Julia knows how to make anyone feel good about America. If you missed this, Enjoy
Avedon Carol has an example of what makes right-wing professional patriotism so galling:
Somewhere in the last 24 hours I came across a post on a weblog in which someone (I would be grateful if someone would remind of who) quoted a conservative to the effect that the current crop of loonies is making America great. Making America great. As if America had not already been great, had never before been regarded as the most enlightened, most just and free nation in all of world history. Making America great -- by systematically stripping it of all that made us admired, by depriving our people of their Constitutional rights, by aggressively threatening -- bullying -- other nations, by cozying up to the very people who are the source of the greatest threats of terrorism and injustice, by open contempt of all the things that constitute America's virtues.
It's the right that hates America -- hates our freedoms, hates our progress, hates our ability to earn "the good opinion of mankind". That's why they are destroying those very things.
I haven't read anything in a long time that I agree with more.
By the time the sun was over the horizon on the 4th of July in Iraq, 18 Americans had been hurt in what appeared to be the most serious attack on a U.S. base since Saddam Hussein was ousted nearly three months ago.
In addition, the patrol was ambushed three times during an eight-hour period by an estimated 50 Iraqi fighters. No Americans were hurt in the ambushes.
The attacks came as the Arabic-language satellite TV station Al-Jazeera broadcast 10 minutes of what it said was a 20-minute tape of someone claiming to be Saddam Hussein. The network said the tape was recorded June 14.
"Bring them on!" said our fearless leader, and the Iraqis said, "ok".
The tally yesterday: 17 American wounded, one dead.
News of the attacks cast a somber shadow on July 4 celebrations for U.S. troops and civilian administrators in Iraq. It also underscored suspicions that Iraqi resistance fighters were becoming bolder, more organized and deadlier.
Our president, after exhorting the enemy to further attack our troops, is, well, obviously unconcerned.
I'm glad he can take it easy on the links while our servicemembers swelter in 120 degree heat taking potshots from an unseen enemy.
Angry responses to Bush's remark also came from far beyond Capitol Hill.
Jo Anne Miller from Tacoma, Washington, who described herself as wife of a soldier, wrote an e-mail to CNN television, saying that the president's statement was an invitation for Iraqis to take more shots at US men and women in uniform.
"Once again Bush proves how insensitive he really is," Miller insisted.
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Because the Army has not located a base of operations for the attacks, commanders send out patrols in hopes of drawing fire and then hunting down the attackers.
...patrols such as Moberley's are essentially bait. And soldiers may have a price on their heads.
<snip>
"You get the feeling we're still not wanted here," said Sgt. Hocken Smith of the 3rd Infantry, who said his unit gets shot at almost every night while on patrol. "They were told we were going to liberate and not occupy, and they want us out."
“There are some who feel like that conditions are such that they can attack us there,” Bush told reporters at the White House. “My answer is bring them on…”
Lord Farquaad, cartoon king in Shrek
"Some of you may die. But that's a sacrifice I am willing to make."
