Apropos the Iraq-upation: "We need to be as careful getting out as we were careless getting in."
It's a perfect humanist empire phrase, isn't it? The obvious response from the anti-empire side: But Obie -- it's really not our call, is it? It's the Iraqi people's call; and if -- as I'm sure is the case -- they want us to scram, then we just oughta scram. Anything else -- in particular, staying solely for "their own good" and solely at our own expense, 'cause we owe it to them to... do the right thing. Even if it's thankless! Even if the world will revile us!
Bullshit, Obie.
We are home invaders there, not foster parents. If there's domestic abuse there now -- and even if there'll be way way more after we leave -- well, that tragedy of choice will still be on our heads, and the only thing we can do by staying is make it worse.
We owe Iraq reparations, not armed mediation, not a donkey-infested, responsible, humanely-motivated, open-ended bloodletting.
Any further Uncle Sam brutality, any further occupation, is a second round of criminality. And it's even worse than the first round, because at this point, nobody can deploy that scanty fig-leaf of innocence, "we wuz lied to." Everybody knows what's what in Iraq now, and nobody can pretend not to, and every day's new tally of dead and maimed lies right at the door of the people who want to be "careful getting out."
Comments (12)
You're pretty funny. I would read this to my wife but she is sick of my shit so I will just have to laugh to myself.
Posted by Jesus Reyes | February 12, 2007 1:30 AM
Posted on February 12, 2007 01:30
Perhaps the real answer is not to abstain from voting but to vote for the scariest, nastiest, most Bible-thumping warmongers out there? They'll quickly over-reach, and as long as the nuclear weapons are not unleashed, perhaps a collapsing empire will mean that your great grandchildren will have a more chastened, perhaps even Dis-United States?? Not denying the utter awfulness during the interim period, but I'm a Brownback for President man, myself :)
Posted by Brian Miller | February 12, 2007 1:35 PM
Posted on February 12, 2007 13:35
brian
" accelerated over reach"
i have often wondered about certain absolute shit reservoir limits
to our beloved poli-economic
system b4 it self sublates
in this light
lets get to peak shit flow asap
---------
sounds grand
but in fact
we paine's are really far less
the hick hegelian
then we pretend to be
Posted by owen paine | February 12, 2007 8:03 PM
Posted on February 12, 2007 20:03
As I lack your liberal education, Mr. Paine...I'm not even sure what a "Hegelian," let alone a "Hick Hegalian" really is, but you're right (if I'm understanding you). It is very wrong to allow my useless, self indulgent, and smug misanthropy overcome myself. :(
Posted by Brian Miller | February 12, 2007 8:09 PM
Posted on February 12, 2007 20:09
Paine did not have a liberal education. Quite an illiberal one, actually, since it was mostly self-administered -- and all the better for it, of course.
Posted by MJS | February 12, 2007 9:40 PM
Posted on February 12, 2007 21:40
Well, even self educated is probably better than my diet of science fiction novels and architecture books :) :)
Posted by Brian | February 12, 2007 11:02 PM
Posted on February 12, 2007 23:02
Presidential branding seems to have settled on two flavors. Brand R is bluff, hearty, affects a sincere stupidity as an egalitarian gesture and is reliably, piously belligerent. Brand D is hopeful, a bit weepy, reluctantly yet resolutely belligerent and determined to explain wonkishness to the stupid people, whose pain he feels. Both are terribly insulting commodities to offer, which gives the consumer an opportunity for a bit of satisfying self-loathing. It's been a successful marketing effort for more than twenty years and all in all a credit to the perception management industry.
A Brownback at this stage is complementary to the main product line. He makes the other choices look good in comparison, though his candidacy does have the humorous angle you've spotted, Brian. I'd have picked Inhofe, myself, if only for the way he makes liberal heads explode in disbelief and disgust. The problem is that no one outside the 20 percent or so that's endured one too many probes on UFOs would ever consider a vote for them. They already satisfactorily heighten the differences by the very act of existing. Going further, into a serious candidacy, would send the corporates scurrying for cover. It might even be enough to elect Obama!
Posted by Scruggs | February 13, 2007 1:24 AM
Posted on February 13, 2007 01:24
Brian, just tell me that you aren't still reading John Norman's Gor series, because that would break my heart worse than Nader's fall-out with the Green Party.
I read on a BIG Liberal Blog today that Obama is being persecuted because he's such a "peaceful" candidate. These people are always talking about Orwell, but have any of them actually read him ? Doesn't seem like it to me.
Obama = The Peace Candidate
ms_xeno = Pulitzer Prizer Winner
Just kill me. >:
Posted by ms_xeno | February 13, 2007 1:34 AM
Posted on February 13, 2007 01:34
Nah, no "Gor" for me, Ms. X. I need a little polish in my reading. I don't even like Heinlein.
MEGAGEEK OFF TOPIC ASIDE ALERT:
Problems with style and "Glory to the Working Class" cant aside, I have been really enjoying China Mieville (sp?) a lot over the past few years.
On the other hand, I did devour the mercenary company sword and sorcery novels of Glen Cook (The Black Company) quite avidly. But, they by no means "glorify" war, so I'm "safe" :)
Posted by Brian Miller | February 13, 2007 11:09 AM
Posted on February 13, 2007 11:09
brown back
the name smells like destiny ...eh ??
franks beans and 'burrrr-rip '
" brown back "
Posted by js paine | February 13, 2007 9:22 PM
Posted on February 13, 2007 21:22
Brian Miller sez:
Perhaps the real answer is not to abstain from voting but to vote for the scariest, nastiest, most Bible-thumping warmongers out there?
Dude, you would not be the first. Around the time of the '02 World Bank/IMF protest round, a bunch of anarchists in Eugene, Oregon announced themselves as "Anarchists For (Name Of Rabid Rightist Running For Mayor Of Eugene)" for that very same reason.
It's nice to see someone else is down with the idea of "political suicide bombing", as I've been advocating for Greens/Socialists/Libertarians/Real Progressives for quite a while vis-a-vis the Democrapic Party. It'd be worth what comes after just to see the looks on the faces of Hillary/Obama/Kucinich/Emmanuel/Pelosi/McAuliffe when they realize their scaremongering didn't work anymore, and that we're about to plow this baby in hard.
Talk about "strategic voting". Yee-hah, time to seize the plane! God Is Great!
http://www.sinkers.org/posters/staythecourse/index.html
Posted by Mike Flugennock | February 14, 2007 11:41 AM
Posted on February 14, 2007 11:41
All right. Who switched Mike F's pills again ? I told you clods to wait until the week before the New Hampshire primary. Nobody ever listens to me until it's too late. Now "Rhonda" and "John" and another of Scruggs' mythical wives and Berube's proofreader will be mobbing us non-stop for at least a bloody year and probably crashing the site even faster than than St. Donohue's army managed to crash whatsername's page.
Can't you people learn some goddamn self-control ?!
And put away the laundry, too. I'm tired of stepping over it every time I have to hit the liquor cabinet.
Posted by ms_xeno | February 14, 2007 6:11 PM
Posted on February 14, 2007 18:11