Et Tu, Vlad? Schizophrenic Iran

Martin Indyk
Ahmed Rashid
Jumana El Heloueh

"And I'm sure you remembered to turn your clock ahead an hour, unless, of course, you're a Democrat working on health care. Then you might want to turn it back a year and start all over again." – Jay Leno

"You know, I was thinking about this health care problem. If you took all the money the Republicans have spent to stop health care and all the money Democrats have spent trying to get health care, we could afford health care." – Jay Leno

"Sarah Palin, out in Arizona, is campaigning with John McCain. He's running for Senate re-election. They're campaigning together out there. I thought, yeah, I mean, there's an unbeatable combination." – David Letterman

How quickly the news changes. The article I wanted to reference to after reading it in the paper this morning suddenly became old news, and I had to go to the archives to find it. Luckily, I was able to use my library skills to ferret it out... It looks like March is turning out to be "Let's Bash the USA" pver our foreign policy. First, the Israelis ambushed and embarrassed Joe Biden, who only came to praise them, and ended up as the butt of a right wing prank. Then, Hillary travels to Russia, trying to get a more solid backing from them over imposing sanction against Iran. In a press conference, she gets dissed by Vladimer Putin: "Prime Minister Vladimir V. Putin made the announcement on the much delayed power plant, near the Iranian city of Bushehr, earlier Thursday, just as Mrs. Clinton arrived for talks about Iran, the Middle East and a new arms control agreement.


When Mrs. Clinton was asked about the announcement at the news conference, she said, “We think it would be premature to go forward with any project at this time, because we want to send an unequivocal message to the Iranians.” Mr. Lavrov responded unequivocally, saying, “The project will be completed.” Of course, Mr Putin's brutish nature won't allow him to come up with something original and clever, he has to copycat Netanyahu and be smug about it.

Russia contracted with Iran years ago to build this nuclear plant and to run it, with extended maintenance for years to come, so it is lucrative for them to honor the contract and get 'er done. Complaints have been made that they have been dragging their heels.

The US would like Russia to continue to delay, at least until Iran shows us that it has no ambitions to produce a weapon. Queen to Rook 5. Russia counters that they will be overseeing the plant and taking the depleted uranium rods out of the country for disposal, and that there will be frequent inspections by the IAEC. Check.

The main obstacles in this chess game are the intangibles, the machismo of the men running the Iranian government, Ahmadinejad wanting to never loose face or appear to back down. The US also wants to strut like John Wayne on a bad hair day, finding ways to neutralize Iran and bully them a little. A large part of diplomacy is being patient and letting the principles have their temper tantrums, and after they have gone to take their naps, of picking the pieces they threw onto the floor back up, and getting back to the negotiating table.

It hasn't been easy for Hillary: "In a grueling 36 hours of diplomacy, devoted to two of America’s most delicate relationships, Mrs. Clinton found herself trying to reinforce a new start with an old adversary, Russia, while bridging a rift with an old friend, Israel." The end result is that Israel has offered ideas to move the peace process along, and it looks like we are making up and moving along with it. Too bad this new attitude hasn't filtered down to the street level, as there are new outbreaks of violence by frustrated Palestinian teenagers in the West Bank...

schizophrenic iran...

The news coming out of Iran is just as divisive and complicated as a chess match. In order to obtain as much money as they can before any more sanctions are imposed, the Iranian government set free many of the people they had jailed over the past few months. Some had to pay up to $450,000 bail, others also had to pay hefty fines and had their charges dropped. Thousands of others who could not come up with the bribe money were not so fortunate: "The advocacy group Human Rights Activists in Iran said on Friday that around 18,000 people have been arrested since last summer, and many of them remain in prison. Emadedin Baghi, a human rights activist and journalist, has been in solitary confinement for the past 50 days, the opposition Jaras Web site reported. At least six people were sentenced to death last week for their role during the protests, in addition to two others who were executed in February."

Mir Mousavi used this brief leniency to post onto his web site and a video on Facebook, beating the Ayatollah Kohamenei in his usual announcement of naming the Persian new year, in a battle of pithy remarks. But the opposition was able to send a representative to Washington, asking that Internet access be made more available in Iran, instead of limiting it: "In recent months the government has carried out cyberwarfare against the opposition, eliminating virtually all sources of independent news and information and shutting down social networking services.


The sanctions against online services — provided through free software like Google Chat or Yahoo Messenger — were intended to restrict Iran’s ability to develop nuclear technology, but democracy advocates say they ended up helping the government repress its people." Internet service is provided by satellite in Iran, and the government's jamming of transmissions is in violation of international agreements. Switching to a newer satellite that transmits in higher and faster bandwidth would help counter that, as well as give more areas access to news sites and the BBC. Curiously, any products made by Cisco are under sanctions, but if the opposition cound score a few high end routers, they might be able to wage a better cyberwar against the government, who is scheduled to spend $500 million on cyberwarfare this year. It could come down to a virtual war in the Mid East this summer: "Iran, which has no communications satellites of its own, is dependent on foreign companies for broadcasting all its local channels as well as English, Persian and Arabic channels. Its jamming of BBC Persian and Voice of America violated international regulations.


“What Iran is doing can cause serious chaos in the international satellite order,” said Sadeq Saba, the director of Persian-language BBC television. “If other countries begin to retaliate and jam Iran’s channels, there will be serious chaos.”

Also on Thursday, the authorities jailed Hussein Marashi, a relative of Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani ,: "... one of the nation’s most influential politicians, an opposition Web site, Kalame, reported. Mr. Rafsanjani sided with the opposition in the aftermath of the elections but has occupied a hazy middle ground in recent months. Mr. Marashi, who was a senior reformist politician and a close relative of Mr. Rafsanjani, was charged with “spreading propaganda against the regime.” Analysts said the arrest could be an effort to pressure Mr. Rafsanjani, who enjoys wide support among the traditional clerics in Qom, to side with the government." The classic case of using the carrot and the stick, the Iranian government is using tactics from the ancient Chinese book, The Art of War, instead of consulting the Koran...

Missile Fired From Gaza, Disband the Catholic Church, Dear John

Michael Oren

Rex Brynen
Bernard Avishai

"Israel and America enjoy a deep and multi-layered friendship, but even the closest allies can sometimes disagree." - Michael Oren

"Netanyahu has been trying to pretend that the crisis with Washington was precipitated by bad timing. Nobody in the administration is buying it, and it is not clear how the Israel lobby can even try to sell it." - Bernard Avishai

"Gen. David Petraeus, the head of American forces in the Middle East and an expert in counterinsurgency, weighed in with a statement of the obvious, that America’s long acquiescence in Israel’s occupation was jeopardizing U.S. standing in the region." - Bernard Avishai

I had wanted to write about the next steps that could be taken to heal the US - Israeli spat, but that will take a back seat in light of current events. To make matters even worse in Israel, today we have another international incident that will generate a military response from the Israeli government, and probably halt all current progress towards any peace talks. Some hot-headed Palestinian group in Gaza fired a Kassam missile into Israel and killed a Thai greenhouse worker. From al Jazeera: "A rocket has been fired from the Gaza Strip into Israel, killing a Thai agricultural worker, Israeli medics have said. Thursday's strike, the first from the territory to cause any fatalities since the end of Israel's Gaza war in January 2009, may harden Tel Aviv's response.


"This is a crossing of the red line, which Israel cannot accept. The Israeli response will be appropriate. It will be strong," Silvan Shalom, the Israeli vice prime minister, told reporters. The attack happened as the European Union's foreign affairs chief was visiting the enclave." We can forget the gaffe over Biden, forget the rioting in Jerusalem and Bangkok. Now, the right wing attitude in the Israeli government will harden, they wil call for another invasion into Gaza, and dash any hopes of Netanyahu being forced into forming a more moderate government..

A group that claims to have been inspired by al Qaeda that nobody has heard of claimed responsibility: "A small Islamist faction calling itself Ansar al-Sunna claimed responsibility for the attack.
In a statement e-mailed to reporters in Gaza, the al-Qaida-inspired faction said the attack was a response to Israel's "Judaization" of Islamic holy places in Jerusalem and elsewhere in the West Bank. A second group, the Aksa Martyrs Brigades, also later claimed responsibility.


Vice Premier Silvan Shalom warned that the attack would lead to a strong reaction, and said that Hamas was ultimately responsible. “It is severe escalation,” said Shalom in remarks broadcast on Army Radio. “Israel will not return to the situation of before Operation Cast Lead. The response will be particularly fierce...I hope Hamas will learn a lesson.” What nobody has mentioned, is why Israel has imported Thai workers to do menial labor for them. I wonder if they have joined in the practice that is common to all countries in this region, of hiring foreign workers and then treating them as slaves, taking away their passports and often physically abusing them. Only someone interested in human rights would open that can of worms, and they have been put in jail a lot recently for trying to tell the truth.


are there any catholics left?...
The Catholic church has been covering up the pedophiles who abused young children for over 30 years. Hardly any of the priests were let go, their actions reported to the police, or even an attempt made to get them therapy. Instead, the abusive priests were sent to different locations in round-robin fashion, and their victims made to sign an oath of silence. Even the Pope is implicated when he was a Cardinal in Germany, and the numbers of victims are in the hundreds, from all over the US, Ireland, Germany, and Italy.

 

The real questions will be swept under the rug, that there are many more pedophiles in our societies than we know, how often people we trust will abuse our trust,  and why the Catholic church hasn't been disbanded centuries ago - since it has nothing to do with religion.

Our churches often impede a person's spiritual growth, they talk a good game about mystical experience, but lack the skills or knowledge to pass on an understanding of that experience. Which is why Islam persecutes Sufis, and Christian churches do not practice meditation. Lack of understanding leads to intolerance instead of acceptance, which also shows up in preaching against gays while at the same time trying to cover up the actions of pedophiles.

dear john...
Speaking of intolerance, Congress has been having hearings over the wisdom of repealing the "don't ask don't tell" policy of gays in the military.. Yesterday General David Petraeus sat before the panel and said that the policy should end now, but he was not allowed to read his official statement because it was deemed too long. The main Congressman who seems to want the policy to continue indefinitely, is John McCain. When he was running for President, John said that if the generals were for ending the "don't ask" policy, then he would be for changing it, too. Well, all of the Pentagon top brass has weighed in on the side of changing the policy , while John has dug his heels and put his fingers in his ears, saying no no no no no...

It's a good thing that John didn't become President. It's pretty clear that he is in denial, that he has buried the memories of the homosexual acts he performed when he was a prisoner of war in Vietnam. John, it's no big deal, nobody would think anything less of you. It doesn't diminish the heroism you portrayed, even if you did manage to get your co-pilot and gunner killed.. We don't even care if the stories are kept private, it's better that way for your health. Something for you to share with your priest, something you both might have in common...

Lula in Israel, Let's All Blame Mitch!

Maureen Dowd
Ahmad Rashid

"Ireland is a peculiar society in the sense that it was a nineteenth century society up to about 1970 and then it almost bypassed the twentieth century." - John McGahern

"Making peace, I have found, is much harder than making war." - Gerry Adams

"God's pity on the Ginger Man"  - J P Donleavy

The world took little notice when the Brazilian President visited Israel after Biden did, but his visit may have had more significance. It was the first time a Brazilian President ever visited, and Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is pushing for letting Brazil be the added spark that will move the peace process forward: "After being grilled in the Knesset - including by Netanyahu - for his policy of non-confrontation and dialogue with Iran, Lula did not flinch. He condemned both the Holocaust and terrorism; he reminded his hosts of Brazil's and Latin America's stand against nuclear weapons; he stressed "dialogue" and "compassion" to solve the Middle East conflict; he defended a viable two-state solution for Israel and Palestine; but he also did not refrain from criticizing the expanded colonization of East Jerusalem. He received a standing ovation and, according to some members of parliament, "more applause than [former US president] George W Bush".

Brazil has good relations with Iran, and is part of an economic pact made between Brazil, Russia, India, and China, who are doing their best to stimulate their economies by preferential trading among each other. India is buying nuclear equipment from Russia, so is Iran. Brazil is on good terms with the US, and has offered to host an informal conference between Syria and Israel later this year which both countries have accepted.

Neither Brazil or China want to see sanctions placed on Iran, and have said that Iran has a right to develop nuclear plants to provide energy, as long as it works with the International Atomic Energy Committee. Brazil isn't proposing anything new for Israeli - Palestinian negotiations, but is offering to provide to be a new, neutral part of the negotiation process. This may play well in Washington, as Netanyahu has dismissed both David Axelrod and Rahm Emmanuel as "self-hating Jews." We'll see if da Silva can become an important player on this stage, or if he will get sucked into the stagnant vortex that comprise Middle Eastern relations. The fact that the pugnacious, extremely right wing Avigdor Lieberman boycotted his speech is a good thing. And his presence is welcome when the US and Israel need a little time to repair their relationship...

"And in World News, the tension between the White House and Israel is at its highest level in 30 years. Israel wants to build more houses in its territory, and the Obama administration wants them torn down. Here's the solution: You build the houses, but let Countrywide give everybody an adjustable rate mortgage. They'll be foreclosed on and out of there by July." –Jay Leno

health care reform...
The theatrics are switching into high gear, it's almost painful to watch as politicians down to the local level act mean and tough in their opposition. The Virginia Governor threatening to sue if it passes, Utah passing statutes that says their laws supercede any Federal laws... plus, they want to take over all Federal land in their state and put up Mormon churches and big parking lots in its place, giving a new twist to the Joni Mitchell song...

The Congressional Budget Office is supposed to come out today, scoring the proposed health bill, saying if it will either save money or cost money down the line, either giving it the green light to vote on, or killing it in its place.

The current GOP strategy was conceived by Minority Leader, Mitch McConnell. In a NY Times feature, Mr McConnell has: "used his extensive knowledge of Senate procedure to slow things down, take advantage of the difficulties Democrats would have in governing and deny Democrats any Republican support on big legislation. In meetings with his caucus, Senator Mitch McConnell urged members to continue to play “team ball” — with the team being the Republican Party. Republicans embraced it. Democrats denounced it as rank obstructionism. Either way, it has led the two parties, as much as any other factor, to where they are right now"

“To the extent they are trying to turn us into a Western European country, we are not going to be helpful.”   - Mitch McConnell

"Their goal, is to slow down activity to stop legislation from passing in the belief that this will embolden conservatives in the next election and will deny the president a record of accomplishment.”  - Richard Durbin

So, if you are like me and don't like the strategy of Republicans right now, we now know who to blame.
This is old school, old man style hardball politics, born out of bitterness, and has made the younger generations cynical about the political process. OK, us grumpy old men are cynical, too, but I feel more pissed off at the narrow mindedness of the whole thing. If we want to get different parties to negotiate in places like Israel, Iran, Iraq, and Afghanistan, then we should be showing them how it's done. Right now we are a poor example, despite the 11 Republicans who voted for the jobs bill.

late night jokes:


"And I'm sure you remembered to turn your clock ahead an hour, unless, of course, you're a Democrat working on health care. Then you might want to turn it back a year and start all over again." –Jay Leno

"You know, I was thinking about this health care problem. If you took all the money the Republicans have spent to stop health care and all the money Democrats have spent trying to get health care, we could afford health care." –Jay Leno
"Congress is getting ready to vote on President Obama's health care bill. It's going to be a close vote. The House Democrats say it could be a real tickle fight." –David Letterman

"Sarah Palin, out in Arizona, is campaigning with John McCain. He's running for Senate re-election. They're campaigning together out there. I thought, yeah, I mean, there's an unbeatable combination." –David Letterman
"Thank you for coming on the Ides of March. You know, this is March 15. It was on this day in 44 B.C., Julius Caesar met his end. He was stabbed in the back by members of the Senate, ironically, while pleading for health care." –Jay Leno

"Well, President Obama, turning up the pressure on Congress to pass this health care reform. In fact, he's telling Democrats, if they don't vote for this bill, he will go out and campaign for them in November." –Jay Leno

"It seems The Journal of Neurology reports that the longer you smoke, the less likely you are to develop Parkinson's disease. So what are they telling us? Follow me guys. Remember, a couple of months ago, doctors said drinking a glass of alcohol every day was good for your heart. Smoking prevents Parkinson's disease. Marijuana is good for glaucoma. Sex is good for your prostate. You know, screw health care. Let's party!" –Jay Leno

"And in his speech to the Export-Import Bank's annual gathering, President Obama announced that he will establish two brain trusts to double U.S. exports over the next five years. You know what our leading export is right now? Jobs." –Jay Leno

Netanyahu Coming To US, Mexico Buys Fraud Drug Wands, Petraeus and McChrystal

William Pewen
Matthew Yglesias
Dana Milbank

"New Rule: Glenn Beck has to stop being so hard on himself. After his Eric Massa interview, Beck said, 'I think this is the first time I have wasted an hour of your time.' Oh Glenn, that's so not true. First of all, we never make it through the hour. But when we flip by your show and you're standing on your desk, dressed in lederhosen and holding back tears, etching something about Woodrow Wilson on your crazy board, believe me those two minutes aren't wasted. They're the funniest part of our day." – Bill Maher

Forget all of the drama and chest thumping over the slight that Israeli right wingers gave our VP, we need to move on towards pragmatic solutions that works for both sides. NY Times reader Leslie Brisman has a good solution to the Israeli housing boom: "There is another, more visionary path whose time may have come at last: If the government permitted the construction of these apartments but discontinued discriminatory policies in deciding who would occupy them, we could indeed move forward toward a lasting peace.


This could be done in one of two ways: affirmative action (reserving 800 of the apartments for Palestinians) or nondiscriminatory rentals (for instance, a lottery for each apartment with an equal number of Jews and Muslims allowed to apply).


If an eventual Palestinian state and Israel are to coexist, they must do so as neighbors, and a mixed housing complex could be a model of how this could happen. I do not imagine that the residents of Ramat Shlomo will instantly welcome their new neighbors. But keeping the peace there would be an appropriate role of government in a civilized society; constructing housing (or permitting the construction of housing) for one ethnic group is not." We start with what is possible, and work our way from there...

Next up, Benjamin Netanyahu is coming to the US to speak at the annual AIPAC meeting, the most influential Jewsish group in America. Hillary Clinton is scheduled to speak also, so it should be a lot of fun, I hope the audience also comes up with better solutions than the stale politicians...


mexico buys fraud drug wands...

One reason for the mounting death toll in Mexico's drug wars, is the Mexican police force's use of the GT200, a fraudulant, hand-held device that: "are widely used nationwide at checkpoints to search for contraband inside vehicles as well as to canvass neighborhoods in drug hotspots for drug and weapons stash houses." These are being made by the British company Global Technical Ltd, and, though Britain hasn't banned the exportation of these types of devices, they have been kind enough to issue a buyer's beware statement: "Mexico’s National Defense Secretariat has spent more than $10 million to purchase hundreds of the detectors, similar to the “magic wands” in use in Iraq and Afghanistan, for its antidrug fight. Although critics have called them nothing more than divining rods, Mexican defense officials praise the devices as a critical part of their efforts to combat drug traffickers. At the military’s National Drug Museum, one of the devices is on display, with a plaque that describes its success in finding hidden caches of drugs."

“We’ve had success with it, it works with molecules. It functions with the energy of the body.”

The Mexican government is just beginning to figure out that the combination of abject poverty and lack of education are factors that draw people into the cartels, along with the ridiculous amounts of money to be made. They are just now thinking of ways to change, about 20 years too late.. Thailand is also using these wands to sniff out drugs, and arrest people whom the wands point to, even if they don't have any drugs. "Using special cards provided by the manufacturer, the detector can supposedly detect all types of narcotics and explosives by homing in on their molecules from afar. The device is so sensitive, the manufacturer says, that it can detect not just stockpiles of illegal drugs but people who have used cocaine or heroin as far back as two weeks before."

 I hope these governments sue the British companies that made them and Britain for knowingly allowing them to be exported. It's one thing for uneducated fools to be hoodwinked from their money, another to put people in jail or even cause the deaths of innocent people that could have easily been avoided. and yet, both countries are still using these devices, and saying how well they work...

general knowledge...
Even General David Petraeus has called for an end to the military's "Don't ask don't tell" policy on gays in the military. So, what's the hold up? Are we waiting for every General over 60 years of age to die off so they won't be offended? Maybe they have put it on the agenda right after successfully negotiating a two-state deal between Israel and Palestinians. Outside of where I live in Colorado, attitudes of the younger generations are much more accepting, just ask your children. ..

And in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal has decided to finally round up the Marine Special Forces and put a few constraints on their operations. Seems that they are responsible for most of the civilian deaths by US forces, and Stan cannot look the other way any longer. Part of his revised counterinsurgency program is to limit the number of innocent people that get killed, you know, so that the people we are now dealing with won't hate our guts because we wrecked their homes and killed their children. The former excuse was that our cowboys operated on their own and didn't have anyone to control them, similar to the way the mercenaries they hired also worked. Now, they are answerable directly to McChrystal, so they better not screw it up, or blow his chances for running as a candidate in 2012...

On the Israeli Flip-Off, $23 Million Against Health Reform, Next Drone War

John Avlon
Ayman Mohyeldin
Mark Perry

"In 1998, there were 12 documented terrorist-related Web sites. One decade later, there were over 6,900 Web sites and online forums devoted to cyber-jihad." - John Avlon

"One thousand days ago, Gaza became the world's largest outdoor prison" - Ayman Mohyeldin

"America's relationship with Israel is important, but not as important as the lives of America's soldiers" - Mark Perry

There's no doubt that Israel has just given a big "fuck you" to the US, all of the newspapers say that the relationship between the two countries is at its lowest point in 35 years. Joe Biden went to Israel with the express purpose of trying to repair that bond, but the political slap in the face he received produced the opposite effect. Although Benjamin Netanyahu has apologized to Mr Biden, the Israeli press makes it clear that he doesn't really mean it, and keep out of our internal affairs... But actions have consequences, and as Biden relayed to Netanyahu in a private conference: "Yedioth Ahronoth went on to report: "The vice president told his Israeli hosts that since many people in the Muslim world perceived a connection between Israel's actions and US policy, any decision about construction that undermines Palestinian rights in East Jerusalem could have an impact on the personal safety of American troops fighting against Islamic terrorism."

The major change in US - Israeli relationships are twofold: the first and most obvious one is that we have troops stationed throughout the region. Like it or not, we have gone to war because of our support for the state of Israel. If the Palestinian problem had already been solved, there would be no al-Qaeda recruiting terrorists to focus on the US. There would not have been 9/11 and the subsequent events that led us to invade Iraq. How Israel treats the Palestinians on its soil will reflect in the safety or endangerment of our troops.

Second, are the results of trying to improve relations with the Muslim countries in the region, and listening to their concerns as well. We have invaded and have operations in three Islamic countries, and are confronting a fourth. It is in our interests to understand the cultures and ways of thinking of these countries, and to forge new friendships to help stabilize the region. Our military now has a vested interest in what our foreign policies are, and like it or not, the Obama administration is listening more than the previous one did. That's because Cheney and Rumsfeld, neither who had any military experience, figured that they knew it all, and the current Generals we have in command are a lot smarter than the previous ones.

So, it's personal now, we want these talks between Israel and the Palestinian groups to continue and produce real results, for the lives of our children. Israel wants the status quo so they don't have to relocate Israelis and give land and power back to any Palestinian. They would rather deport all Palestinians to Jordan and Lebanon, let them become Palestinian states...

As long as there is a right wing majority ruling Israel, we will see nothing but contempt at any attempt to prod them towards action. The right wing mentality is one of mental illness, and they will never listen to reason, and how dare anyone tell us what to do! Netanyahu has had nothing but contempt for the US ever since he was an ambassador to the US at the beginning of his career. So, as long as there are individuals who are mean and sneaky like Benjamin Netanyahu and Avigdor Leiberman in charge, we will continue to see stunts pulled that will assassinate further peace talks... On the other political spectrum, I have read that now even Hamas regrets its former aggressive stances. Id Hamas had lost the 2006 election, Gaza would not have been blockaded and turned into a prison based on the movie "Escape from New York". As I said before, maybe the best solution to this dire situation is to send over Snake Pliskin as chief negotiator and envoy instead of George Mitchell... "Escape From Gaza Strip"...


where's my piece of the pie?...

I have tried my best to get some of the $12 million that the insurance industry has spent this month on ads against the upcoming health care vote. Evidently I haven't written enough articles calling Obama the devil's spawn and his policies taking us to hell in a hand-basket. Or used the words socialism and communism in a scare piece. Opposition groups have also spent $11 million in trying to bribe, err, influence Democrats to join them in voting NO! We even have this dire warning from Senator Jim DeMint: “If the president is successful, I think it will give him some boldness to go back to other programs.” Well, duh, Sherlock. It doesn't matter that Obama is a Democrat, or an idealistic moderate. Even if he was a Republican, he would be vilified in the press over his every thought and move, because he is attempting to change the status quo. Our right wingers are attempting to make him fail at everything he tries to do, and be mean spirited and evil in the process. His own party waters down legislation and criticizes his staff. We have such a vicious culture in Washington, no wonder that George Bush spent every chance he could clearing brush in Texas. And we want to export this shit to other countries, hold it up as exemplary? Ouch...

new drone war...

When I warned about Americans getting killed in Mexico this Spring, I didn't think it would happen at the same time I was typing up my blog yesterday. But I am going to make another prediction, that as a result of our consulate workers being killed in a drive-by, the US will now use drones to help Mexico in its war against the drug cartels. You will soon be reading of cartel members being taken out by rocket fire instead of police shootouts, it is going to become the way that we wage war and law enforcement, in conjunction with setting up more and more cameras to watch public behavior.

Either Time or Newsweek had a story that drones are already being used as crop-dusters in farming regions, and that an anti-immigration group spent $25,000 and bought a drone of their own to patrol the border area between the US and Mexico. Coupled with the fact that you can buy a robot to clean your house or serve you food, or even to be your girlfriend, we are fast approaching a world that science fiction wrote about 50 years ago. We have a big curve to catch up to, but the use of drones as the new faceless form of aggression disturbs me. It is one more facet that creates a virtual reality, moving us one more step into the matrix, until future generations will not know the difference between what is displayed on the cave walls and what might be outside, if they could leave... Happy hunting, amigos...

Spring Break Locally, After Health Reform...

Fareed Zakaria
Eleanor Clift
David Sanger


The Daily Beast rated 57 metropolitan cities on how wonderfully crazy they are, in the sense that a bit of eccentricity keeps you sane. Denver was the only Colorado city to be rated, and though we didn't make the top ten, we were in the first 20 rankings. The numbers show where Denver ranked as compared to the other 57 cities:

                      #16 Denver 

          Psychiatrists per capita: 16
          Stress: 24
          Eccentricity: 38
          Drinking: 14 (tie)
          Crazy Law: It is illegal to lend your vacuum cleaner to your next-door neighbor.



Spring is just around the corner, and that means it is party time for all you wild college kids and high school kids with fake id's. Mom and dad: whatever you do, DO NOT LET YOUR KIDS TRAVEL TO MEXICO THIS SPRING BREAK! Not Cancun, not Acapulco, not even Rosarito. Especially keep them away from South Texas and anywhere near the Mexican border. Remember, there is a drug war going on between the cartels and the police, and it looks like the cartels are winning.

And if you are some dewey eyed journalism major or blogger who thinks that the combination of tequila, Spring Break, and the sound of automatic rifle fire go seamlessly together in the morning, please think again. They are especially killing reporters: "The Mexican government’s drug offensive, employing tens of thousands of soldiers, marines and federal police officers, has unleashed ever increasing levels of violence over the last three years as traffickers have fought to protect their lucrative smuggling routes. Journalists have long been among the victims, but the attacks on members of the media now under way in Reynosa and elsewhere along a long stretch of border from Nuevo Laredo to Matamoros are at their worst.


Traffickers have gone after the media with a vengeance in these strategic border towns where drugs are smuggled across by the ton. They have shot up newsrooms, kidnapped and killed staff members and called up the media regularly with threats that were not the least bit veiled. Back off, the thugs said. Do not dare print our names. We will kill you the next time you publish a photograph like that." I know that it's weird, but vacationing in Compton is safer right now.

I think that the invention of Spring Break vacation was concocted by Midwestern college kids. Living out along the California coast like I did, every weekend was Spring Break. I could ride my bicycle to Venice Beach and watch the crazies or take in a great jazz jam session in the afternoon. I could stay home at Hermosa or Manhattan Beach and bodysurf all day, go to clubs at night, everywhere from Hollywood to Laguna Beach. In fact, I'm reading Thomas Pynchon's new book Inherent Vice, and having a great time identifying all of the locations he is mentioning. in it.

Anyway, in the interest of saving the lives of our children, do not let them be fodder for massacres or drive-by shootings down south of the border. Print out this bumpersticker and pass it around:

- Spring Break -

Drink Globally, Party Locally

It looks like Congress will pass the health care legislation next week. Then, all of this fake tension and fighting can stop, the media blitz will subside, and the Republicans can take a few deep breaths, unless they've whipped themselves into a frenzy and went completely over the edge. Then, we'll have to hunt them down and shoot them, poor things. Good thing we still have our gun rights can strap our pistols to our hips and chase the old bastards into the National Parks. Wait, I think that one is trying to take the Appalachian Trail...

And the newly minted fascist federal government will issue special hunting permits... After all, perhaps the kindest thing we can do for the burned-out husks of right wing politicians is to recycle them, yes, Chuck Grassly, and you Lindsey Graham, are our next Soylent Green! It gives a new twist when we ask our Congressperson what's on their plate for next session... After a good meal and plenty of rest, we can contemplate the next tasks that Obama is going to tackle: financial reform and immigration reform! Boy, Obama really doesn't want to get re-elected, does he? On the other hand, if he resolves all of the major issues that have been undermining our society for so long, then maybe it will be safe  and tamper-proof enough to let  some Republicans win more seats come 2012. There won't be anything left for Sara and Newt to screw up bigtime, and we can treat them like the mind-candy that they really are... now that's what I call a real Tea Party...

Prescription Drug Rings, Reaction to Biden in Israel, Next Big Scandal

California's State Attorney General Jerry Brown made an announcement that the recent death of actor Cory Haim maybe linked to a Southern California prescription drug ring. The LA Times reports that the drug ring: "... operates by using stolen doctor identities to order prescription drug pads from authorized sellers. The prescription forms are then sold on the street to addicts or drug dealers who have them filled at pharmacies. Doctors whose names are used on the prescriptions are usually unaware that their identities have been stolen." Mr Haim may have been addicted to prescription drugs and an overdose may have caused his death. Investigators have found over 5000 cases so far of the fraudulent use of doctor's script pads so far.

I remember growing up in Southern California in the late 1960's, the news traveled quickly by word of mouth which quack doctors you could go to to get a prescription. Quaaludes were popular for downers, and black beauties were the best for speed. Pills were more popular among women, though guys enjoyed mixing downers with alcohol, too. Kept you out of fights... I really don't want to know what is popular these days, although I know that even kids in the sixth and seventh grades can score drugs at school if they want to. I assume that if it can happen here, in the middle of evangelical country, it occurs more often throughout the rest of the country. Since we legitimately give prescription drugs to kids anyway, it must seem a natural extension to keep on using them throughout their adult life. Unfortunately, this is one aspect that the health care reform does not address, along with how to get rid of quack doctors in our midst.

I will be so glad once Congress votes on the damned health reform bill. It looks like it will pass if Nancy Pelosi brings it to a vote. She has been the most effective Speaker of the House ever, and has never lost a vote. That explains all of the vitriolic attacks on her that seemed to go way beyond fairness and her being a Democrat. Her opponents wanted her gone because she is so effective, which shows the weird logic of politics. If she were bumbling and ineffective, let's keep her as the Speaker... which would then be an extension of the Bush policies... it might also explain why Newt Gingrich disparages her. Each of her successes grinds home what an utter failure he was when he was Speaker and dismissed by his own Party for being corrupt, ineffective, immoral, and a liar. And yet, people still come to him for political strategy and advice, go figure. Yeah, people also venerated Richard Nixon at the end of his life, he became the grand old man of the GOP, but still, nobody came to him and asked for his advice...

reaction's to biden's israeli visit...
Joe Biden left Israel with a bunch of fingers pointing at each other in the wind. The Arab press seemed bothered by his expressed love and binding ties to Israel. But that was his sole purpose for going there, to try and ease Israeli concerns that the US was drawing away from them. It was meant as a massage to their paranoid egos so they would feel better about entering negotiations. Of course, the Palestinians felt left out because they wanted a massage, too. Work those magic fingers, Joe...

Then, the damned Israeli government had to go and spoil everything by making the announcement of plans to build over 1,600 more housing units in East Jerusalem. Despite the Prime Minister's statements to the contrary, Mr Netanyahu planned on this indirect slap to the face, just like he ok'd the assassination of a Hamas official in Dubai, because he is a right winger and has a mean streak. And Joe had to take the hit and let it roll by, then point out the rude behavior to his unruly hosts.

Of course, Hillary couldn't let this incident go by, and called Netanyahu on the phone and reamed him a new one, in the blunt, diplomatic way that only she seems to get away with. She had to stand up for her proxy, especially when his effectiveness was ruined with that cheap shot.

And now, stupidly, because they are old school, getting awfully old and senile, the Anti-Defamation League threw itself into the fray, issuing a rebuttal to Hillary, saying that they never have heard such harsh criticism being waged towards a US ally. That's because where they have retired to there is never a discouraging word, and the skies are not cloudy all day...

Our current mess began over a year ago when talks were halted because Israel invaded the Gaza Strip tp stop some missiles from being fired towards them. Then, Israel said it would resume talks, and Abbas said not until you stop building more housing in the West Bank. Israel said no, we won't. Then, Israel said it would issue a 10 month moratorium of building. The US finally got the Palestinians to agree to third-party negotiations, where George Mitchell gets to pass notes back and forth, and now the Israeli announcement of more houses in Jerusalem, protesting by Palestinians in the West Bank, and Israel shutting down the Bank's barrier crossings.

The next prong trying to influence these two groups to sit down and negotiate in good faith, is the European Union using their economic ties to the region to influence Israel to stop playing mean tricks and and get serious about this process. Because in reality, Israel has the power right now. They could have already drawn up an equitable agreement and handed it over to the Palestinians, with only small details to quibble about. If that plan were based on the Saudi peace template, all of the Arabian nations would be in agreement with them. Damned thing would be done by next Christmas, if you'll pardon the Christian reference being inserted into the argument... If that doesn't work, the UN will pile on...

I certainly can understand why all of our diplomats burn out at such a high rate. It seems as if our current crop are traveling constantly around the globe, next week Hillary will be in Russia, and has Bill left Haiti yet?

next scandal...
It looks like the next big scandal to emerge will be over the ripping off of billions of dollars by Americans engaged in the reconstruction of Iraq. Yes, military officers were just as guilty. More will be written in the news next week, but here's the blurb from The Daily Beast: "Follow the money. That’s what federal investigators did in the case of the $150 billion spent on Iraq’s reconstruction. In the past six months alone, they’ve uncovered more than 50 instances of fraud or bribery on the part of Americans, resulting in fresh indictments. Many of the cases appear to be shameless, with some suspects simply mailing thousands of dollars home or smuggling money out of the country in duffel bags. Others sent millions via wire transfers. Officials found the cash was used to buy BMWs, plastic surgery, or pay down casino debts. “I’ve had a continuing sense that there is ongoing fraud that we have not been able to nail down,” the head of the Office of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction told The New York Times. “This spate of new cases is evidence that that sense was reasonably well placed.” So far, there have been 58 fraud cases put forth by the government involving reconstruction funds that have led to successful convictions." Hopefully, we'll be able to bring back Paul Bremer and waterboard him on public television. It's pay-per-view that I'd watch...