May we never return

The American representative has walked out of a UN meeting in protest of the fact that Cuba was elected to another three-year term on the UN Human Rights Commission. I couldn’t be prouder.

Just to review for those of you who have not been following the recent action of the communist regime in Cuba.

1) While the attention of America was on Iraq Cuba has jailed dissidents, sentencing 75 of them to long prison terms.

Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque said that Cuba was acting to protect its independence from a US-funded conspiracy to undermine the government of Fidel Castro. The convictions and sentences of up to 28 years have provoked worldwide criticism. (snip) Mr Perez Roque said the complaints were made by those who did not understand Cuba's struggle for independence.

Note to Mr. Perez - Cuba has been independent for quite a while now. I understand that a perpetual struggle for independence may seem appealing (kind of like an endless political campaign) but aren’t you tired of it yet?

2) Cuba falsely claimed that this was done to protect the nation from threatened imminent military attack by America.

Among the older Cubans are many of the veteran artists and musicians who recently wrote an open letter to the world's newspapers, calling for understanding as Cuba defends itself from the United States which, they say, is "preparing the ground for a military aggression". (snip) I spoke to one (snip) "It will be a bloody encounter", he said, "like when you put two boxers face-to-face in the ring. We will fight 15 rounds."

This is the most insane case of self delusion that I have ever seen. After watching us destroy the Iraqi military resistance in a matter of weeks what makes them think that Cuba could hold out against America for more than a few minutes?

3) The UN Human Rights Commission then called for an investigation of the human rights abuses in Cuba.

This latest resolution calls on Cuba to accept a visit by French law expert Christine Chanet

I am not so sure about sending a French expert in. However, if Cuba is scared of even having the French speak out against them things must be bad on the island.

4) Naturally, Cuba then rejected the call for investigations claiming that there was no reason for the visit.

It (Cuba) describes all the 24 countries that voted against it - including some of its main trading partners - as unprincipled lackeys of the United States.

Going forward everytime I get into a disagreement I plan on calling anyone who disagrees with me an ‘undisciplined lackey’ – it has a nice ring to it.

5) Cuba was then (of course!) elected to another term on a commission that they will not even follow the rules of.

The United States walked out of a United Nations meeting Tuesday to protest Cuba's election to the U.N. Human Rights Commission for another three-year term. "It was an outrage for us because we view Cuba as the worst violator of human rights in this hemisphere," said Sichan Siv, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Economic and Social Council

BRAVO!!!

Rarely have I been so very proud of the actions of an American representative to the UN. Now we just have to work to ensure that America never darken the door of farce that is the UN Human Rights Commission again.

I have to admit that much of my interesting this stems from the fact that a branch of my family is from Cuba. I would like to go there (as I did Luxemburg) to do the family tree thing. However, I refuse to go until Cuba is again free. Unfortunately that day is not being ushered forward by the craven UN. The longer that the UN continues to give Cuba the political coverage the longer the Cuban people suffer under tyranny.




On a final Cuba related note... Cuba has announced that it is putting a bid in to host the 2012 summer Olympics. I bet after reading the above rant you can imagine my response. I am horrified that the IOC might actually consider sending the games to Cuba.

10,000 ! ! !

Big thanks to visit number 10,000 A user from adelphia.net who found Geographica via PaveFrance.

I can't believe that in under 2 months I have had so many visitors. I am fairly certain that a large chunk of the visits are only me viewing the page to be sure that I have not completely messed up the site. I don't care - I am celebrating the number 10,000 for all it's worth! Being unemployed means that I have to take my kudos where I can.

Particular thanks to Tim Blair who is my personal patron saint of Blogging. He gave me my first link which gave me the impetus to keep blogging. There is something to be said for the pressure of having people actually read ones blog - some days that is what keeps me writing.

The only way that I have acheived this number is due to a bit of linkage love from Glenn at Instapundit. Now every day is a struggle to find something to post or write that will put this blog into the blinding sunshine of Instapundit again.

I hope that the few of you who read this site regularly are enjoying it. For those of you who just found the site from a link take a minute and look around - I hope that there is something that will keep you coming back.

The most meaningless meeting in the world

Anti-war Europeans open summit to discuss strengthening military links. Attending the meeting were representatives from France, Germany, Belgium and Luxemburg.

French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin on Monday called for a strong Europe which could speak with a single voice and act as a counterweight to the United States.

Evidently he has forgotten what happened last time these four nations were under a unified military leader who was acting as a counterweight to the USA. In the last months it has become increasingly clear that many in Europe have forgotten the basic lessons of history. A primary historical lesson is that a unified Germany with any military power is never a good idea (see WWI & WWII).

I am actually not very worried about this planned 'counterweight' posed by Europe. Examining the nations that are participating in this summit proves that this is just a theater of the absurd.

Germany is a nation with a stong base of pacifism that is enshrined in their constitution. After WWII we were an occupying army for 50 years and they have not had to consider what a real defense policy without training wheels would be.

France does not really have a strong tradition of military defense (see WWII). They have delusions of military grandeur that have no basis in reality. The French only have one aircraft carrier that leaks radiation and drops propellers (hardly awe inspiring).

Belgium historically seems to have primarily served as the HOV lane for Germany into France. Beyond being the physical headquarters of NATO the Belgium contribution to the world militarily seems to only be inneffective 'peacekeeping' under the auspices of the UN.

Finally, Luxemburg is all of 999 square miles of the middle of nowhere Europe - hardly a center of military might. I actually walked across the entire nation in one day - a branch of my family is from there (at least they weren't French!) and I was doing the 'find your roots' thing. The reason I mention this is that in my entire time in Luxemburg the only military that I saw was remnants of past WWI and WWII battles there.

I almost hope that this summit results in a strong policy statement that we in the US can stand against.

Break out the violins

The BBC reports that the French economy was shrinking in the last quarter of 2002.

French business morale has also been unsettled by publicity campaigns urging US consumers to boycott French products, including high-profile exports like wine and cheese.

For some reason I do not feel a twinge of sympathy for France. In fact it is my sincerest hope that my choices of Australian wine over French has assisted in this decline of the French economy.

Why aren't you there now?

Bill Whittle has put a new essay titled VICTORY up on his blog.

Here is my favourite selection

they were done, defeated, whipped, when we committed the most courageous, audacious and confident military maneuver in U.S. history: we had the genius – the only word for it -- to place reporters from several nations, and from every point on the political spectrum – among the troops, to not only see for themselves, but to show the entire planet, in real time, whether or not American servicemen are baby-killing murderers or the most tightly disciplined, courageous, humble, humane and morally magnificent army that has ever gone into battle in the storied history of this human species.

Just step back for a moment, and think about how monumentally confident that action was. Before it even started, without knowing how well or badly it would go, with dire predictions of street-to-street fighting that would echo the horrors of Stalingrad, and predictions from shrill and desperate cynics that hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians would die – on camera – we decided that we could trust our eighteen and nineteen year old grunts to do the right thing with bullets flying and the blood of their best friends on their uniforms.

Ah, but these were not grunts. These were American kids, well-educated, highly motivated, decent and determined, and the most professional warriors, ambassadors and statesmen that ever walked this earth. Good God I am proud of every single one of them.

I agree wholeheartedly. I continue to be amazed at the men and women in uniform and how they have shown themselves to be truly the best our nation has to offer.

Like all of his previous essays it is stirring, stunning, and moving. Go read it all - you will not regret it.

My new favorite TV show

Michele has reported that this is “TV turnoff week”. She will not be participating (shock!) and neither will I.

In particular I would not be able to give up my new favorite show Liberty’s Kids.

This show rocks! Particularly in light of the fact that it is a show designed to teach 8-12 year olds about the American Revolution. Heck – the show is even on PBS, bastion of liberal preachyness.

What I really like about Liberty’s Kids is the fact that they are teaching children about the US fight for independence. In the process young children are being exposed to the great leaders, thinkers and events that shaped the creation of our nation.

The protagonists in the show are a fictional boy and girl who are apprentice journalists working for Ben Franklin. The boy, James, is a hotheaded believer in the American cause. The girl, Sarah, considers herself a loyal British subject and is uncertain about the wisdom of revolution.

One feature that is particularly appealing about this show is that they often state the importance of getting both sides of every story – perhaps this show should be required viewing at all major journalism schools. Additionally, I really love the fact that the show quotes directly from documents of the time. Two days ago Thomas Paine's Common Sense was quoted extensively and yesterday the selections from the Declaration of Independence was read. Any time that these important documents are presented in popular culture, particularly to children, is an absolute good in my eyes.

If you get a chance to watch Liberty’s Kids you should check it out. I have to admit that I have learned from this show and you might also and I bet you will be entertained as well.

Another myth smashed

The BBC reports that the Iraqi farmer who was feted for having shot down an Apache helicopter with an old rifle has admitted that the story was false.

I don’t know about you but I am shocked, SHOCKED!

After all, he was praised in the Iraqi media for being the "farmer who harvests both rice and Apaches”. It was pointed to as proof that there would be strong resistance to the Americans military technology by the Iraqi people who would fight a “people’s war”.

Turns out that the real story was that the farmer walked out to his fields in the morning and discovered an Apache helicopter. He ran to the local Ba’ath party headquarters to report his find. They told the farmer to report that he shot down the helicopter and the farmer was in no position to disagree. After all this was not a nation in which one could tell the truth if it conflicted with the party line. It is nice to know that now the farmer feels free enough to tell the story to the media. Yet another example of how the lives of average Iraqis are being improved by the removal of the Saddam Hussein regime.

Acckk!!!

I just went to Lileks for my nightly read of the Bleat.

I received an error message that stated "This domain has expired
It will be deleted in the next few days." Crisis - I must drive to Minnesota and save the Bleat!

Happily there is an additional message "It seems that the domain listed above has already been renewed. The domain should be reactivated shortly." What a relief, no need for me to drive North to Jasperwood.

This experience reminds me of how reading blogs has changed my world. Lileks is a nightly ritual before I go to sleep and the lack of Bleat will put a small dent in my day. This goes along with the fact that I sprinkle my conversation with references to what Michele has said and the fact that thanks to Tim Blair I know a bit too much about Australian politics. I keep sending friends strips from Day by Day and I insist on referring to George Clooney as an "Asshat" because of Rachel Lucas. Kim Du Toit has convinced me that I need to buy a gun or ten and Pave France has supplied me with a seemingly endless source of frog bashing ammo. Add to that the fact that I have felt an even greater connection to the war in Iraq because of reading Where is Raed and all the military blogs I list to the left (Lt. Smash, Sgt. Stryker, Will, and Primary Main Objective). I have made a greater effort than I normally would have to keep up to date on the events of the war because of my contributions to The Command Post.

It is not an exaggeration to say that blogs have improved the quality of my life. Because of that I constantly am preaching the "gospel of blog" to friends. So far I have converted one friend... He has created an embryonic blog that you can find at The Hard Press. The really great thing about having a friend who also reads blogs is that we can then have great conversations about them. The only problem is that now he likes Rachel and Kim better than me. I look forward to reading his contributions to the blogosphere. From what I know of him you should be looking forward to it as well.

Can we think of a new term please?

This evening in my class ‘Hong Kong Cinema’ the professor really got on my nerves.

I really like this professor but upon occasion her liberal tendencies sometimes get the better of her. Tonight what got to me was her use of the term ‘imperialistic’ to describe the pervasiveness of American media etc. in the world.

I tried to point out that while the peculiar culture of Hong Kong was a result of British imperialism but that whatever American influences that are there are not a result of our ‘imperialism’ – after all McDonalds wasn’t built following the opium war.

After class we had a very pleasant conversation and she stated that perhaps she should have said ‘cultural imperialism’. I am still not happy with that term either. It seems wrong to me to use the same word to describe the actions of the France and Belgium in Africa and the opening of a KFC in Beijing.

Is there a better word or term than ‘cultural imperialism’ and I am just not aware of it? Perhaps if such a word does not yet exist the blogosphere can come up with one. If you have a good alternative word or term drop me an e-mail.

I would do it in comments here on the site but I have no idea how to add comments. In fact if you have any suggestions for installing comments please drop me an e-mail.

Two in a row!

Unbelievably this will be my second sports related post in a row.

I just spent a very enjoyable hour reading all of the e-mails posted at the Jocks to GIs website.

This seems like a very cool program that has linked servicemen and women with sports stars to exchange e-mails. The e-mails are very touching and even though I have no idea who most of the athletes are it is nice to know that some famous figures understand what supporting the troops really means.

Take a few minutes and read the e-mails that have been posted - you won't regret it.

A powerful role model

I am not a sports minded gal. I like the Cubs and the Bears but that is not so much a sports thing as an annual exercise in hope and futility.

However, I really like former NFL player Pat Tillman. I have tripped across several stories about him in the last year and they are really heartwarming. In a time when famous athletes seem to constantly whine that they aren’t role models it is refreshing to read about Tillman. .

Following the attacks on Sept. 11 he and his brother decided to join the Army. A remarkable decision for any man to make after returning from his honeymoon but even more so because joining the Army means that Tillman turned his back on a 3 year $3.6 million contract to play with the Cardinals.

Even more astonishing is the fact that the Tillmans have not publicized this - on the contrary they have shunned media attention. As if to make the story even more perfect the Tillmans have become Rangers – these guys are great.

Pat Tillman is an excellent example of what a true role model should be.

Hah!

A friend just sent this link - Screenshot of President Bush's Hotmail account.

I think it is very funny - I hope that you like it too.

In case you needed another reason

In case you needed another reason to ensure that the UN is kept out of Iraq read this.

The article by Lawrence Lindsey tells the story of his and his wife’s attempts to adopt a pair of young children who were orphaned by the fighting in Kosovo. Regardless of the fact that the Lindseys offered a safe stable home to these children who have not been taken by family or clan in Kosovo.

This would offer a stark contrast to my eyes – life in the US with educated well off parents who want to love the children and could offer every opportunity or… life as a ward of the state in a bleak orphanage in a war torn nation. It just seems like a ‘no-brainer’ to me.

Unfortunately this choice was not so clear to the UN functionary who controlled the orphanage. The young French woman told the Lindseys that no Americans would adopt any children there. The Lindseys could not believe this and therefore tried to find somebody at the UN to overrule her. In that search they discovered that the official policy of the UN is to not allow any transnational adoptions.

This is a senseless edict. Orphans are the most defenseless among us and in a war ravaged nation the most defenseless are even more likely to be victims of mistreatment. Why not give these children the opportunity to live a better life with loving parents in the US?

As Lawrence Lindsey wrote “Official United Nations policy needlessly condemns thousands of children to difficult futures in poor and war-ravaged countries.” It is important that the UN not be given the opportunity to do this in Iraq.

Clearly not from Chicago

Steven Den Beste (who rocks) is clearly not from Chicago.

I can tell you how I have discerned this key fact. He wrote an excellent (as always) piece about the concept of 'graceful failure'. I am not too proud to admit that upon occasion Steven's engineering based posts are above my head. However, this time I noticed a tiny flaw in one of the examples he used - this in no way diminishes the point that Steven made. I just can't resist the urge to point out the flaw in the example.

Steven wrote:

In construction, brick houses tend to fail catastrophically and wood-frame buildings fail more gracefully, which is why the building code in California doesn't permit brick buildings unless they're specially designed. In an earthquake, brick buildings tend to collapse, but even when wood-frame buildings fail they don't tend to fail all the way. They start making noise which warns a person that something bad is happening, and may partially collapse while still retaining at least part of their original shape. A person in a wood-frame building has a much better chance of survival.

That may be so in sunny CA but in Chicago the opposite is the case. In the Midwest there is very little fear of earthquake (excluding the New Madrid fault) but a long memory of fire. In 1871 the timber framed city of Chicago burned to the ground - a catastrophic failure of epic proportions. That is why Chicago was rebuilt out of relatively fire safe brick. In case of fire brick structures give residents more time to escape giving the person in a brick building a better chance of survival. Additionally, a brick building is less likely to go up in flames due to a spark from a neighboring house fire.

I have to thank Den Beste for answering a question for me. Years ago when a friend from LA visited Chicago with me she was amazed at the fact that seemingly everything is built of brick. She stated that in LA it was far to expensive to build out of brick - I would imagine that is a result of the special design and permits required there.

Another fight against evil

I just added a link on my blogroll to the most excellent weblog The Leaky Cauldron. It is a blog devoted to all things Harry Potter. I would best compare it to Instapundit – with a focus on Harry Potter.

I am a huge fan of Harry Potter. Karri - a good friend who has known me since grammar school think it is because I am the living embodiment of Hermione Granger. When we went to see the first move Karri kept leaning over to me and saying “this is creepy – she is just like you!”.

Here is a short list of why I am very much like Hermione:
Out of control curly brown hair – check.
Reads all the time – check.
Hand waving in the air in class – check.
Where can you find her? In the library – check.
Hangs out with a couple of close friends who are guys – check.
Is a vast font of random trivia knowledge – check.

My first exposure to the wonderful Harry Potter was when I was babysitting for a British family. The young son David, a second grader, was reading the first book and was about halfway through it. I picked up the book and started to read it and then we were in trouble. I found myself actually fighting the 7 year old for the book! Luckily I read very quickly and the first night I succeeded in prying ‘The Sorcerers Stone' from David’s sleeping hands.

After finishing that first book I have eagerly awaited the release of each successive book. I am not ashamed to admit that I was at a store for the midnight release of the last two books. For the release of the upcoming ‘Order of the Phoenix' I will be waiting in line to get a copy at midnight.

If you like Harry Potter you should check out The Leaky Cauldron. In addition to being a one-stop shop for news and information about Harry Potter the readers have also succeeded raising £14,202.93 for Book Aid International – a favorite charity of JK Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series.

Quick - Somebody Call PETA

According to this story some US Marines have started hunting gazelles - with rocks.

US marines in Iraq are hunting gazelles with rocks and pistols - to avoid having to eat ready-made military rations.

The soldiers at a base outside Tikrit say they are enjoying eating the unusual meat from Saddam Hussein's personal hunting preserve.

Marine Wing Support Squadron 271 are venturing into the woods to hunt the animals before hauling them back as a welcome substitute for the pre-packaged Meals Ready to Eat rations.

"It was delicious. I don't know if it's because we have been eating MREs for two months, but everyone has enjoyed it a lot," said army cook Cpl Joshua Wicksell, 26.

Each of the squadron's platoons has been limited to killing one gazelle a day to make sure the herd is not depleted.

The soldiers have been allowed to use 9mm pistols to hunt after initially being forbidden to use firearms for fear that gunshots in the woods might be mistaken for enemy fire.

"We hunted them with rocks (at first), as Stone Age as that sounds," Wicksell said. "We gutted them and skinned them and pretty much carried them over our shoulders barbarian-style."

Interesting that these gazelles were on Saddams 'personal hunting preserve'. Why was PETA not taking a brave stand against the brutal imprisonment and slaughter of these poor defenseless gazelles at the hands of Saddam Hussein. Perhaps that would have convinced the leftys of the justification of removing Saddam Hussein from power. I know that childrens prisons was not justification in their eyes but perhaps the poor cuddly aminals will have been reason enough.

I think that it is telling that the Marines are limiting their hunting to "ensure that the herd is not depleted" sounds like the Marines are responsible sportsmen. I also love the fact that the Marines were able to fell Gazelles with ROCKS. Now that is old school.

I found this via Dave Barry's most excellent blog.

The King of Entertainment

On NBC tonight is a salute to Bob Hope "100 years of Hope & Humor" in celebration of his upcoming 100th birthday.

Further evidence that I was born in the wrong generation is my love of Bob Hope. I know that in modern eyes his act is corny. However I truly believe that he is a great entertainer. After all he was a success in Vaudeville, Broadway, Radio, Movies and Television - this was a man who knew how to entertain. In addition he created the Bob Hope Golf Classic which has distributed $37 million for charity.

One of the things that really makes me love him is his tireless work entertaining the troops. He headlined in 60 tours with the USO from 1941 until 1990. He was such a wonderful contributor to the USO that they have an entire page devoted to him on the USO website. The Navy has named a ship the 'USNS Bob Hope' to honor him and the Air Force dedicated a C-17 in his name the 'Spirit of Bob Hope'. Hope is also the only man to have been designated an 'honorary veteran' by the US Congress - an honor that shows how very much he is respected and loved by the nation.

Looking at this information about Bob Hope I ask myself if any any entertainers today will be recognized for their contributions to the nation on their 100th birthdays. Lately celebrities seem to think that the way to succeed is to tear down this nation. Bob Hope is living proof that the key to long term success is not to tear down this nation but rather to support it. I only wish that somebody today would learn that valuable lesson from Bob Hope.

Excellent blog (that is new to me)

On Alternate Voice (a very cool blog that is new to me) there are several great posts.

I particularly liked the link to a multimedia tribute to the men and women of Operation Iraqi Freedom "Won't Back Down".

Big thanks to Sparkey at Sgt. Stryker for the link to Alternate Voice.

Happy Easter!

I will be spending the day in the traditional fashion... my family will be driving me crazy.

If family gatherings for you are anything like mine at some point you may feel the urge to harm someone. If you do not want to appear on Cops it is important to not give in to that urge. I have found that on Easter I can best channel my destructive impulses by abusing the most defenseless among us - Marshmallow Peeps.

If you are considering joining the fun and abusing some Peeps on your own you may want to check out a few web pages. The most comprehensive is the “Bunny Survival Tests” the sadists who wrote this site have burned, boiled, and drowned Peeps supplying the world with photos. Somebody call PETA – helpless Peeps have been abused.

If you just want to laugh at what someone with seemingly limitless time will do with Peeps check out “The Lord of the Peeps” a version of Lord of the Rings – with those classic marshmallow treats.

For a comprehensive list of Peep related web sites check out the Big List of Peeps Links.

Will Alert

Hooray!

WIll has a new post on his blog. You can read it at A minute Longer.

Will is in the Army and presently stationed in Kuwait. His writing is wonderful and he does not sugar coat the hassles of military life.

Go read it all. I promise that you will not regret it.

Chasing past dreams

On Saturday I took the Foreign Service Exam. I liken it to ‘who wants to be a millionaire’ but instead of a million dollars answering these questions correctly could afford me a chance to join the US Dept of State.

At this point in my life I think that I am taking the exam more as a hobby than as an attempt to get a job. In the first place - even though I have gone to the oral assessment (the second stage in the testing) I have never gotten past it. In the second place – I am not so sure that I would want to work in the State Department. No matter that it has always been my dream job, the policy that comes out of the Dept. of State is so very often directly in conflict with my personal beliefs.

This realization that a job in the State Dept might not be the career of my dreams has been surprising to say the least. From the time that I understood what a Foreign Service officer did I wanted that job. However, as I studied more and experienced life I realized that in many respects more opportunities are available to me in the private sector. Better opportunities that will both pay better and give me the chance to ‘change the world’ without the nightmare of having to toe the party line under a president like Clinton.

Just out of college I decided to get a graduate degree in International Political Economy. I hoped that it would lead to a job in international relations or business. I still look back at that decision and wish I could slap my younger self. I was the only student in the program who had an undergraduate degree in Business and the only conservative in the program. It was a profoundly isolating experience and I left the program after only 1 year – a decision I will never regret. Instead I got an MBA with a focus on International Business and Marketing – one of the best choices I have ever made in my life.

Even though I have followed another path in my life, heading into the private sector rather than the public, I still take the Foreign Service Exam. I think mostly out of nostalgia and the hope for that dream job – no matter how much I am grow up I plan on holding on to this one for a bit longer.

Laugh out loud

Jay Solo linked to a very funny story at Buzzstuff. I laughed out loud and I bet you will too.

Spring is here!

On Monday and Tuesday we were blessed with 85 degree days. I choose to believe that this was Gods little way of making up for having to send in taxes on Tuesday.

I spent my time on both days working on my garden. I used to be the kind of person who did not garden and I never imagined that I would start gardening. Then a couple of years ago I planted a few annuals and then I was bitten by the gardening bug. Every year the garden grows a bit larger and I have a variety of victories and defeats in the form of plants that live or die.

This year has started on a victorious note. I am very excited to see that the roses that I planted last year actually came back this year. Usually every year I would plant a sacrificial rose or two and then the next spring must dig them up. This year both my Climbing Peace and Climbing Josephs Coat are coming back!

I tend to have a Darwinist perspective on my garden – no special care is taken of any particular plants in the fall. If a plant does not make it through a bitter Midwestern winter then so be it. That actually may have more to do with the fact that by Fall the appeal of the garden has worn off and any more work in it is less than appealing. However now it is Spring and I am excited to spend the time making my garden grow.

Perhaps I will start the next blogging trend … garden blogging.

Where have I been?

For the last week I have spent most of my time away from the computer. It has been very nice, however no computer time meant no time to blog. Sorry about that.

What he said

I am going to print out this post from The Primary Main Objective and hand it out to my lefty friends.

It was originally posted in the comments section as a reply to the standard ravings of a peacenick. I love it all. Here is a small taste...

On the other points, though you speak with passion, you weave statements, misinformation and conspiracy theories into a broad banner that proclaims that, while you care, you don't care enough to get the facts straight. Forgive me if I ascribe motivations to you (even though you freely did so to others), but I believe you are simply repeating the tired pseudo-arguments of a dozen different groups without having any coherent thoughts or analysis of your own.
[snip]
The justification for the war has never changed. Some aspects may be emphasized more than others. Let me tell you what that is, "Disarmament of Iraq, through regime change", with the inevitable result of liberation of the Iraqi people.
[snip]
Finally, don't ascribe your euro-derived cynicism to us. We really believe the world can be a better place and we're one of the few who are willing to risk our lives to do something about it.

Go read it all - it is a masterful dressing down of peacenick pablum

Whoever Chuck W is he needs a blog. At the very least I need to buy him a drink.

Funny Stuff

Andrew Sullivan linked to a very funny piece on Esquire.com - Sex Tips from Donald Rumsfeld.

In order to fully appreciate this you may have to obsessively watch Rumsfeld's press conferences - as I do. The format is cross between the format of an advice collumn and that of a Rumsfeld press conference. A favourite bit...

Dear Secretary Rumsfeld: My husband and I have an active love life, and I'm generally satisfied, but sometimes I'd like him to go "down there." —Kate Waterman, Enid, Oklahoma

Secretary Rumsfeld: Down where? I'm here to answer legitimate questions about sex in a frank and candid way, but I'm not doing this just to waste my time. Do you mean your belly button? Your knees? Your toes? Boca Raton? Argentina?

I think it is hysterical! However I may be a bit biased as I am madly in love with 'Rummy'.

Marines meet Wankers

BuzzMachine links to a great story in the San Francisco Chronicle that deserves a lot of attention.

The story details Marines entry into the city of Baghdad. From the fierce fighting in the outskirts to the shocking ease with which they entered the center of the city. One part that was striking was the fact that the Press corps requested protection from the Marines.

Then the press corps showed up. They'd lost their escorts and minders earlier in the day, and they felt at risk from looters, robbers and Fedayeen.

When McCoy saw them, he asked permission from senior officers to proceed to the Palestine Hotel and Sheraton area, where the Marines would set up a defense for the press corps and for local hospitals. Permission granted.

That led to what turned into the triumphant march to Firdos Square, and the toppling of the Hussein statue, a picture the Marines knew would be an instant symbol seen around the world.

For all the complaints of the Press who were killed when the Hotel Palestine was under fire it is telling that they "felt at risk" from the Fedayeen. Of course the first thing they did was go to the Marines for protection.

Now comes the most suprising part of this story. "Human Shields" were there in central Baghdad and had the temerity to tapproach the Marines.

There was a lot of smiling and laughing. One Iraqi slapped high-fives at passing Marines and Western reporters.

Some American and European "human shields" were there, antiwar activists who had come to Baghdad and placed themselves in front of power plants and other potential targets. They chastised the Marines for attacking Iraq and promoting war.

That angered some of the soldiers. "I didn't bury two of my fellow Marines just so someone like that could call us murderers," said one, angry and teary, referring to an Iraqi artillery attack that killed two of his colleagues on Monday. "They died for this country."

These "Human Shields" clearly did not get the memo that they were 'opposing the war while supporting the troops'. It takes a special kind of evil person to 'chastise' and make a Marine 'teary'. Keep in mind that these 'useful idiots' were in the midst of Iraqis who were celebrating their new freedom.

Iraqis came up with the perfect response to the "Human Shields"

Meanwhile, two Iraqis held up a sheet bearing the message: "Go home Human Shields, you U.S. Wankers."

While I appreciate the sentiment - I hope that they don't come back here. Perhaps France will take them in.

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Update - I found two more articles that have a bit more detail about the Marines interaction with the "Human Shields"
From the Times Online

“YANKEE bastard,” yelled the young British peacenik at the first American tank to roll up to the Palestine Hotel. “Go home.”
She picked a man who had waited for 576 days to give his answer. Marine First Lieutenant Tim McLaughlin leant from the turret of his Abrams tank — nickamed “Satan’s Right Hand” — and screamed back: “I was at the Pentagon September 11. My co-workers died. I don’t give a f***.”

From the Independant

When one of the few remaining "human shields" in Baghdad, Uzma Bashir, from Rickmansworth, baited the troops with shouts of "Yankee murderers", Cpl Ibrahim Rahim exploded: "I scooped up the brains of two young marines ... They died fighting to liberate Iraq. And you stand here insulting them with this shit." He added: "I am a Muslim ... and I know this region. That woman is seriously abusing her right of speech."

Nice to know that for once somebody yelled back at a peacenick - I almost rather that they had acted a bit more proactively to shut them up.

I am still amazed at the actions of the "Human Shields" these are clearly people who just don't get it.

Must Read

Please go read a missive from Mrs. Smash over at LT. Smash.

She writes hauntingly on the challenge of being a spouse on the homefront.

So I carry on, trying to keep myself occupied. The home improvement projects certainly help! Mealtimes are the hardest. I’m not crazy about cooking in the best of situations, and I can’t abide cooking “for one.” LT’s parents take pity on me and have me to dinner a couple of times per week, and I go out with friends from time to time. But when I don’t have plans, and dinnertime rolls around, that’s when I feel the most alone.

I happen to know a couple of women who are living through the same challenges and they are very strong brave women. I have commented on this site before about the importance of remembering the families that are here on the homefront. Perhaps reading Mrs. Smash will remind us that more than just the men in uniform have made sacrifices.

If you have a friend, neighbor or coworker who is waiting for news from the ‘sandbox’ take a minute to invite them to dinner or lunch. That can be the best way to support the troops, by helping their family here at home.

What Next?

No matter what the images on the television there are those who still think the worst. I asked myself what the next cause for the “blame America first crowd” would be.

I came up with a few possibilities…

- Far to many civilian casualties. No matter that we have made every possible effort to avoid civilian casualties and no matter that the civilian casualties to weapons used ratio will be the lowest in history – this rallying cry will be heard loud and clear.

- There was no need for a war Containment would have worked until the regime collapsed like the USSR. Our ‘easy’ victory proves that the Saddam Regime was weak and ready to topple under it’s own weight.

- A US created Democratic government will be ‘Imperialism’. No matter that this would be a truly elected government “of the people, by the people and for the people” it would not be a traditional middle Eastern form of government.

- Iraq must be rebuilt NOW Any delay in creating a comprehensive infrastructure in the next month will be seen as a total failure.

- What about the Children? If humanitarian aid is delayed by a nanosecond, in fact if Iraqi children are not at this moment being cared for by a comprehensive program from the UNICEF and UNHCR we must be a total failure. Never mind that fighting is still going on and the fact that children are ill today is because of Saddam robbing the food for oil program to build his weapons.

- The “Wild Westification” of the world by ”Cowboy” President Bush. The perceived ease of our victory in ‘violation’ of the UN will lead to a world where nations once again solve all problems through violence rather than words.

I look forward to seeing what the next move of the ‘Peace Movement’ will be. If you have any other ideas of what path they will follow please drop me an e-mail. If I were a gambling gal I would even start a pool on this one.

Happy Day!

I eagerly await the choruses of “I was wrong” from everyone who proclaimed that this war would be an abject failure.

I know that these apologies will not be forthcoming – it is enough for me to know that they should be.

However, an apology from Janeane Garafolos is sure to be forthcoming. As reported at Little Green Footballs Garafolo promised an apology on O’Reilly.

O’Reilly: “If you are wrong, all right, and if the United States -- and they will, this is going to happen -- goes in, liberates Iraq, people in the street, American flags, hugging our soldiers, all right, we find all kinds of bad, bad stuff, all right, in Iraq, you gonna apologize to George W. Bush?”
Garofalo: “I would be so willing to say I’m sorry, I hope to God that I can be made a buffoon of, that people will say you were wrong, you were a fatalist, and I will go to the White House on my knees on cut glass and say, hey, you were right, I shouldn’t have doubted you. But I think to think that is preposterous.”

It may be preposterous but the time is here - I still won’t be holding my breath.

Tears of Joy

I watched the pictures from Baghdad today and wept. Wept with happiness for the liberated Iraqis and with sadness for those, both Iraqis and coalition members, who did not make it to see this day.

I think that Tim Blair has said it best…

I SHOULDN'T be so happy. After all, I'm a right-wing deathbeast, and the end (or near end) of a war should upset me, because we conservatives lust for war all the time. Except when we have to fight it ourselves, of course. Being chickenhawks and all.
And the toppling of a fascist dictator should have me all weepy and nostalgic for Hitler. Because I'm a fascist, according to much of the mail I receive.
Those Iraqis dancing in the streets? That should really piss me off, because I want to oppress them and steal their oil. Why are they even able to dance? I was promised 500,000 murders, yet thus far only 1,000 or so innocents have died.
So why am I so damn happy? I really can't explain.
I'd go and ask some oppression-hating anti-fascist peace activists about it, but for some reason they're all incredibly depressed.

The most amazing thing I have seen is the joy in the eyes of the Iraqis who realized that this time it is for real. This time they are finally free of the Ba’ath regime that oppressed their country for so long.

The brave men and women in the coalition who made the ultimate sacrifice to liberate Iraq are vindicated on this day. It is most important that we take a moment on this amazing day to remember them. You can see a picture of coalition troops along with a brief bit of info on each one at CNN. If anyone knows of a better site for biographical capsules please drop me an e-mail, I would love to link to them.

I don't even know how to react to this story

From Yahoo news - Jailed Iraqi children run free as marines roll into Baghdad suburbs

Around 150 children spilled out of the jail after the gates were opened as a US military Humvee vehicle approached, Lieutenant Colonel Fred Padilla told an AFP correspondent travelling with the Marines 5th Regiment.

"Hundreds of kids were swarming us and kissing us," Padilla said.

"There were parents running up, so happy to have their kids back."

"The children had been imprisoned because they had not joined the youth branch of the Baath party," he alleged. "Some of these kids had been in there for five years."

I am so very happy that these children have been freed. At the same time I am angry and disgusted at the fact that they were imprisoned in the first place. I know that there are children who are imprisoned here in the US. However, none of them are there because they failed to join the Boy Scouts. Even in the third Reich the Hitler Youth was voluntary.

Additionally Children in US detention facilities will never be, to quote the article "wearing threadbare clothes and looked under-nourished". What kind of regime of horrors has been running Iraq?

What I really want to do is find some of the 'anti-war' crowd and ask them to respond to this. Ending the practice of imprisoning children as political prisoners is very powerful reason to end a regime in my book.

As usual - when I have no words it is because Lileks has said it better. Go read today's Bleat it is up to the usual standard of greatness.

My favorite headline of the day

From the Sun in the UK - "I sat on Saddam's throne"

The picture that accompanies it is priceless.

”How long have they been lying like this?”

This is London has an interesting piece about the luxury that has been found in Saddam’s palaces.

This is the first time that I have seen the sentiment that I feel so strongly expressed – “There was a sense of mounting anger. This was bought with money from oil sales which should have been buying food and medicine for Iraqi children.” I strongly feel anger about the luxury of the Palaces. Some of them have been built since the first gulf war with the ‘oil for food’ funds that were intended for starving children throughout Iraq.

The article ends with a haunting moment that deserves an article of it’s own. From the Baghdad airport “A captured Iraqi colonel being held in one of the hangars listened in astonishment as his information minister praised Republican Guard soldiers for recapturing the airport. He looked at his captors and, as he realized that what he had heard was palpably untrue, his eye filled with tears. Turning to a translator, he asked: "How long have they been lying like this?”"

The answer to that is far to long...but the lying is about to end.

I found this via Sgt. Stryker (a blog I love), he found it via American Realpolitik (a new blog to me - but it looks great).

Iraqi exile returns home - and brings the Marines!

This story in the AP is amazing Iraqi Exile's Homecoming Celebrated.

Khuder Al-Emeri has returned to his hometown in Iraq after 12 years away. He was a leader in the Shiite uprising in 1991 and fled Iraq after the Iraqi regime placed a price on his head.

Al-Emeri is in Iraq as a translator with the Free Iraqi Fighters travelling with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit.

"When news got out that Al-Emeri was back, crowds of men flooded into the streets and pressed around him, cheering and clapping and pushing up against Marines in defensive positions. One man rushed up to an American with a wreath of plastic flowers to hug him, rifle and all, despite the Marine's best efforts to maintain his distance.

His family were among those who rushed out to greet him — including his 15-year-old son, Ali, whom he hadn't seen since he left Iraq. When they first saw each other, they embraced tightly and wept.

Ali Al-Emeri said he was afraid to ever let his father go away again, but Al-Emeri assured him: "Stay home. You are safe. I am here, the U.S. forces are here." "

That last sentence says it all - a father assuring his son that he is now safe because 'the U.S. forces are here'.

Update - a more complete version of the story can be found in the NY Times

Colin Powell Rocks!

On April 3, 2003 Colin Powell was interviewed for German TV. The State Department has posted a transcript of the interview on their website.

This is a phenomenal interview. In no small part because of the smackdown that SoS Powell serves to the interviewer. I pulled out a couple of key sections below but you should read it all.

Question “But Germany and others clearly want to have the U.N. in the driver’s seat, in control, in the leading the role. This is not what you intend, or is it?”
Secretary Powell “But as I said, and I’ve said this several times, the coalition that went in, that was willing to put at risk its young men and women, and lost lives, paid a great amount of money to conduct this campaign and also paid a political price for this campaign as well. We are committed to making sure that that sacrifice and that investment is not lost. We believe we have to play a very significant, perhaps a leading role, in order to make sure what replaces this corrupt, rotten regime is a democratic system that is responsive to the needs of its people and will reflect all of the people of Iraq, and will use the treasure of Iraq, its oil, to invest in the people and not invest in weapons of mass destruction.

I love this. I love that he is clearly stating that those who take the risks are responsible for the outcome. I think that this says something about the American way. We are a nation of risk takers and we are taught from an early age that it is greater thing to take a risk for potential rewards than to be too afraid to risk anything. I think that this is contrary to the European thought process it is a continent that is risk averse. We are the descendents of the people who took the big chance and came to the ‘new world’ they are the descendents of those who figured that they could cope with tyranny. Every once and a while we seem to be responsible for pulling out the cousins that we left behind out from under the dictator of the day. Why Germany does not see the historical similairities amazes me.

In response to Powells statement above Question “I hear what you are saying. What many people in Europe will hear, through your words, is this is how the new partition of labor will be: America is looking for its Allies, is going its course with or without Allies, any number that’s available, and be it zero. And then the U.N.’s role is to go in as a good Samaritan and clean up the mess. That’s all they can do. America is already looking at its next destination.”
(This is the point that Powell opens a can of whupass)
Secretary Powell “That’s absurd. It’s an absurd, simplistic, shorthand response to what people think we’re doing. In fact, we went to the U.N. in the first place with respect to this problem. It was a problem that belonged to the U.N. for twelve years -- this terrible regime that tortures its people, that developed weapons of mass destruction, that used them against its own people and then invaded its neighbors on two occasions. And we finally said to the United Nations, “If you would be relevant, if the international community would be relevant, we must deal with this.”

Powell continues along the same line – read it all – it is nice to know that the German public was exposed to an angry ex-soldier defending his nation. The whole thing is brilliant! Powell brings up the fact that we have helped many nations in the past and that none of them are now a colony – it is wonderful.

Surreal images

On the Command Post (why aren't you there now?) Judith posted a great slideshow of US troops securing the Baghdad airport. She terms them surreal – and I would have to agree.

Pictures number 8 and 9 struck me in particular. Not often do you see US soldiers fighting through a 70s era airport terminal. I have never been to Baghdad but I have been to enough airports for the images to be surreally familiar.

Images like this that are coming out of Iraq have to be driving Hollywood crazy. For instance – in Hollywood the airport that the soldiers are fighting through would never be so intact. Interestingly what makes these images so compelling is the very everyday quality of the environment. Hollywood had created a perfect fictional image of what war looks like in all of our heads. Now that we have seen what (some parts of) a real war looks like they have to start all over again.

War Crimes

I have noticed a disturbing trend in media reports from Iraq. There seems to be a refusal to label any actions by Iraq as a “War Crime”.

An example is in the article that details attacks on US troops from Iraqis firing from ambulances. The report describes this as “unconventional Iraqi tactics”.

In the “Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded in Armies in the Field.” It is clearly stated ”Article 1. Ambulances and military hospitals shall be recognized as neutral, and as such, protected and respected by the belligerents as long as they accommodate wounded and sick.
Neutrality shall end if the said ambulances or hospitals should be held by a military force.”

The despicable actions taken by Iraqis who used an ambulance as a vehicle of battle erodes the neutrality of all ambulances. The report I linked to above was not an isolated incident. Today outside Baghdad the AP reported “ U.S. troops patrolling checkpoints south of Baghdad found an ambulance left behind after an accident. Inside, along with a stretcher, were rocket-propelled grenades, hand grenades, military uniforms and helmets.”

These are not ‘unconventional tactics’ they are war crimes. I have not studied the law and I have never received any training in what defines actions war crimes. That said - even I can read the Geneva Conventions and figure out what a war crime is. Why can’t the media?

Great reading

The Dissident Frogman has written a lovely essay entitled "Consecration".

I am so very happy to read such thoughtful commentary from France. It is always important to remember that nations are made up of individuals. As long as individuals take the time to teach their children the important lessons of history there is hope for the nation.

via Instapundit

The ‘loyal’ Opposition?

A fellow scrapbooker (thanks Kerry) sent me this link to an article on MSNBC “Protesters plan to stop war shipments”.

These protestors infuriate me to no end. When one was directly asked they worried about jeopardizing soldiers the response of one of the organizers responded “We feel like the war is what’s putting their lives in danger. This is an effort to save lives by stopping the war as quickly as possible.” These people think that undersupplied troops will shorten the length of the war?!?

Clearly the magical power of reason has evaded the protestors. Note to protestors – undersupplied troops will just have less extra MREs to pass out to civilians and be more likely to be put in danger because of equipment breakdowns. Not every box in the container ship is filled with weapons – many are filled with medicine and food.

When I read stories about this I fight the urge to find every person who claims that they are ‘against the war – but for the troops’ and introduce them to the Marines who may be jeopardized by the delay of vital supplies. Perhaps if the protestors meet one of the fine men and women who serve our nation they will understand that their actions have potentially deadly consequences.

You have to ask?

The BBC website asks "Is the war coverage balanced?"

This is a 'talking point' on the website and is not an article but rather an opportunity for readers to respond to the question.

There is a fairly good variety of responses to the question. I would suggest that you read through them all.

One sentiment was striking. Several posts suggested that the BBC should run unedited footage. I would never have imagined that BBC readers would be such a bloodthirsty lot. Nick Fraser from Berlin, Germany wrote "I believe that our governments and media should have a duty to deliver uncensored footage of war, even if this means showing graphic and disturbing images of dead civilian and soldiers on TV."

One post amused me - Rod Devonshire from the UK wrote "I don't believe the BBC's propaganda any more than I believe Al Jazeera's propaganda." I would love to see Andrew Sullivan's response to that one.

Pfc. Lynch - Heroine

I just read the most amazing article about Pfc. Lynch. 'She Was Fighting to the Death' Details Emerging of W. Va. Soldier's Capture and Rescue

"Pfc. Jessica Lynch, rescued Tuesday from an Iraqi hospital, fought fiercely and shot several enemy soldiers after Iraqi forces ambushed the Army's 507th Ordnance Maintenance Company, firing her weapon until she ran out of ammunition, U.S. officials said yesterday."

She is truly my heroine.

I found this at The Command Post - why aren't you there now?

Lessons from history

In the last week I have been working on a project that included reading my grandfathers letters home from WWI. He sent these letters to my grandmother who at the time was just his sweetheart. It has been bizarre to read these letters as I watch news reports of action in Iraq. Some things seem to have not changed at all in the last 85 years.

I knew I would want to write about this experience here on Geographica but was unsure how to connect the stories. Unfortunately some idiot vandals made the connection for me. If you have not seen the story before the what has happened is that the largest cemetery of British dead from WWI in France has been defaced. I can not adequately espress my anger and disgust at the fact that some French idiot with a can of red paint wrote "Dig up your rubbish it is fouling our soil" in French.

I just want to combat that statement with an few lines from my grandfathers letters. He was in the 132nd Infantry - I am not yet sure of exactly how much or what kind of fighting his unit saw but I do know that my grandfather was briefly blinded by Mustard Gas and saw many of his friends die.

On Oct. 21, 1918 He wrote "Oh, if the boys would only sing. But then, the best singers are not here now including Mack. He will never come back and many others never will. It is so very lonely, why did they take all of our best? The hike was terrible. Never a song, never a joke, very seldom a word. You must pray for my boys. You pray for all our boys, but make it for my boys now. They have paid a terrible price for the honor they have gained." "I have not suffered physically, but think I have put in enough mental agony to make up for it."

"I have learned a great deal in the past few days. Many times before I have seen a man hurled into Eternity. I have seen many companies go into battle and come out with vacent files. I have also seen losses in my own outfit but this time we got a snootfull. When a man suddenly stops talking to me in order to give an account of his Stewardship before the Seat of Judgement I am compelled to think. The chance of losing ones life in this argument is rather slim as a rule, but at times it is almost a certainty."

On the topic of France and the French my grandfather was not particularly impressed. He wrote "Didn't I tell you enough about Paris? I was only there 8 hours. With a parade in the middle of that there is only a few minutes left. I saw most of it from the train. I don't care if I never see Paris again. Rather see Chicago any old day. The girls over here are not so great at all. American girls have it all over the French."

I agree - I don't care if I never see Paris again either. In the light of recent actions by the French - Chicago is just fine for me too.

The men who lie in the cemetery that has been defaced were young men like my grandfather. Men who made the ultimate sacrifice for FRANCE. If the cretins who vandalised the monument do not understand that they are not worthy of the honor of those graves on French soil. Steven Den Beste has an excellent post on the subject of French land made holy by the sacrifices of young men in war. He has put his finger on why this vandalism occured "Our war dead have been targeted because they can no longer fight back."

It is up to us to fight back against the vandals and the French who would create a society in which this is acceptable behaviour - just another expression of displeasure at the actions of the coalition. We must stand witness to the sacrifices that those young men made for Europe and we must ensure that their sacrifices are never forgotten. The French have shown that they are unwilling to pay proper tribute and to protect their protectors - it is up to us. For that reason I posted the quotes from my grandfather. They are his messages through time to all of us to honor his fallen comrades.

Jessica Lynch - American Hero

By now everyone knows the wonderful news that Jessica Lynch, who had been listed as MIA, has been rescued.

The most telling statement in the news story I linked to was by the spokesman for General Franks "America doesn't leave its heroes behind. It never has, it never will".

Jessica Lynch evidently joined the Army to see a bit of the world and get money to go to college. While following that path she also became an American Hero.

In Praise of L.T. Smash

I really appreciate the updates on the blog "Live from the Sandbox" by 'L.T. Smash' (a pseudonym).
There have been some great additions to the blog recently.

Mrs. Smash added an entry about how she is keeping busy at home - doing those 'While we're at it' chores that always happen in life when one is stressed and trying to keep busy. This reminds me of the importance of remembering the families on the homefront. If you have a neighbor or friend of a friend who has suddenly found themself a single parent due to a deployment - gieve them a call. Sometimes just the offer of help can do wonders - perhaps you can give a hand around the house or just meet for lunch.

L.T. Smash's Dad posted a heartwarming story that happened on CNN this morning. Go read the post - it brought proud tears to my eyes. The upshot of the story is that the quote from the CNN reporter was "Where do they get young men like this?". What 'Dad' couldn't say - is that they come from fine families like the one that produced L.T. Smash. That is the great strength of our nation - the patriotic families throughout America that produce good men like the Marines in 'the Sandbox' today.

Arnett and the cockroaches

Peter Arnett - argghh.

By now everyone is aware of the fact that Peter Arnett gave an interview to Iraqi TV. He has claimed that it was some sort of professional courtesy that led him to give the interview. I may not be a 'journalist' but I did think that he is supposed to report the story - not make it.

If you have a strong stomache - you can read the transcript of his interview here.

After a brief mis-step of 'we support our guy' from NBC they have now Fired him. National Geographic also gave him his walking papers. Amazingly - considering that he has now been fired from CNN, NBC and National Geographic - Arnett already has another job.

Arnett has been hired by the Mirror and has written an unapologetic column. Reading it angers me to no end - I would not suggest you read it if you have any blood pressure issues.

What I have learned from this is that in case of nuclear disastor - all that will remain is cockroaches, and Peter Arnett (as if there is a difference).