No more bad news! Okay. Just a little bit. It’s been another week. Of weak. And lots happening in the US. Politics as usual. This week we’ll stick to the US – like we did with Africa last week. Watch out UK! You’re up next week.
Old man McCain has been at it again. Even with his memory failing he still manages to somehow try and attack Obama. On Iraq. He is climbing into Obama for not having been in Iraq since 2006. Fair enough. But my question is why should Obama go in the first place? To get the “facts” as McCain would like to call it? Well, I don’t think you need to go to Iraq to get the “facts”? Let’s see what McCain learned from his trips to Iraq, shall we? He got the “enemy” wrong – confusing Sunni and Shiite (or Sonny and Cher as he calls them as it is the only thing that will stick. Something from back in the 70s. And speak slowly and loudly please). Now really, I would like a Presidential candidate to at least get the enemy right. We would have invaded Switzerland if we had him in charge during WWII. And the battle for Fiji would still be going on – for at least a 100 years fighting the wrong country. Anyway. Maybe we should ask him why he didn’t go back to the market he went to the last time he went (before his last trip). You know why? Because it was too unsafe… And then he stood there in the “safe place” and tell us how well it is going down there in Miami Beach… Tell me, why stay a 100 years if it is going so well? No McLame, you being in Iraq doesn’t mean that you actually know anything about Iraq. Not if you only speak to the people who are “managing” your trip. That’s called a guided holiday tour and not a fact finding mission. Get with it. Or get out of it. Man, it is just torture listening to you. Maybe even worse than water-boarding.
I guess Cindy only making $6 million last year andMcCain not making any money at all (according to his income statements), makes it a bit tough on the purse strings out there in the McDime household. We know McTame shops at Costco. Nothing wrong with that. Just interesting that he only gave us this “news” now. Can’t be that he is trying to play to the Costco crowd is it? Nah. Not McShame. Not Mr Straight Talking Derailed Express I guess? Anyway. It seems as if he is forced to go cap in hand to the guy who kicked his backside back in 2000 – George W. Yes, the same guy who spat on him and smeared him back then is all of a sudden his BFFF. (Threw in an extra “F” just for good measure. They deserve an extra F-word.) Yes, McDrain is hanging out with the guy with the money. Being pimped by Bush to his corporate buddies. You get the money today and they get their “favours” if you step into that big old white house on the hill. Have you no shame sir? I tend to stay away from people if they stab me in the back. I don’t pimp for money. Or sell my soul. Principles. It’s a nice thing to have. And easy to check at the door I guess.
It’s very interesting how people are taking about the McClellan book. Here is a guy people on the left didn’t like because he was spinning the Bush stories and now he comes out and tells us the truth. Guess what. Saying Bush lied or at least spun stories and left out key info when making decisions about a war is all of a sudden a surprise? Only problem – this guy was actually there. Not a guided tour like McCain in Iraq, but actually there when the spinning and half-truths went on. And now he is being called a snitch and a traitor by those who loved him before. Name calling. So mature. But the problem is that they have nothing else to say. They can’t refute what he has to say. Because he was there. And no one is denying what he said is true. If he lied they will be on him so quickly you won’t even be able to hear the word “sue” as he flew into court. But Bush and buddies can only stand there and call him names. Because they know it is true. I am reading the story of Cynthia Cooper, the WorldCom whistleblower. And it happens to almost every single person who comes out and speaks the truth against those in power. They get called names and everyone tries to intimidate them. Because when the truth is out they have nothing but threats and name calling left. My take? Burn baby, burn. Sticks and stones Fox. Sticks and stones Bush. Throw the insults this way. But the lies don’t last. They all eventually come out. Just ask Nixon. As we say in South Africa, “Skelm vet braai uit.”
Look, this is a difficult one. The soldiers fighting in Iraq needs nothing but admiration from us. They do a dirty job for tainted politicians. They are the heart and soul of this country. But even they make mistakes. And two big ones in a matter of a week. First there was the guy who took the Qur’an for target shooting. Stop. Before you try to justify it. Think about it. Put yourself in the shoes of the other side. Imagine you are being “liberated” by an army that are made up of mostly Muslims. And then they take the Bible and shoot it full of holes. You wouldn’t like it would you. How would you expect them to behave and what would you do in relatiation? Now a US marine has been handing out Christian coins to Iraqis at a checkpoint. With John 3:16 on one side. I don’t blame the marine. Of course he should have known better. And of course he doesn’t reflect the majority of guys over there. But still. Let’s look a bit closer and see why this is happening. Well, it doesn’t help if your President started this war and called it a “crusade”. Another “misspeak” I guess. Funny that – how often politicians do that. I would get fired if I made so many stupid remarks andmistakes. Calling it a crusade? Really… How do you think some of the troops will think about their role then? Of course there is a bigger problem. The guys just aren’t geared for this type of war. This isn’t a “there is the enemy, let’s get him” type of war. They hide, they move, they are around you, and they don’t wear nice uniforms to make the target easier to identify. The training and weaponry just aren’t geared for this type of war. This is almost peace keeping. And regular armies just isn’t geared for it. Not that the UN would be better. But at least they will be better geared to be culturally sensitive. But they are in a difficult corner – most people don’t like this war and if they get involved they indirectly justify the Bush war. More needed on the heart and minds bits I think. I once met a guy with the coolest title – Wing Commander. He was British. And his job was propaganda. Winning the hearts andminds of the locals. But they forget the one key ingredient – it’s the soldiers on the ground who will be the face of America (and the UK). You have to put more effort in to get them to be sensitive to local culture and taboos. If not – well, it’s just a flip of the coin and you had it.
5. Half-a-dozen of one and six of the other?
it’s a bit of a mess isn’t it? This whole Florida and Michigan thing – Florigan Gate. Well, it depends on how you count it I guess. If you seat half the people or make their vote count 50%. Doesn’t seem like much of a difference hey? Oh, but it is my dear friend. The devil is in the detail. You see, if they let everyone sit, but only allow their vote to count 50% then Clinton gains 19 delegates. But if they half the number of delegates then her gain is only 6 delegates. Man. These Democrats really can’t do the math can they? Even Einstein and Newton had a Democrat exclusion rule. For Newton it was that his explanation of Universal Gravitation and three laws of motion only counts if their are no Democrats in the room. Einstein argued that his theory of relativity only holds as long as there are no Democrat relatively close by. Oh, they had a Republican one as well – that no theory exists if the President or God didn’t write it down themselves. Or if the Constitution didn’t specifically mention it in the 2nd Amendment. But Democrats and their fuzzy logic. Really guys. My take? Stuff Michigan and Florida. If you let them through this time – what do you think will happen in 2012? Will we have one serious Super Tuesday on 3 January 2012? With each and every state having their big “do” on the same day? Well, not a bad idea. It will put us out of our HillBillary pain in a single day I guess. Go Florida! Oh, you too Michigan.
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