hI aNNIKA,

Welcome home! It sounds as if you trip was a great success. I was envious of your day at Louisiana and pleased at the recolections it brought me of my day there in 1972! Thanks for the great description. If I get around to it I'll scan a few pictures I have and send them. B&W tri x pan shot with my Nikon F-1. That dates them (and me) for sure.

As for blogging,(i'll spare you the aphorisms about bicycles and sex) I have noticed a serious reticence on everyones part to talk about how well the Bush doctrine is going in Iraq and what wonders the specter of democracy is creating. I know I'm thrilled! Gosh, if dead bodies were rose petals this could be democracy's coronation march.

How did you find people in Denmark disposed toward our band of devils and their handiwork?

Strawman:

The Bush doctrine is working better at controlling American deaths in Iraq than corrupt Democrat regimes in Detroit and Washington DC in controlling American deaths in their cities.

Much to the dismay of all left-wingers, American liberation of Iraq has prevented Iran from moving their armies into Israel through Syria and Lebanon. Thus Bush has prevented the third Holocaust.

Well Straw, I think you're full of crap but thanks for stirring things up a bit. It's been a little slow on the political side of things lately.

Jake, I think your post is interesting. There is a whole lot to write concerning Iraq and its impact on all things related to the Middle East.

One thing is certain though: the Left and the MSM are back to their moral relativism/Blame Israel mode. Few things upset me as much as (most) liberals' refusal to acknowledge that Israel simply defends itself while the goal of Muslim pond scum is to literally wipe Israel off the map. It should be obvious to any sane person. But if you read the papers, there is an absolute refusal to acknowledge that one side is pure evil. To me, it is the equivalent of writing about WWII with the mind-set that the Allies and Hitler were morally equal.

p.s. Straw, my condolences on the illness of one of your heroes. You doing anything special to try and aid in his recovery? Do have an address where I might send flowers?

Don't turn around
uh oh oh
Der annika's in town
oh uh oh

It's always that way when you return after a long journey. The first thing you see is the last repulsive cocksucker that you wanted to see. It's simple Newtonian physics.

Hear, all ye good people, hear what this brilliant and eloquent speaker has to say!

Hey Blu,

Glad you’re feeling his pain. I think if you just sent it % of his name, General Delivery, Havana, Cuba, he will probably get it. That’s what I did and I got a nice card back.

Oh, please Jake, Iranian armies would just be driving willy nilly through the desert if not for your dictator GB? Really? Do you suppose the Iranians are ready to invade Israel? Or that the incursion into Lebanon would have caused them to do something suicidal? The governments of Syria and Iran know that the IDF would eat them alive even if they are treyf. Do you get up each morning and make up shit about your “fearless leader” to endear yourself to the block captain? Need another star on your cap? Bush & Co. has bungled the entire operation from the deceits at the start to the military mission, to the government building, the corrupt contract letting and performance (you saw they canned Bechtel because they couldn’t build one fucking hospital?), the torture and murder, water, and power. The sick thing is that when he put on his clown suit on the carrier deck, he most likely thought the operation was over and honestly believed what he said. The man is a clueless dolt who couldn’t imagine a “doctrine” let alone spell it, create the outline describing it, or smell it if he stepped in it. Israel doesn’t give a shit about him or what he Condi do or think.

Blu, I don't find moral equivalence between Hezz and the Israel's, but I do recognize that we live in a world containing players and bystanders and to refuse to understand this is to take the moral low road regardless of your enemy’s posture. Whether the Geneva accords condemn a fighter who hides in the midst of non-combatants or not, a nation can and ought to exhibit restraint and exhibit a higher regard for innocent life than what the rules might allow. Podhorentz, that pompous fat fuck argued this morning that since Hezz was (possibly) hiding in that apartment block the Jews bore no responsibility for the 56 or so dead non-combatants. This is nonsense. Israel must defend herself and the incursion to destroy Hezz etc, has my support but caution and some restraint must be exercised. This is not a battle where to do less than all out is going to threaten Israel’s existence

Lucky for me I haven't had any recent problems with Verizon DSL. Last time I did, it was a pain to fix.

Straw,
I could quibble with some of what you wrote regarding Israel, but for you it was fairly reasonable. I don't think anybody would argue that caution should be used. But those 56 people are dead because of Hez and because of a cowardly Lebanese govt that allows Hez to exist without restraint. More civilians will be killed because Hez wants that to happen - it actually helps their cause. It's guarantees that some dumb fucking French socialist prick is going to scream "disproportionate response" (while the MSM echo chamber dutifully writes done and repeats the chant) and that Kofi will go on TV and prove once again that he is an amazingly dumb man and an anti-semite.

BLu,

That's like saying the 250,000 dead in Hiroshima, or Dresden, Or Tokyo were killed because their government should not have gone to war and the blame resides with Japan or Germany. It is an argument that has a simple and easy to understand ring to it but it is not the truth. They were, for better or worse, killed by american bombs. Even in all out war, were I the decision maker, human life, even my enemy's, must not be diminished to zero. Strategic options must always be weighed against loss of civilian lives. To do anything less is to forfit your claim to being civilized.

Straw,

The bombs we dropped on Japan saved more lives than they took. We are going to have to agree to disagree on this one. I do think that the innocents who were killed by our bombs in Japan and Germany died because of their govts. Yours is a reasonable argument, and I know some share it. I just don't agree with it.

Blu,

Agreed. But...........

One is the 5000 year tradition of Judeo-christian and probably all religious philosophy and the other is a very modern, pragmatic militaristic strategy that makes self serving presumptions and than proceeds to kill hundred's of thousands as if they are undeniable truths. Too many if's and too many dead.