War is always the answer
Fareed Zakaria dissects the ramblings of Dr. Strangemoose:
It is important to recognize the magnitude of what people like Palin are advocating. The United States is being asked to launch a military invasion of a state that poses no imminent threat to America, without sanction from any international body and with few governments willing to publicly endorse such an action. Al-Qaeda and its ilk would present it as the third American invasion of a Muslim nation in a decade, proof positive that the United States is engaged in a war of civilizations. Moderate Arab states and Muslim governments everywhere would be on the defensive. And as Washington has surely come to realize, wars unleash forces that cannot be predicted or controlled.
Meh, I don’t know. I think there would be some clever ways to get around the “third-Islamic-country-in-a-decade” meme.
For instance: We could have the CIA replace every single atlas. globe and map in the entire world with new versions that merged Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan into one big country called “Iranqistan.” That way, we could say that we’ve always been at war with Iranqistan and could claim with justification that we are simply moving the war from the east and west of the country into the center, similar to how the Allied powers came from both the east and west to engulf Berlin in World War II. It could work is all I’m sayin’.
As for the rest of the stuff about destabilizing allied Arab governments… well heck, that’s just par for the course in heightening the contradictions, eh, comrades? Once those governments fall to Islamic radicals, we can justify invading them as well!
War: It’s always the answer.
UPDATE: The hits just keep on coming:
Q: What about ordering a village of resistants to be massacred? … Is that a power that the president could legally–
Yoo: “Yeah. Although, let me say this. So, certainly, that would fall within the commander-in-chief’s power over tactical decisions.
Q: To order a village of civilians to be [exterminated]?
Yoo: Sure.
Q: Can the president create a bolder that’s too heavy for him to lift — and then lift it up anyway?
Yoo: Sure.
Q: Can the president order the military to go back in time and kill Baby Jesus in the manger?
Yoo: I don’t see why not.
Q: Can the president violate the laws of physics by creating matter out of empty space?
Yoo: Oh hell yes.
Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan into one big country called “Iranqistan.”
No.
“Sinatrastan”. This way we could say we did it our way.
That pretty cloud seems to have developed a goiter.
I read the most unbelievable thing about Tolstoy the other day. Did you know the original title for “War and Peace” was “War–What Is It Good For?”!
I await the inevitable Democratic compromise: Just invade Venezuela. They’re not muslim so Zakaria and the other Serious people can get behind it.
“Sinatrastan”. This way we could say we did it our way.
Well done! But the name is more like “Fuckedupistan”.
Sometimes the simpliest photoshops are the best.
I can’t wait for neo-cons to try to tell me that a full out war with Iran would be “good for Israel” (even though such a war would certainly stir up anti-Israeli sentiment in a destabilized middle east and lead to more attacks on Israel — but the neo-cons will say “they hate us anyway and nothing we do makes any difference”) and thus “as a fellow Jew, you must support that war”. And then they will complain that “Walt and Mearsheimer (sp?) accuse Jews of having dual loyalties”. And then they will get into bed (politically speaking) with fundies who regularly echo anti-Semitic tropes and are obsessed with Soros, but “they support Israel, so they must like us Jews”.
Did you follow the link to Clownhall in that column? It’s always an uncomfortable feeling when Pat Buchanan sounds like the voice of reason.
We’ve always been at war with Afghanipakiraqiraniburkahburkahburkahstan. What is this “Moderate Arab State” of which you speak?
And as Washington has surely come to realize, wars unleash forces that cannot be predicted or controlled.
Feature, not bug!
I read the most unbelievable thing about Tolstoy the other day. Did you know the original title for “War and Peace” was “War–What Is It Good For?”!
Not only that, but it was originally much shorter, consisting of only one page with the following:
“Absolutely nuthin’! Say it again!”
Once those governments fall to Islamic radicals, we can justify invading them as well!
Or once we redefine their governments as radical. Those damn crazy Turks and Egyptians — bomb ’em all!
Hell, we could just redefine our targets-to-be as Islamic. Time to nuke Jihadist Paris!
I hate to say this, but Hollywood beat you to this one.
I don’t see why people think blowing up some huge country with 3 times Iraq’s population would cause any instability in the Middle East which would concern us.
And, also, we shouldn’t let ourselves just be overrun by 7 foot tall gay Persians with saws for hands.
Sorry, Jonah, but these people are fascists.
“Sinatrastan”. This way we could say we did it our way.
Well done! But the name is more like “Fuckedupistan”.
So, Deanmartinstan?
I like it when the president gets all bolder. If he doesn’t work up his courage, he may never hit on me…
Q: Could the President invade the UK?
Yoo: If they looked at him funny, I don’t see why not.
Q. Can the president nuke the state of Nevada, because in 2008 more people in that state were in traffic accidents than by terrusts.
Yoo: Oh, most definitely, with little to no oversight.
Q: Are you a complete moron?
Yoo: Well, yes, haven’t you heard the things coming out of my mouth?
The United States is being asked to launch a military invasion of a state that poses no imminent threat to America, without sanction from any international body and with few governments willing to publicly endorse such an action.
This sounds vaguely familiar, although I can’t place it…Seems to me that whatever I’m thinking about turned out to be an overwhelming success.
Edit:in 2008 more people were killed* in traffic accidents
It’s early and I haven’t had any rubber cement.
After we conquer Iran perhaps we could then turn our attention to the grave threat represented by the dictators in Persia.
We already have a promotional poster for the event. We just need someone to CGI Palin stabbing this guy with the America flag. Chop-chop!
7 foot tall gay Persians with saws for hands.
I, for one, welcome our Aryan cybernetic overlords and especially look forward to upgrading my floor coverings.
It’s always an uncomfortable feeling when Pat Buchanan sounds like the voice of reason
No kidding–that’s how you know things have gone awry.
It really is scary that I look back at people like Bob Dole and think, “wow, I wish guys like that were around today, he was positively brilliant compared to the thugs running the GOP today.”
From the no-fuckin-shit, sherlock department:
And as Washington has surely come to realize, wars unleash forces that cannot be predicted or controlled.
From the are-you-so-sure-about-that? department:
…as Washington has surely come to realize…
This sounds vaguely familiar, although I can’t place it…Seems to me that whatever I’m thinking about turned out to be an overwhelming success.
I have it on good authority that the fighting will be over quickly, the people will welcome us as liberators, and oil revenues will pay for it all.
That sounded familiar, too, for some reason, though I can’t think why.
I can’t wait for neo-cons to try to tell me that a full out war with Iran would be “good for Israel”
From a pure realpolitik perspective, it probably would be. Suppose we smash Iran into rubble and chaos. Then there are no non-US aligned countries that can seriously threaten Israel’s survival.
It would threaten a lot of Israelis, of course because terror attacks into Israel would increase, but there would be nobody capable of destroying Israel in an actual war.
It all makes perfect sense, if you are a bloodthirsty psychopath.
@tsam: While reading the shit from CPAC, I found myself pining for Reagan. Think about that: the motherfucker had me living my childhood thinking there was going to be a nuclear war, but he looks sane compared to these wackjobs.
I’m constantly amazed that no one’s ever considered checking Yoo’s basement for evidence of suspicious digging. That dude’s got Cheney levels of crazy.
Q: Testicles in a vise?
Yoo: Yep.
Q: Bastinado?
Yoo: Sure. Why not?
Q: Electrodes in tooth pulp?
Yoo: Awesome.
… [hours of questions]…
Q Fib about a blow job?
Yoo: RULE OF LAW!
I formally request that you cease and desist from attacking Mr. Yoo. Mr. Yoo was found only to have exercised a tiny bit of muddled thinking in his advice to Mr. Cheney, and after all, Mr. Cheney didn’t have to take that advice, right? Poor Mr. Yoo, after all, all he did was – Chewbacca!
I don’t see why people think blowing up some huge country with 3 times Iraq’s population would cause any instability in the Middle East which would concern us.
If we only had Simon Bar Sinister’s weather machine we could trigger a mega-earthquake and blame the destruction on that!
Not only that, but it was originally much shorter, consisting of only one page with the following:
“Absolutely nuthin’! Say it again!”
Huh.
Not only that, but it was originally much shorter, consisting of only one page with the following:
“Absolutely nuthin’! Say it again!”
Huh.
Now see here, my good man
“Wars unleash forces that cannot be predicted or controlled.”
Yes, who could have predicted invading Iraq would be a fucking disaster?
Not only that, but it was originally much shorter, consisting of only one page with the following:
“Absolutely nuthin’! Say it again!”
Huh.
Good God!
So, Deanmartinstan?
When you blow up a place
and get blood on your face,
That’s a War-a
Do unto Yoo befor Yoo does on to You what the Presnit want to do.
Boo Hoo Yoo
So, Deanmartinstan?
When you blow up a place
and get blood on your face,
That’s a War-a
Shroomclouds in the night
Exchanging warheads
Bombing in the night…
“Absolutely nuthin’! Say it again!”
Needs more “Good God, y’all” … with perhaps just a soupçon of “UNH!”
Yeah, this shit is just a smorgasbord of pure lulz, alrighty.
Remember back when Gorbachev pulled everyone’s ass out from under all those MIRVs, & we were all like “FUCK YEAH! CLONE THAT FUCKIN’ MAGNIFICENT COMMIE SONOFABITCH, WE NEED A FEW THOUSAND MORE OF HIM!” – but that dead-eyed, drony-ass, puking little man-bitch Pappy Bush was sulking to beat the band like he just dropped an unopened magnum of prime vintage Dom Perignon over the side of his yacht? Remember how utterly surreal it was to have him actually butthurt in public over NOT sleepwalking civilization into a wholesale transcontinental tsunami of radioactive fire?
Michael Steele probably thinks of Pappy as a RINO.
“America,
fuck yeahuh-oh!”mmy said,
February 22, 2010 at 18:14
@tsam: While reading the shit from CPAC, I found myself pining for Reagan. Think about that: the motherfucker had me living my childhood thinking there was going to be a nuclear war, but he looks sane compared to these wackjobs.
You must be close to my age (I’m 40). I spent my formative years in paralyzing fear that the bomb was coming. I didn’t have to hide under a desk in school, not knowing if this was actually a drill or the real thing, though.
How did we get here? How did things get so out of balance? Why are hatred and spite the national sentiment now? You can’t blame it all on post 9-11 hysteria. Why don’t we learn from history–Vietnam, McCarthy, Korea, the entire Cold War, the rise of fascism, our entire history prior to the Enlightenment… When did logic and reason become a crime, or some sort of symbol of weakness? Every time I try to contextualize this rise of fundamentalism and neo-fascism, I come up with nothing. I guess I’m too close and will have to wait for the history books to write the bigger picture narrative.
Sorry Fareed, but telling necro-cons “NO WAR” is like telling a spoiled 5 year old, “NO CANDY”!
What I don’t understand is why Dickie, Sarah, Billy, and the rest of the flag-waving chest-pounders don’t build their own army?
Why the call for “Big Government”, to invade? I thought the government couldn’t do anything right?
Dickie can be the top strategist.
Billy can analyze the intel.
Sarah can be the C-I-C.
And the flag-waving, chest pounders can sponsor a pisswater mercenary of their very own.
I bet Bolton could get Israel to donate a few training camps!
Shroomclouds in the night
Exchanging warheads
Bombing in the night…
LOL! Reminds of this actual circa 1973 Boy Scout troop parody:
Strangers in the night
Exchanging rubbers
This one is too tight
Try on another
This one is too loooose
It won’t hold my juuuuuice…..
If we only had Simon Bar Sinister’s weather machine we could trigger a mega-earthquake and blame the destruction on that!
Uh, Simon bar Sinister had a contract with Dubya’s DoD.
It takes tremendous force of will not to insert an “Emeril” joke as well…
I like Iraqnistan better. I think it rolls off the tongue more smoothly.
John Yoo has the morals of the Big Dick. With role models like that, whatcha gonna do?
Speaking of Dr. Darth Evil, why won’t he just go away, far far away from here? It reminds me of that Simpsons episode when the skydiving pilot is smashing Homer’s head through brick chimneys screaming “WHY WON’T YOU DIE!!!” The man’s had 87 heart surgeries. Please. For the love of gob and jeebus, Dick. Just. Die.
Also: Sweden and Finland look like a cock and balls. Denmark looks like a splash of splooge below Sweden’s, uh, tip.
And Norway looks like a giant sperm riding them. Check it out. I’m serious.
http://alumniband.wvu.edu/tour/2007/scandinavia_map.jpg
See? Cartography can be fun!
What I don’t understand is why Dickie, Sarah, Billy, and the rest of the flag-waving chest-pounders don’t build their own army?
It worked for Gene Simmons et al..
How did things get so out of balance? Why are hatred and spite the national sentiment now?
I’ve got a theory on that.
Frustration.
Despite the great hatred in this land for the DFH, the Sixties philosophy did prove one thing: if you can get enough people together you can change a nation’s course.
The problem is, parallel to that rise of populism (which includes the reverse side of the coin, the deep hatred of the Wallace partisans) was the consolidation of power of the corporatocracy.
The fight is harder now. Corporations turned their backs on America in pursuit of the almighty dollar. That turned the entire “social contract” between a company and its workers, a government and business and a government and its people upside down.
And you know what they say about being a mouse at an elephant fight…
beejeez said,
February 22, 2010 at 18:37
“Wars unleash forces that cannot be predicted or controlled.”
Yes, who could have predicted invading Iraq would be a fucking disaster?
Surely not that liberal athiest commie George Bush Sr, or anyone else with education level above the 5th grade, or anyone with even a rudimentary understanding of human nature, or any knowledge of history (the real history, not the stuff the wingnuts make up). Yeah, I don’t know how that one got by us. But shit, those pictures of choo choo trains were very convincing.
Also: Sweden and Finland look like a cock and balls.
I always thought Sweden and Norway looked like a mutant doubleheaded PENIS
actor212 said,
February 22, 2010 at 18:57
How did things get so out of balance? Why are hatred and spite the national sentiment now?
I’ve got a theory on that.
Frustration.
Good analysis. Now that you mention it, much of the pre-1914 sentiment echoes through present “debate”, doesn’t it? I’ve thought all along that Iraq was the opening act in WWIII. Let us hope I was wrong. (I stole that from Morpheus)
Yes, who could have predicted invading Iraq would be a fucking disaster?
“As we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns — the ones we don’t know we don’t know.”
Tsam,
As I was writing my blogpost of this morning, I stopped for a moment and wondered how the fuck we get out of this mess?
After all, interest rates are down near zero, we’re already in two wars and don’t have enough troops or materiel to start a third, and the rest of the world, even if they could, is not about to get off their hands and start “buying American” just to prop us up.
Hell, China started selling our Treasuries last week.
So either it’s total war, or we linger in a decades long malaise, as much of Europe did after WWII and Japan did in the late 80s and 90s.
Either way, we’re fucked.
The real problem is, is there any issue out there that could unite left and right and get us to work together? THink about it: hand in hand with the economic malaise is the shitmoat both parties have built around their castles. Nothing gets done not because people can’t agree on solutions…there was an awful lot of give on the healthcare issue, such that the Demoratic “solution” looked awfully Republican…but because if it comes from “them” it must be wrong.
Q: What about ordering a village of resistants to be massacred? … Is that a power that the president could legally–
Yoo: “Yeah. Although, let me say this. So, certainly, that would fall within the commander-in-chief’s power over tactical decisions.
Q: To order a village of civilians to be [exterminated]?
Yoo: Sure.
I read an article on this exchange the other day from truthout.org, and made the perennial mistake of reading the comments underneath (yet another wonderful mango plantation, usually).
Anyway, some douchenozzle was taking the writer to task for the “[exterminated]” quote, suggesting that what Yoo actually said was just an innocent remark and the suggestion that he would talk so casually about a massacre was unfounded. As if what the man had already suggested was just fine was some kind of brainfart, some kind of senior moment where he wrote legal justifications for torture, unlimited power for the executive and all that. “but he didn’t MEAN “exterminated”!”
Yeah, and the guys at the Wanssee Conference were just argiung about deportation, yeah, sure. *pfft*
Murdoch’s Merrie Minions are on the job!
They just cleaned this up a bit.
Ready! Fire! Aim!
Corporations turned their backs on America in pursuit of the almighty dollar.
I don’t think that’s true. I think it’s more accurate to say that a ton of Americans went to work for corporations (instead of going into the military or union work, like they might have in the past). So more people tend to think that what’s good for the company is good for them.
Despite the great hatred in this land for the DFH, the Sixties philosophy did prove one thing: if you can get enough people together you can change a nation’s course.
You can, but as Fallujah demonstrated, when you take ground, you still have to defend it. I cannot figure out how so many blue collar workers can have such a negative view of organized labor. I can’t imagine why people who were around for Vietnam could have fallen for all of those same arguments–this will be over in a few months–we’ll be greeted as liberators–leaving now would be surrender and the world will explode within days… I was born in 1969 and I caught all of that.
The fact that we fail, time and time again, to learn from our history is probably the saddest testimonial to human weakness.
As one of the commenters over there pointed out, Saddam was executed for ordering the massacre of an entire village.
We had to destroy the village in order to save it.
So more people tend to think that what’s good for the company is good for them.
Like layoffs?
It’s amazing to me that someone whose son could easily be sent to such a conflict can so casually say that.
Has she even talked to her kid about what he experienced there?
We had to destroy the village in order to save it.
That village had its chances to broker for peace. Instead, they decided to ignore our nonexistent warnings. That’s what happens when you get in the way of the United States of Amilitary™.
So more people tend to think that what’s good for the company is good for them.
Like layoffs?
I watched The Corporation yesterday. Has everyone here already seen it?
I thought the best device they used was after going into the whole thing about corporate “personhood”, they asked, “so what kind of “person” is the corporation, and then used the DSM to diagnose corporations as psychopaths. Extremely powerful psychopaths who now control our lives, our government, and pretty much the entire world.
Et Tu, Fareed? I tellya, this comes as quite a mea culpa (albeit indirectly so) from a guy who was a major, major cheerleader for the invasion of Iraq (look it up). Got him Teacher;s pet status over at Newsweek anyway.
As I was writing my blogpost of this morning, I stopped for a moment and wondered how the fuck we get out of this mess?
actor, a while ago, someone smarter (on here) than me predicted a Spanish Empire type decline for the US, there may be something in that, but another side of me thinks there is a lot of division, guns and nuclear weapons around too….
“so what kind of “person” is the corporation
…the kind of person that you would not want around your children. Are those the kind of people who should be contributing directly to political campaigns? (or is it now campains?). I hear Antarctica is warm these days…
Boner is missing and you guys are snarking like it’s any other day. Shameful.
Oh, and fuck John Yoo with a Saguaro Cactus.
No, better make that a burning Saguaro Cactus.
Sideways.
Boner is missing
I can get you some little blue pills to help with that, sir…
We really needed a study and or war games (which is what I think wingnuts actually think war is… a game) to prove that starting crap with Iran could cause problems???
Ugh…
(which is what I think wingnuts actually think war is… a game)
Every time I ever won at Risk, I did so by seizing Irkutsk at the first chance I got. By wingnut logic, I am a qualified war planner.
As one of the commenters over there pointed out, Saddam was executed for ordering the massacre of an entire village.
This is covered in the IOKIYARNN (IOKIYAR Named Nixon) exclusion: “When the President does it, it’s not illegal” *
* ‘pigs only
Put “Sarah Palin” into an anagram generator, and here are a few of (many other) results:
Ha Slap Iran
Sharia Plan
Anal Parish
Anal Rash Pi
A Plain Rash
What’s all this about a missing Boner? Did he OD on the tanning bed or what?
Fizixated for greatest justice (even though the martini glass was the logo for his show, Deano was a scotch and water guy).
I’d make a “2+2=5” joke, but the wingnuts wouldn’t see the problem with that equation …
Q: could the president personally rape andrea merkel on top of the oval office desk?
Yoo: i don’t see why he would want to, but yes, that is well within his purview.
Q: please define the president’s purview in your mind
Yoo: well, i believe that the president’s powers come directly from a combination of god, nuclear fusion, ted nugent’s guitar sound and last beat of a human heart as it is placed into the president’s mouth.
Q: does the president have the power to go back in time, kill both your parents and prevent you from ever being born, thus making it impossible for some fucking totally ignorant america and constitution hating shithead to exist to allow the president to go back in time and kill your parents.
Yoo: yes. and no.
“What’s all this about a missing Boner? Did he OD on the tanning bed or what?”
This Boner (who I must confess I’d never heard of):
http://www.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/TV/02/22/growing.pains.actor.missing/index.html?hpt=T2
(When I first read the comment I thought it was referring to John Boehner.)
Yoo: well, i believe that the president’s powers come directly from a combination of god, nuclear fusion, ted nugent’s guitar sound and last beat of a human heart as it is placed into the president’s mouth.
Winner! Fucking hilarious, dude!
I love that pic up there, Palin on a mushroom cloud. That’s hilarious 🙂
Getting back to this old chestnut:
War, Huh,Good God,
What Is It Good For?
Record-breaking profits!
Say it again!
Dr. Strangemoose!!
LMAO!!
That should get you an Internet Lifetime Achievement Award.
Oh, rats. My hopes for never having to hear anything from or about Boehner again are dashed.
I think it’s more accurate to say that a ton of Americans went to work for corporations
While true, the premise that somehow corporations are even responsive to their workers is not likely.
The trouble with corporations can be traced to one thing, and one thing only: the board of directors, which is supposed to have a fiduciary relationship to the shareholders in terms of not only maintaining an eye on management but for the good of the long-term investment survival of the company, used to be independent of the management of the firm.
When that changed, corporations sacrificed long term goals in exchange for the short-term goals that the CEO (who was often chairman of the board, as well) was pursuing prior to bailing out.
In that regard is how I meant the corporation turned its back on America in favor of the dollar.
Think about how many jobs have been outsourced, how many “American” companies are now headquartered overseas. That’s not a function of the workers at the company.
This Boner (who I must confess I’d never heard of):
Checkov’s BABY?!?!?!?!
OMG! ISSUE AN AMBER ALERT!
Yoo: well, i believe that the president’s powers come directly from a combination of god, nuclear fusion, ted nugent’s guitar sound and last beat of a human heart as it is placed into the president’s mouth.
That’s even more awesome than fucking Voltron, dude! And Voltron is made out of fucking mechanical LIONS!!
“a corporation is not a democracy”
that’s what the nice lady in HR said to me when i was working in an insurance company
in fact, corporate life is more like living under feudalism than anything else
so – suck it up, serf!
(serf’s up?)
3bulls is funnier.
being a mouse at an elephant fight
is that anything like bringing a penis to a legal proceeding?
is that anything like bringing a penis to a legal proceeding?
Precisely. Because it will be missing before you leave the courtroom, no matter what the proceeding was about.
Dr. Strangemoose!!
Wow, now I picture Palin hunting wolves from a B-1, with tactical nukes.
That’s even more awesome than fucking Voltron, dude! And Voltron is made out of fucking mechanical LIONS!!
Brilliance is contagious- the original was awesome, and the progeny continues this awesomality.
is that anything like bringing a penis to a legal proceeding?
Precisely. Because it will be missing before you leave the courtroom, no matter what the proceeding was about.
If you show a PENIS in the first act, it must go off in the second act.
If you show a PENIS in the first act, it must go off in the second act.
I must be sick. I read “act” as “ass”.
The other major problem is the fact so many boards are populated by people who serve on multiple boards.
This allows a frighteningly small number of people to set up numerous companies in ways that maximize their (the board members’) profits in. And to do so in any way possible.
If that means treating workers like useless little bugs, destroying the environment, putting future generations in jeopardy, pushing products they know can kill if used as directed, selling securities they know are utter garbage, and knowingly putting the entire global economic system in peril in a way never before seen (U.S. = Great Depression II, Iceland = Broke as Fuck, Greece = OH HOLY SHIT THEY’RE SCREWED), so fucking be it.
They’ve got enough money to take the hit thanks to tax policies that have been changed to disproportionately benefit a select few, and they certainly don’t give a shit if thousands (if not millions) of families are broke, starving, and homeless.
It’s economic Darwinism, but with a catch: instead of them adapting to the environment, they’ve adapted the environment to them.
It’s an ecosystem that can’t last, though, since they seem intent on devouring their prey at unsustainable levels.
Here’s to hoping they choke when the prey decides to finally fight back … if it ever does.
I! W? N?
(This parenthetical is a FYWPSF.)
“The hits just keep on coming:”
As with that other asshole, it’s fun to check out Yoo’s biography (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Yoo).
Nothing quite so spectacular this time, but it’s worth noting that once again, we have policy at the very top being made by a guy who’s never served in the military or ever been even close to a war zone. Never been in the FBI or law enforcement either, or really anywhere close to the activities that his legal “opinions” address.
There truly is something wrong when the source of all moral and legal authority is a man who’s this completely disconnected from the work he’s doing. (Although it fits perfectly with the patterns of recent administrations).
(The wikipedia article isn’t completely without humor, as John Yoo harshly waggles his finger at the Clinton administration for having such an “imperial presidency”).
Here’s to hoping they choke when the prey decides to finally fight back … if it ever does.
I wonder if it will.
The system is broken, which means it can now be gamed for the benefit of those still standing. And from what I see, it ain’t the stock markets that are collapsed.
Boner is missing
Not a white woman. Doesn’t count as news.
At the rate we’re going, I predict that CPAC 2015 will go something like this.
Except, of course, instead of a monolith it will be a statue of Reagan sporting an ICBM as a huge erection.
We don’t. Decay is too deeply rooted to be reversed.
is that anything like bringing a penis to a legal proceeding?
Precisely. Because it will be missing before you leave the courtroom, no matter what the proceeding was about.
Reminiscent of this
Precisely. Because it will be missing before you leave the courtroom, no matter what the proceeding was about.
Reminiscent of this
BBBB – I can’t get to the video, but let me guess:
“Are you aware of the penile codes in this State?”
…”a crime so henious”
“No”
“Henieous?”
“No”
“Hy-neous?”
“No, no, you wouldn’t say ‘your heinous’.”
BBBB – I can’t get to the video, but let me guess:
Good guess, mon Pere, but sadly, no!
It’s just a little King Missile, though for the record, this is my favorite King Missile effort..
DETACHABLE PENIS! YAY!
That is a good song by King Missile, but I don’t think ‘Steal Stuff from Work’ gets enough attention.
Q: Are you a complete moron?
Yoo: Well, yes, haven’t you heard the things coming out of my mouth?
Actually and terrifying, he is not. He is a fool. He is vile. He is wrong. Butm he is not stupid. Ask John Stewart. Dude is a tenacious opponent and propagandist. Best for the country if he could tried for “conspiracy to” torture OR if he just went away and no one ever heard from again.
His ideas are that dangerous and, right now, he’s teaching them to some very bright, very committed right wing nutjob law student. The fact that he/she will be the only rightwinger at Berkley might save the country, but I’d rather not count on it.
Q: To order a village of civilians to be [exterminated]?
Yoo: Sure.
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Remember Lidice!
That is a good song by King Missile, but I don’t think ‘Steal Stuff from Work’ gets enough attention.
Too right!
“It’s going to be a spectacular day!”
How did we get here? How did things get so out of balance? Why are hatred and spite the national sentiment now? You can’t blame it all on post 9-11 hysteria. Why don’t we learn from history–Vietnam, McCarthy, Korea, the entire Cold War, the rise of fascism, our entire history prior to the Enlightenment… When did logic and reason become a crime, or some sort of symbol of weakness? Every time I try to contextualize this rise of fundamentalism and neo-fascism, I come up with nothing. I guess I’m too close and will have to wait for the history books to write the bigger picture narrative.
How about this:
The largest generation in American history brought with it massive interests in materialism and idealism. These two forces helped bring governing institutions to a stop. Materialism begat an expectation that every person deserved every luxury no matter what the price, leading to an explosion of borrowing, a refusal to pay for services, and the creation of an invasive mass media. As communities died in service to ever acquired things, working hours increased and time with the mass media increased. The owners of mass media being as materialistic as everyone else, opened the political process up to money and saw their profits soar! Money, in degrees of difference never seen before, BECAME politics. Each party had to be for sale to a highest bidder of different interest groups. These groups refused to compromise and governing came to a halt.
Meanwhile, the idealism of the early Boomers resulted in the throwing open of society to different economically and politically oppressed minorities. Wouldn’t you know, it turns out minorities are people too(!) and they wanted a piece of the economic pie. One side of the Boomers championed that idea (and the numbers of them decreased every year as more and more Boomers acquired material things and found they liked granite counter-tops more than immunization of poor kids). The conservative backlash to that opening based its idealism on a pastoral/1920’s view America which never existed, but, since that America was run by plutocrats, the plutocrats liked sided with them.
So, the materialism of all Americans combines with the idealism of those two distinct ideas about what America is. Add to that a disappearing middle class due to technological and trade policy changes and you have the America of Franken versus Breitbart (of which, Franken is uncompromising fighter for Right and Breitbart is an opportunistic fool, IMHO.)
Or, to put is succinctly, the assholes who ran the country into the ground from 1890 to 1929 are fighting the legal structure of New Deal for the future of the country. You didn’t think they’d stop just because they lost for 30 years? Ever since, 1980, they’ve chipped at it the foundations. It’s 50/50 whether we become Argentina or stay America
Yoo is taking up the mantle of Col. Chivington, who was an expert at destroying villages.
We could always say, “Hey, we’re not at war against Muslims in Iran! We’re invading as a reprisal against the Achaemenids. The religion of current inhabitants is purely incidental.”
Or, to put is succinctly, the assholes who ran the country into the ground from 1890 to 1929 are fighting the legal structure of New Deal for the future of the country. You didn’t think they’d stop just because they lost for 30 years? Ever since, 1980, they’ve chipped at it the foundations. It’s 50/50 whether we become Argentina or stay America
I agree with your assessment, and I would add that the 90’s changed everything by giving 22 year old, entry level workers the idea that they had been in the game long enough to be able to actually afford a brand new, 5 bedroom McMansion in a sprawling suburb somewhere in White-town, USA. If there’s one thing that quells middle class angst, or distracts attention from the middle class extermination campaign, it’s a 50″ HDTV with some shitty reality show on 24/7.
But what I can’t seem to fathom is the general bloodthirsty savage atmosphere that dominates our politics. Every politician has to make the gratuitous “capture or kill Al-Qeada worldwise as a prerogative of national security and fuck the Geneva Convention and fuck the Constitution” speech. Rarely are the calls for war against Iran refuted in popular media. It seems as though we’ve all resigned ourselves to a war against the entire Middle East, regardless of the lives destroyed or snuffed out by it. I’m reaching the point where all I have to say to the villagers is just shut the fuck up. They contribute nothing of value to society. They are parasites, feeding on fear and prejudice, and they are dangerous. See 1918 to 1939 Europe, for example. I guess I do have the face that reality that war is still the most profitable business. I just want so badly to believe that enough people out there really want peace and prosperity, health, education–a future, in short. There is no future in fighting the world.
As one of the commenters over there pointed out, Saddam was executed for ordering the massacre of an entire village.
Serves him right for not hiring Yoo as his defense lawyer.
“But what I can’t seem to fathom is the general bloodthirsty savage atmosphere that dominates our politics. Every politician has to make the gratuitous “capture or kill Al-Qeada worldwise as a prerogative of national security and fuck the Geneva Convention and fuck the Constitution” speech. Rarely are the calls for war against Iran refuted in popular media. It seems as though we’ve all resigned ourselves to a war against the entire Middle East, regardless of the lives destroyed or snuffed out by it.”
Brad passed comment on this a couple months ago (http://www.sadlyno.com/archives/26819.html).
Any picture / nickname as awesome as “Dr. Strangemoose” deserves its own icon.
You’re welcome.
And just in case the picture embed doesn’t work: http://obamiconme.pastemagazine.com/entries/1625233-dr-strangemoose.html