Peter_Puget

Truth comes in the oddest places: For the New York Times is a hyper-capitalist vacuum which sucks in high commodity advertising targeted to its wealthy readers, covering it with a pathetic, neosocialist editorial slant, designed to disguise its plutocratic raison d'etre: handbags for the rich and editorials for the poor. Artnet.com link

"The U.S. is the only ally providing Tokyo with deterrent power against any foreign country that could threaten regional security, such as North Korea, and the Japanese people should never forget it." - Japanese Prime Minister, Junichiro Koizumi. Link PP

Clog cams (at least the version currently sold at REI Outlet) are the same as Technical Friends circa early 90's. (Clog is a related entity to WC) I am sure they are fine cams. They do not have cam stops and do not have the plastic stem reinforcements of the modern day version but the sizing is the same as Wild Country Friends. Wild Country PP

At 7th & Mish, by the U.S. Court House, I sat in a van driven by Nathaniel Shelton, who transports patients to and from Saint Francis Memorial Hospital. We were stuck, along with a fleet of Fed Ex drivers, just after 9 a.m., as demonstrators rode bikes in a circle in the intersection, closed it off with colored string, and berated the truck drivers. "It's almost as if they were protesting us," said Shelton. Indeed, the enmity and ridicule of the protesters was directed at working people trying to get their work done. The massive Court House, a seat of government power, was ignored. At the Civic Center, a group of demonstrators defecated. Then they left, leaving the mess to be cleaned up by others. Not only disgusting, but this idiocy belittles the proud tradition of civic protest in our national history ... Sigh ... link

Here's one from Mr. Andrew Sullivan: I biked past a rather pathetic figure in Dupont Circle this afternoon. barely old enough to grow a beard, this poor soul was wearing a large cardboard placard: "Ashamed American." Ashamed. Ashamed of the liberation of a people from an unspeakable tyrant. It's a form of self-hatred and inverse liberalism that truly boggles the mind. here's Eric Hoffer from "The True Believer: Thoughts on the nature of Mass Movements: It is easier for the frustrated to detect their own imaginings and hear the echo of their own musings in impassioned double-talk and sonorous refrains than in precise words joined together with faultless logic ... That the deprecating attitude of a mass movement toward the present seconds the inclinations of the frustrated is obvious. What surprises one, when listening to the frustrated as they decry the present and all its works, is the enormous joy they derive from doing so. Such delight cannot come from the mere venting of a grievance. There must be something more - and there is. By expatiating upon the incurable baseness and vileness of the times, the frustrated soften their feeling of failure and isolation. Yes, failure and isolation. And it's going to get worse and worse for these deluded apologists for evil.

I declare you silly! PP

From an AP report Safwan, Iraq: No Saddam Hussein!" called one young man. "Bush!" Another young man named Abdullah cheered the arriving Americans. "Saddam Hussein is no good. Saddam Hussein a butcher." An old woman, dressed all in black, hugged an American woman. And knelt at the feet of the Americans. A man pulled her away, sliding his finger across his throat in a signal not to make friends with the enemy. "Americans very good," a man named Ali Khemy said. "Iraq wants to be free." Some of the townspeople chanted, "Ameriki! Ameriki!" Others put makeshift white flags on their cars and trucks. And many simply patted their bellies in a sign of hunger. From San Francisco: The alleviation of Iraqi suffering, the liberation of the people of Safwan and of all of Iraq, makes many puke. Some, quite literally. Antiwar protesters in San Francisco organized a "vomit-in" yesterday to show how the war "made them sick." They regurgitated on cue, their bellies full of milk dyed red, on the steps of federal buildings in downtown San Francisco. Meanwhile other, merely metaphorically nauseous protesters snarled traffic and generally made asses of themselves in the name of ensuring that the people of Iraq were never liberated. Similar protests were held all over America and the world by people who can most charitably be described as Saddam's useful idiots. Two different forms of belly ache. The true divide. PP

I assume he was addressing the Presiding Officer at the time he was speaking. If you wish you can look it up yourself. I beleive that McCain spoke on the 19th. PP

Tell me when I have ever been pro war on this site?

From a student in Iran: "It will be a good thing to have American troops in Iraq. Perhaps that will bring change to Iran," said Namin, a lanky engineering student strolling to class. “

Financing reform!!!!!!!

I observed the comments of the distinguished senator from West Virginia concerning the events which are about to transpire within the next hour or so, or days. I did not really look forward to coming to the floor and debating the issue. It has been debated. It has been discussed in the media. It has been discussed at every kitchen table in America. But I felt it would be important for me to respond to allegations concerning the United States of America, its status in the world, and, in particular, what happens after this conflict is over, which I do not think we have paid enough attention to, perhaps understandably, because our first and foremost consideration is the welfare of the young men and women we are sending in harm's way. But to allege that somehow the United States of America has demeaned itself or tarnished its reputation by being involved in liberating the people of Iraq, to me, simply is neither factual nor fair. The United States of America has involved itself in the effort to disarm Saddam Hussein, and now freedom for the Iraqi people, with the same principles that motivated the United States of America in most of the conflicts we have been involved in, most recently Kosovo and Bosnia, and in which, in both of those cases, the United States national security was not at risk, but what was at risk was our advocacy and willingness to serve and sacrifice on behalf of people who are the victims of oppression and genocide. We did not go into Bosnia because Mr. Milosevic had weapons of mass destruction. We did not go into Kosovo because ethnic Albanians or others were somehow a threat to the security of the United States. We entered into those conflicts because we could not stand by and watch innocent men, women, and children being slaughtered, raped, and "ethnically cleansed.'' We found a new phrase for our lexicon: "ethnic cleansing.'' Ethnic cleansing is a phrase which has incredible implications. The mission our military is about to embark on is fraught with danger, and it means the loss of brave young American lives. But I also believe it offers the opportunity for a new day for the Iraqi people. Madam President, there is one thing I am sure of, that we will find the Iraqi people have been the victims of an incredible level of brutalization, terror, murder, and every other kind of disgraceful and distasteful oppression on the part of Saddam Hussein's regime. And contrary to the assertion of the senator from West Virginia, when the people of Iraq are liberated, we will again have written another chapter in the glorious history of the United States of America, that we will fight for the freedom of other citizens of the world, and we again assert the most glorious phrase, in my view, ever written in the English language; and that is: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, and among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The people of Iraq , for the first time, will be able to realize those inalienable rights. I am proud of the United States of America. I am proud of the leadership of the president of the United States. It is not an easy decision to send America's young men and women into harm's way. As I said before, some of them will not be returning. But to somehow assert, as some do, that the people of Iraq and the Middle East are not entitled to those same God-given rights that Americans and people all over the country are, that they do not have those same hopes and dreams and aspirations our own citizens do, to me, is a degree of condescension. I might even use stronger language than that to describe it. So I respectfully disagree with the remarks of the senator from West Virginia. I believe the president of the United States has done everything necessary and has exercised every option short of war, which has led us to the point we are today. I believe that, obviously, we will remove a threat to America's national security because we will find there are still massive amounts of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Although Theodore Roosevelt is my hero and role model, I also, in many ways, am Wilsonian in the respect that America, this great nation of ours, will again contribute to the freedom and liberty of an oppressed people who otherwise never might enjoy those freedoms. So perhaps the senator from West Virginia is right. I do not think so. Events will prove one of us correct in the next few days. But I rely on history as my guide to the future, and history shows us, unequivocally, that this nation has stood for freedom and democracy, even at the risk and loss of American lives, so that all might enjoy the same privileges or have the opportunity to someday enjoy the same privileges as we do in this noble experiment called the United States of America.

"We have a bad impression of the human shields. Some of them are crazy," said an Iraqi Foreign Ministry official, who requested anonymity. "As the sands shift and we execute the plan, one fact remains true: Marines are the windstorm that will liberate the Iraqi people from one of the most repressive regimes on the face of the earth and make their freedom a reality. Nothing will stop the U.S. Marines." - Lt. Gen. James T. Conway, the chief Marine commander in the region. PP

On that point you might be right!

It has come to my attention that the nefarious and hopelessly confused DFA has been making the following claim: Peter Puget totally eats babies. For real. I may have tasted a baby or two but I unequivocally deny ever eating one. PP

By NPR you must mean the BBC! Spay on you bullshitters. PP

ChucK – You crack me up. I again ask how can I answer the unanswerable? I am not as convinced as you as to the unanswerability of the question but I do not know what it means. I suggested as much by my “strange comparison.” So sadly I cannot answer the question and until someone can, I am not convinced that it does matter. Help me understand if you can please. On to a second matter. In your post about the targeting of Saddam please let us know your sources. I ask because the explosion wnet of at approx. 9:30 pm EST and the dealine was at 8:00pm EST. By the way did the allies ever try to kill Hitler in a bombing raid? PP

DFA quote: “The Doctor is not saying "all war supporters are assholes" or anything of the sort. If you want to go on believing that that's what DFA is saying, well, that's your prerogative, buster.” Comment: What PP actually said: “These kind [sic]of statements make you look like an asshole. To think that most war supporters don’t give a damn about human casualties is complete goofiness and reveals contempt for others that can be construed as nothing more than vanity.” I would again ask interested readers to review DFA and my discourse on “war is murder” and see just who is twisting words. Chuck – Quote: “First, you asked for moral/ethical clarification from Off White. That is the inquiry to which I responded.” Comments: Read the following excerpt from my initial posting in this thread. Sorry if I was confused by your response. “I would of course be open to your detailed discussion on the relative innocence of an American soldier compared to an Iraqi newborn, aged woman, teenager or whomever. As in our previous discussion after the sloganeering ends I am sure your thought process will prove to be empty. “ Quote two: “Second, I did not ridicule your inquiry specifically, but your refusal to respond to said inquiry turned back upon you. You asked Off White and DFA a big unanswerable question, refused to even try to answer it yourself, then used it as "proof" that DFA was wrong. That's what I ridicule.” You claim “it” is unanswerable. Why then would you think I refused to answer it. From your point of view it would be impossible. Did I have a choice? Your urge to ridicule seems to have gotten in the way of getting your facts right. What you conveniently ignore is that I didn’t refuse to answer anything! I asked OW for clarification. I did this so that any answer I give would be more responsive. (Please see my previous post at 3:17pm yesterday) I never used “it” as proof that DFA was/is wrong; just trying to show that his thought process is empty. Please see quote above. If DFA is right or wrong, it is to my mind more or less the result of dumb luck rather than rational thought. Anyone else ready to move on? PP

DFA Your reply again is utter crap. I stand by my comments that the supporters of the war with Iraq are in fact very aware of noncombatant casualties and do not support the killing of civilians or enemy combatants for the sake of killing. Interested readers may search and review our discussion of the topic “war is murder” and see how quickly DFA expressed his ignorance when face with the implications inherent in this statement. I stand by my asshole statement. Sidebar discussion As a point of fact, one of those whom I think you would consider a “pro war kill the rag heads type” once gave more than a squirt of piss. Something for which criticized him for reporting on CC.com. I bring his up only to show again how wrong you are. ChucK – Is it wrong that I ask for moral/ethical clarification from DFA who is so willing to make judgements upon others? I call BS on your thumbs down and ask why would you seek to ridicule such an inquiry?! PP

Ah. I am expressing my ignorance. Certianly DFA who makes such distinctions as a matter of course can explain such concepts easily. On another subject here are some true leaders: PP

ChucK – Here is a true story your Dresden reference got me thinking about. This story is not directly related to the fire bombing of Dresden. Years ago I was in the mountains during a forest fire and homes were being evacuated. Everyone was packing up stuff and stuffing their cars knowing they had a very short time before in all probability their homes would become a pile of ashes. My parents neighbors were German (I’ll use the names Hansel and Gretel) and they brought out some very expensive wine which we were all drinking. It was odd scene: a hot summer morning drinking very expensive wine, the smell of smoke thick in the air everyone discussing what they thought worthy of saving. Ashes were falling like snow and Gretel began crying and telling stories of packing up and running from the Russians as a teenager in WWII. She mentioned how ashes were falling then too and she didn’t want to loose everything again. Hansel hadn’t even meet Gretel at that time he was a teenager thrown into a uniform (in DFA terms turned into a murderer!) fighter Americans, perhaps my uncle, to the west. Anyway her story was very compelling and her emotions quite real as she remembered it all. To read something in books is different from hearing it from a real participant. PP

OW Quote: Peter: I didn't see anywhere that DFA referred to US soldiers as murderers on this thread. He's simply pointing out that there is another group of people whom it might be appropriate to hope come out of this thing okay besides our own soldiers. DFA and I had a fairly long discussion where he claimed that soldiers are murderers. My reference to US soldiers as murderers was in that context. I would note that my comments were in fact expressly directed to DFA. DFA was doing more than pointing out that ‘there is another group of people whom it might be appropriate to hope come out of this thing okay besides our own soldiers” he was making clear and unsupportable statements regarding “war supporters” OW quote: You made a very strange comparison: a 19 year old American soldier and an equally innocent Iraqi? What do you mean by equally innocent? I was trying to invoke a response from DFA. But exactly how/why is it strange? Please tell me more. Exlpain innocence to me and why it matters. PP

DFA Quotes: 'Cause it seems like a lot of people here couldn't be bothered to give a squirt of piss for all the faceless targets cowering in their Baghdad basements… .Seems that American lives are generally extremely precious to war supporters, while those of the "enemy" are generally thought little of, if they're thought of at all. DFA – These kind of statements make you look like an asshole. To think that most war supporters don’t give a damn about human casualties is complete goofiness and reveals contempt for others that can be construed as nothing more than vanity. For the record, all things being equal given the choice between a 19 year old American soldier (whom by the way you believe is a murderer) and equally innocent Iraqi, I would pick the American to live. I would of course be open to your detailed discussion on the relative innocence of an American soldier compared to an Iraqi newborn, aged woman, teenager or whomever. As in our previous discussion after the sloganeering ends I am sure your thought process will prove to be empty. PP

Gaurdian Link claiming bias in BBC reporting The improtant quote: "The impression has been given, on the BBC in particular, that public and expert opinion is strongly and almost exclusively opposed to military action. This expectation has entered the cultural stratum that the majority of broadcasters exist in, and so dominates that it has become that most dangerous of wisdoms - not so much orthodox, as axiomatic.” PP