guard.
I think Dick Morris, David Brooks, Richard Perle, Bob Novak, Charles Krauthammer and William Safire – to name a few – have always been out for the best interests of the Democratic Party. I thin Pelosi and others should listen to their every burp.
On or about November 15, 2006 David A. Burack wrote:
The Senate should become interesting over the next few months. McCain will have to hold the fort for the Republicans. Maybe it is a good thing that he is not a Democrat. They would just steam roller him into a back room, where they should have held Murtha instead.
Democrats Push for Troop Cuts Within Months
"The White House said it is open to 'fresh ideas,' but rejected setting a timeline for withdrawing troops from Iraq."
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Saturday, November 11, 2006
Today, Germany. Tomorrow...
by Jon B:
I may perhaps at times have mentioned my ongoing worries about transnational progressivism and its drive to undermine the nation state in the name of some global constitutional order. This is a good sign of what we can expect more of until such time as the EU and/or UN collapse, since they are the sites of a good deal of it.
Exclusive: Charges Sought Against Rumsfeld Over Prison Abuse
It is not to be taken lightly. I do not think Americans realize how thoroughly much of our legal establishment, for instance, has thrown in with this perspective. You occasionally see items about Ruth Bader Ginsburg or Steven Breyer making references to international conventions, values, judicial proceedings and cases in some of their decisions. It's worse than that. These people are the elites, not the rag-tag alienated of the Arab street.
Don't you just love the utopian hubris: German law provides for "universal jurisdiction." Seems to me, some guy over there tried that already once several decades back, but what the heck do I know.
I am sure the Germans waited to get a Democratic Congress and for Rummy to leave office to try this breathtaking invasion of US sovereignty, but believe me sovereignty itself is in their sites. In some ways, the goo-goos of the UN, EU and the NGO networks are totally in sync with the terrorists in their hostility to the nation state. All this will be with us as long as terrorism itself, and we better get ready to take it on.
--Jon
I may perhaps at times have mentioned my ongoing worries about transnational progressivism and its drive to undermine the nation state in the name of some global constitutional order. This is a good sign of what we can expect more of until such time as the EU and/or UN collapse, since they are the sites of a good deal of it.
Exclusive: Charges Sought Against Rumsfeld Over Prison Abuse
It is not to be taken lightly. I do not think Americans realize how thoroughly much of our legal establishment, for instance, has thrown in with this perspective. You occasionally see items about Ruth Bader Ginsburg or Steven Breyer making references to international conventions, values, judicial proceedings and cases in some of their decisions. It's worse than that. These people are the elites, not the rag-tag alienated of the Arab street.
Don't you just love the utopian hubris: German law provides for "universal jurisdiction." Seems to me, some guy over there tried that already once several decades back, but what the heck do I know.
I am sure the Germans waited to get a Democratic Congress and for Rummy to leave office to try this breathtaking invasion of US sovereignty, but believe me sovereignty itself is in their sites. In some ways, the goo-goos of the UN, EU and the NGO networks are totally in sync with the terrorists in their hostility to the nation state. All this will be with us as long as terrorism itself, and we better get ready to take it on.
--Jon
Thursday, November 09, 2006
David L. Holmes reports in
Below is an exchange between Dave B. and David Holmes, with my reply first.
Holmesiana,
That your mood has palpably brightened since the election is reason enough for me to rejoice in the Democrats victory. It may surprise you that I tried to help things along by voting straight Democratic, although in the cesspool of vegetarian pro-Palestinian politics that passes for liberal democracy up here in Vermont it was like pissing into the sewage plant. Anyway, your writing is delightful enough that I am going to post it into my nearly completely unread new blog, and will send you the link once I think of it, since it has been so long that even I looked at the site I have forgotten.
Things fell apart for me, thankfully, at ARD, and I am liberated for individual consulting in water and environment internationally, or just about anywhere for that matter. I am thrilled, and the burden of not having to fight the rearguard corporate battle lifted away as I drove away last Friday, with my traditional eight boxes of effluvia.
My best regards to you, and my very best regards to your bookkeeper. You just don't understand, do you, Holmeski?
Borax
On Nov 9, 2006, at 5:45 AM, David L. Holmes wrote:
I hope things are OK with you.
Well, the elections are finally over with. And best of all, Mr. Rumsfeld is off to brighter horizons! What a pity Senators Macacawitz and Santorum lost.
Following up on my last epistle, I offer the reflections of Chris Hedges on the U.S.’s and Israel’s prospects for long term peace-creation in the Levant as an attachment. Hedges was Mid East bureau chief for the New York Times and has written several books which I own. But most interestingly, he is a fellow who had the temerity to express some doubts about the wisdom Mr. Bush’s then-brand-new Iraq adventure at a commencement address at my Alma Mater, Rockford College in IL. The outrageous behavior of the students and their parents made national news. It bordered on violent, the microphone was unplugged and he was asked to stop by the president before he finished the speech. All of this notwithstanding the fact that he’s an ordained minister, had at that time a couple of decades of first hand experience in the region under his belt, and the speech itself was pretty mild (I noticed just now that when I Googled “Chris Hedges,” that the 3rd entry -- after 2 relating to a Bill Moyers interview – is Text of the Rockford College graduation speech by Chris Hedges in the Rockford Register Star.
It was that event that made me realize that we had come to a sad and uninquiring state of affairs in the U.S. It persists to this day. I printed a copy of your hero, Tom Friedman’s, Insulting Our Troops, and Our Intelligence column from last week to share with the bookkeeper who shares space with me in this office on a part time basis. She was so outraged after the first paragraph, she refused to read further and threw the print out at me. Like the students and parents at Rockford 3 years ago, our bookkeeper has a palpable and visceral reaction to even the suggestion that our “Global War on Terror” may need some tweaking. It’s all so sad.
My best to you and your lovely bride.
Holmesini
Holmesiana,
That your mood has palpably brightened since the election is reason enough for me to rejoice in the Democrats victory. It may surprise you that I tried to help things along by voting straight Democratic, although in the cesspool of vegetarian pro-Palestinian politics that passes for liberal democracy up here in Vermont it was like pissing into the sewage plant. Anyway, your writing is delightful enough that I am going to post it into my nearly completely unread new blog, and will send you the link once I think of it, since it has been so long that even I looked at the site I have forgotten.
Things fell apart for me, thankfully, at ARD, and I am liberated for individual consulting in water and environment internationally, or just about anywhere for that matter. I am thrilled, and the burden of not having to fight the rearguard corporate battle lifted away as I drove away last Friday, with my traditional eight boxes of effluvia.
My best regards to you, and my very best regards to your bookkeeper. You just don't understand, do you, Holmeski?
Borax
On Nov 9, 2006, at 5:45 AM, David L. Holmes wrote:
I hope things are OK with you.
Well, the elections are finally over with. And best of all, Mr. Rumsfeld is off to brighter horizons! What a pity Senators Macacawitz and Santorum lost.
Following up on my last epistle, I offer the reflections of Chris Hedges on the U.S.’s and Israel’s prospects for long term peace-creation in the Levant as an attachment. Hedges was Mid East bureau chief for the New York Times and has written several books which I own. But most interestingly, he is a fellow who had the temerity to express some doubts about the wisdom Mr. Bush’s then-brand-new Iraq adventure at a commencement address at my Alma Mater, Rockford College in IL. The outrageous behavior of the students and their parents made national news. It bordered on violent, the microphone was unplugged and he was asked to stop by the president before he finished the speech. All of this notwithstanding the fact that he’s an ordained minister, had at that time a couple of decades of first hand experience in the region under his belt, and the speech itself was pretty mild (I noticed just now that when I Googled “Chris Hedges,” that the 3rd entry -- after 2 relating to a Bill Moyers interview – is Text of the Rockford College graduation speech by Chris Hedges in the Rockford Register Star.
It was that event that made me realize that we had come to a sad and uninquiring state of affairs in the U.S. It persists to this day. I printed a copy of your hero, Tom Friedman’s, Insulting Our Troops, and Our Intelligence column from last week to share with the bookkeeper who shares space with me in this office on a part time basis. She was so outraged after the first paragraph, she refused to read further and threw the print out at me. Like the students and parents at Rockford 3 years ago, our bookkeeper has a palpable and visceral reaction to even the suggestion that our “Global War on Terror” may need some tweaking. It’s all so sad.
My best to you and your lovely bride.
Holmesini
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