Monday, March 10, 2003

America's Shadow Warriors (FALKSOHN, HOYNG, VON ILSEMANN, SPÖRL) They are already in Iraq, even before Bush has begun his military campaign against Saddam Hussein: the "Special Operations Group," the CIA's paramilitary organization. However, this elite group based in Langley, praised for its successful deployment in Afghanistan, must contend with the shadow of the past - the spy agency's wartime efforts have frequently turned into foreign policy disasters. (America's Shadow Warriors, Der Spiegel) Interesting read. But this is turning into a war blog! All I am saying is give peace a chance! Let's turn away from the old ways. They will not serve in the days to come. And god -- the god of YOUR understanding -- bless America. Go in peace, citizen, and feel free to wear whatever the hell t-shirt you want -- this is after all the land of the free! 6:35:16 PM    comment [] Give T-shirts a Chance (Leonard Pitts) In case you didn't get the t-shirt allusion above, a brief explanation is in order. (And really, where have you been? That was so like, 36 hours ago.) Read the little commentary linked to above and here. It seems a gentleman in Albany New York was arrested in a shopping mall for wearing the wrong t-shirt. And what did that t-shirt say? What blasphemous saying populated that tawdry t-shirt, that garment of perdition and infamy? It said, and I quote: "Give Peace A Chance." It scares me when the public mood turns ugly like that. When we forget that this was a nation founded on our right to express ourselves freely, with no fear of repercussion for harboring unpopular thoughts. Because frankly, I got a million of 'em, and I am often glad to be living in a land where I am (relatively) free to express myself. And things are changing a little post 9-11. Keep this under your hat, please, but I'm not at all sure about the men from the government these days. Don't like 'em, don't trust 'em, no sir. Don't know where to go with this, and I have to go now so I will lose with this quote from Ben Franklin, and I will ask everyone to have a little tolerance, love, and respect for your fellow man, and please try and include as many people (even our enemies) in this circle of goodwill. Or you can all kiss my big American ass. Good night, you've been a wonderful audience. "Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." Ben Franklin 6:35:11 PM    comment [] Just War - or a Just War? (Jimmy Carter) "What about America's world standing if we don't go to war after such a great deployment of military forces in the region? The heartfelt sympathy and friendship offered to America after the 9/11 attacks, even from formerly antagonistic regimes, has been largely dissipated; increasingly unilateral and domineering policies have brought international trust in our country to its lowest level in memory. American stature will surely decline further if we launch a war in clear defiance of the United Nations. But to use the presence and threat of our military power to force Iraq's compliance with all United Nations resolutions - with war as a final option - will enhance our status as a champion of peace and justice." (Just War - or a Just War? New York Times) 4:13:32 PM    comment [] Liza Minnelli. "Reality is something you rise above." Aleister Crowley. "To read a newspaper is to refrain from reading something worthwhile. The first discipline of education must therefore be to refuse resolutely to feed the mind with canned chatter."  [Quotes of the Day] 12:01:49 AM    comment []

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