It all comes down to this

By Creature

I just posted this over at Shakes in the comments. I think it sums up how I feel about Saddam's execution:

I feel sad, not for Saddam, but for what we have become. I know it's been years in the making, but tonight just solidified it all.

Evil dictators rule throughout the world. They kill and oppress their people. This one is now dead, not because of the horrible acts he committed -- the worst of which came with America's approval -- but because Bush, Cheney et al. had an agenda. An agenda worked out long before 9/11. An agenda which disgraced the memories of the people who died on that day. Justice was not had. Justice was spun. I do not feel safer.


(Cross-posted at State of the Day.)

Saddam's imminent end

By Michael J.W. Stickings

***UPDATED BELOW***

Reports indicate that Saddam Hussein will be executed within the next few hours -- by 10 pm ET this evening.

I am disgusted. I am ashamed. I am appalled. I am saddened.

We, too, are barbarians.

**********

See our previous posts here, here, and here.

And see Shakes at Ezra. And Mohammed at Iraq the Model.

**********

UPDATE: For more, see the Carpetbagger at Political Animal.

The BBC has updates here.

Two editorials worth reading are in the WaPo and the NYT. The editors of the former claim to be against the death penalty but criticize "human rights groups" and argue that Saddam's execution will still be just, however imperfectly so. Which is an utterly stupid criticism and argument. The editors of the latter do not address the justice, or lack thereof, of Saddam's execution, but they are right to point out that it comes as the result of "a flawed, politicized and divisive trial". The trial -- and, I would argue, the execution -- did nothing to "set a precedent for the rule of law in a country scarred by decades of arbitrary vindictiveness". Indeed: "Toppling Saddam Hussein did not automatically create a new and better Iraq. Executing him won't either."

This is a horrendous development.

Iraq may officially be carrying out Saddam's execution, but do not be fooled. The U.S. is responsible for this. The U.S. is allowing this to happen. To the extent that Iraq is involved, it is vengeance, not justice. And vengeance of this kind, even vengeance directed at a former tyrant, will not help a country torn apart by bitter and bloody sectarianism.

More blood is not the answer. Another killing is not just.

**********

UPDATE 2: And it's over. The news networks -- and I'm watching CNN and the BBC -- are reporting that Saddam was executed just after 10 pm ET (6 am local time).

Now reported: 10:05 pm ET.

CNN has updates here. See also MSNBC here.

**********

UPDATE 3: The Times has an obituary here.

And make sure to read the response from Human Rights Watch here: "The execution of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein following a deeply flawed trial for crimes against humanity marks a significant step away from respect for human rights and the rule of law in Iraq."

Best of the worst -- 2006

By Capt. Fogg

2006 was an outrageous year. All it usually took for me to find something to write about was a look at the headlines or a quick look at what Fox was spewing and there were plenty of outrages in word and deed to choose from. I wouldn’t dare to try to list the best of the worst, even if I did have the huge chunk of time it would take, but AlterNet was audacious enough to post its eleven most outrageous right-wing comments of 2006 . Apparently they would have stopped at ten but for Ann Coulter – still, Michael Savage’s savage claim that Wolf Blitzer “would have pushed Jewish children into the oven” is pretty bad, but not as funny as fat old Rush Limbaugh’s attempt to blame obesity on liberals while telling us you have to slaughter the cow to get butter.

My favorite in the Honorable Mention class has to be MSNBC’s Glenn Beck calling for the nuclear annihilation of not only Iran but everyone else that disagrees with Mr. Beck. But of course that’s only my opinion. Nearly everything the media blowhards and the other representatives of the Bush administration (if I’m not being redundant) gave us was outrageous enough to qualify. There is no way to list them all or to comment on them all even if I had the stomach for it. I’m left with a vision of Kurtz in his jungle hell mumbling incoherently about the horror.

(Cross posted at Human Voices.)

The hanged man

By Capt. Fogg

According to CNN, Saddam Hussein may be hanged tomorrow or as early as tonight in Eastern Standard time. Picturing the hooded and somewhat shrunken ex-tyrant on a platform surrounded by Americans is a chilling thought; watching a videotape of his bound body swinging from his snapped neck is nothing I look forward to, but not only because I so strongly oppose executions. It is because Muslims around the world will see a puppet government controlled by American infidels killing a Muslim.

As I said at Human Voices a few weeks back, I can’t imagine anything good coming from this and I can imagine a surge of new anti-American sentiment and action that could come very soon.

Saddam’s defense attorney has stated that the execution will be recorded and the video released the same day. I don’t think it’s unfair to predict that the images will be widely circulated in the Muslim world so that for perhaps the first time he actually will become involved in recruiting for al Qaeda and international terrorism.

Joe's escalation op-ed

By Creature

Right on cue Independent Republican Democrat Joe Lieberman crawls back up the president's ass and marches in lock-step with a call for more troops. Forget the fact that our troops are caught in the middle of a civil war. Forget the fact that Sunni insurgents want their power (oil) back. Forget the fact that the real central front in the so-called terror war has already been lost in Pakistan. All we must remember is, wait for it, September the 11th.

On one side are extremists and terrorists led and sponsored by Iran, on the other moderates and democrats supported by the United States. Iraq is the most deadly battlefield on which that conflict is being fought. How we end the struggle there will affect not only the region but the worldwide war against the extremists who attacked us on Sept. 11, 2001.

If George Bush owned a parrot he would likely name it Joe.

The Lieberman editorial can be found in today's Washington Post.

UPDATE: Not only does Joe want to escalate the war we are already fighting, he has just declared war on Iran. This "new way forward" is going to be bloody indeed. I'll let Glenn Greenwald take it from here.

(Cross-posted at State of the Day.)

Edwards announces presidential bid

By Michael J.W. Stickings

I wrote extensively about John Edwards's run for the presidency a couple of weeks ago -- see here (for a post that contains both my thoughts on Edwards and a bunch of links). But now it's official. And he made it official in New Orleans yesterday:

Former senator John Edwards of North Carolina launched his second campaign for the White House from this flood-ravaged city Thursday with a call for the United States to reduce its troop presence in Iraq and a plea for citizen action to combat poverty, global warming and America's reliance on foreign oil.

Edwards was sharply critical of the administration for its conduct of the war in Iraq, and he again recanted his own vote authorizing President Bush to take the country to war, which he called a mistake.

I've long said that my two preferred candidates are Gore and Edwards. And although I prefer not to endorse anyone so early in the process, my support for Edwards is strong.

The transcript of Edwards's announcement is here. Here's a noteworthy passage on Iraq: "And it is a mistake -- I want to be absolutely clear about this -- it is a mistake for America to escalate its role in Iraq. It is a mistake to surge troops into Iraq. It sends exactly the wrong signal to the Iraqis and the rest of the world about what our intentions are there." And I'm particularly pleased that he addressed both the climate crisis and health care, two issues that need far more attention they've been getting in Washington.

For more on Edwards's "non-traditional campaign model," see here.

For reaction in the blogosphere, see The Carpetbagger Report (and Political Animal), Ezra Klein, The Democratic Daily, Booman Tribune, DownWithTyranny!, Bob Geiger, TalkLeft, and The Huffington Post. (And for a more critical reaction, see Sister Toldjah.)

I thank the Edwards campaign for advertising here at The Reaction. Click on the Blogad over on the right. And go to JohnEdwards.com and the John Edwards '08 Blog (formerly the One America Committee Blog).

And here's a video of Edwards's pre-announcement announcement from Wednesday (via Shakespeare's Sister):

The climate crisis in Canada's Arctic

By Michael J.W. Stickings

There's been yet another worrying sign of the most pressing issue of our time:

A giant ice shelf the size of 11,000 football fields has snapped free from Canada's Arctic, leaving a trail of icy boulders floating in its wake.

The mass of ice broke clear from the coast of Ellesmere Island, about 800 kilometres south of the North Pole.

The cause?

Scientists say it is the largest event of its kind in 30 years and point their fingers at climate change as a major contributing factor.

“We think this incident is consistent with global climate change,” Dr. [Warwick] Vincent [of Laval University] said, adding that the remaining ice shelves are 90 per cent smaller than when they were first discovered in 1906.

“We aren't able to connect all of the dots... but unusually warm temperatures definitely played a major role.”

All part of the giant global warming hoax, no doubt. Right Inhofe, Crichton, and the rest of you fucking morons?

Liechtenstein, my Liechtenstein

By Michael J.W. Stickings

So you're a little bigger than we thought you were? Congratulations. Well done.

Although you're still the sixth smallest country in the world. And, of course, you're renowned mostly for your stamps, dental products, low taxes, and Swiss-like neutrality. But you're still a beautiful place.

Seriously. I've been there. It's lovely. I'm just happy I can finally blog about it -- no, not seriously, but here you are. My Liechtenstein post.

What to learn all about it? See here, here, and here (the official site) -- and, if you know German, here and here. And here's a nice picture of Vaduz, the capital, I found here:

What the troops think

By Michael J.W. Stickings

You won't hear this from the White House, which doesn't seem to care what if anything the cannon fodder think, but:

Many of the American soldiers trying to quell sectarian killings in Baghdad don't appear to be looking for reinforcements. They say the temporary surge in troop levels some people are calling for is a bad idea.

A bad idea? Well, sure, but that hasn't stopped Bush and the warmongers before. So why now? Perhaps they ought to listen to those they claim to respect so highly:

In dozens of interviews with soldiers of the Army's 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment as they patrolled the streets of eastern Baghdad, many said the Iraqi capital is embroiled in civil warfare between majority Shiite Muslims and Sunni Arabs that no number of American troops can stop.

Others insisted current troop levels are sufficient and said any increase in U.S. presence should focus on training Iraqi forces, not combat.

But their more troubling worry was that dispatching a new wave of soldiers would result in more U.S. casualties, and some questioned whether an increasingly muddled American mission in Baghdad is worth putting more lives on the line.

Casualties. Lives on the line. Bush and the warmongers seem to have no clue about just what the troops face on the ground in Iraq. But, then, why would they? How could they? They're well out of range, protected not just by distance but by ideological fervour and delusional idealism. Their war may not quite be a game to them, but it sure isn't as real as the guts and blood of real Americans and real Iraqis and real "willing" coalitionists that will continue to be spilled as a result of their disastrous dreams of military glory on the battlefields of the Middle East.

Maybe, for once, the warmongers ought to shut the fuck up and listen to those who are actually risking their lives for this mistake.

Death to Saddam

By Michael J.W. Stickings

It looks like Saddam will be executed by Sunday and perhaps even tomorrow, NBC reports. Like Grace, who posted on this a couple of days ago, I am against the death penalty. Indeed, my opposition to it is absolute, and this case -- the case of a genocidal tyrant -- is no exception. I have no compassion for Saddam, but a suitable and just punishment for his many crimes against humanity would be for him to spend the rest of his life in prison. Another death -- another killing -- is not the answer.

Tick Tock

By Creature

All the time in the world...

President Bush said his meeting Thursday with national security advisers put him a step closer to making changes to U.S. strategy in Iraq, but that he will seek more advice before announcing a plan in January.

I guess it's hard work coming up with a marketing plan when escalation is your product.

The Associated Press has more on the president's big day.

(Cross-posted at State of the Day.)

Gerald Ford (1913-2006)

By Michael J.W. Stickings

As I'm sure most of you know by now, former President Gerald Ford died yesterday at the age of 93. Needless to say, there's been a lot of reaction and remembrance in the news media and the blogosphere, and you can find much of it at Memeorandum.

I don't have much to add, except this: Ford was both in the right place at the right time and the wrong place at the wrong time. He likely would never have been elected president, and so he only became president as a result of Nixon's resignation. But he had no chance to succeed once in the presidency. There was no way out of Nixon's shadow -- although the premature pardon didn't help his chances against Carter in '76 -- and he was met with a seemingly insurmountable economic crisis in the form of high inflation and recession. What was he to do? The WIN ("whip inflation now") buttons were hardly enough. And then, of course, there was Vietnam. It wasn't his war, but the evacuation of Saigon, one of the lowest points in all of American history, occurred on his watch. And in perhaps the worst move of his short presidency he approved of the Indonesian invasion of East Timor, now finally independent, a truly horrible and reprehensible foreign policy decision that essentially enabled the massacre of well over 100,000 people, a third of East Timor's population. At least he appointed Stevens, a liberal stalwart, to the Supreme Court -- not that he knew of Stevens's liberal future at the time.

And so he will be remembered as the man who pardoned Nixon and as the president who was never elected but who was the target of two assassination attempts. And as the president who fell down the airplane steps. And as the president constantly and effectively ridiculed on Saturday Night Live. And as a Simpsons neighbour -- in one episode, he moves in right across the street after Bush 41 moves out.

For more, I recommend this retrospective feature on Ford at The Washington Post. There's a good collection of articles (including an obituary) a photo gallery, videos, and links to other Ford-related sites.

In addition, I recommend this excellent post by my friend Joe Gandelman at The Moderate Voice. As usual, Joe's analysis is right on the mark, and he links to and quotes many of the best reactions from around the blogosphere.

Other good posts come from Juan Cole, Lyle Denniston, James Joyner (with a lot of links), Pam Spaulding, Digby, Ed Morrissey (and here), Taylor Marsh, and Howie Klein, among others.

In closing, here's a short campaign ad from 1976:

A new way forward toward a mystery goal that was only ever a mirage

By The (liberal)Girl Next Door

I am eagerly awaiting President Bush’s State of the Union address, first of all because there is always that WTF moment in every one of his speeches to the country (think “switch grass” and “animal human hybrids” and “steroids in baseball” in the midst of a failing war), but secondly because I’m curious to see if the American people will see through his “new way forward in Iraq”. A slogan is not a policy, but the Bush Administration is still ignorant to that fact.

While Tony Snow digested his Christmas turkey, Scott Stanzel took to the podium and gave this nugget to the press:

“President Bush will talk soon to our troops, to the American people and to the Iraqi people about the new way forward in Iraq that will lead to a democratic and unified country that can sustain, govern, and defend itself.”

Still aiming high eh?

Bush and the American people have never exactly been on the same page when it came to Iraq. I mean, really, what interest did most of us have in using our children to avenge a failed attempt on his father’s life? But now that we have sparked a civil war in Iraq, and more and more of our young men and women are coming home without their limbs, or, worse, in body bags, we recognize that there is no winning while the president still shoots for the moon.

If there was ever a common goal, it was supporting our troops while they are in harm's way, but, increasingly, the American people recognize that the only way to support our troops is to get them the hell out of Iraq. Meanwhile, rumor has it that Bush will argue for sending in more troops. And why? Certainly not because “winning” in Iraq is possible, or even because it is in our country's best interest, but because he must stay the course to save his legacy. Again, what interest do the rest of us have in that?

It is dangerous to have a president at the helm whose sole concern is his place in history. The troops on the ground in Iraq don’t care about that, nor do the generals, the Joint Chiefs, or the American people. If, in his State of the Union address, President Bush puts his desires above everyone else’s and proposes a troop surge to create a “democratic and unified” Iraq, he will prove that he is unfit to lead. I, for one, can’t wait to see what we do about that.

(Cross-posted at The (liberal)Girl Next Door.)

The window has closed for Saddam

By Grace

The Iraqi Appeals Court has rejected Saddam Hussein's appeal and upheld his death sentence; no further appeals will be heard, nor will his sentence be commuted. According to the BBC, he was "convicted of human rights abuses in relation to the killings of the 148 Shias in Dujail, north of Baghdad".

In accordance with Iraqi law, and as stated by the judge, Arif Shaheen, "[the time until execution] cannot exceed 30 days. As from [tomorrow] the sentence could be carried out at any time."

So, it is done. Unless something drastic changes, Saddam's fate appears to be sealed. Within a month's time, he will hang.

Some critics have called the sentencing a "victors' justice". I won't and can't defend the actions of Saddam Hussein in any way: There is no excusing the violation of human rights and the killing of innocent human beings. However, I stand in opposition of the death penalty, so I cannot and will not defend this sentence either.

**********

UPDATE: The BBC has more here. Saddam sees his death as a "sacrifice" and himself as a "true martyr". -- MJWS

An Army of Juan

By Capt. Fogg

Isn’t it inevitable? I mean, everything else of importance seems to have been outsourced or will soon be moved abroad. Americans want good working conditions, good pay, and good benefits, and that’s – well it’s just not the best thing for corporate profits. It’s not just manufacturing, it’s engineering, it’s technology, and soon it may be the Armed Forces. The plan is to recruit immigrants here and abroad and to use citizenship as an incentive to attract cannon fodder for Bush’s wars.

I usually dismiss comparisons between our times and the fall of Rome. After all, it’s a pastime almost as old as waiting for Jesus to return, but having overextended ourselves by occupying too much hostile territory and turning to mercenaries to do what citizens will not do is rather a compelling and chilling comparison.

While the United States' Armed Forces have been a melting pot for half a century and have provided significant opportunities for minorities, the private sector has not. I'm not suggesting otherwise. It’s also more than fair to allow citizenship for someone who will risk his life for a country, but have we passed some kind of boundary by using those at the bottom as gladiators and mercenaries, exploiting them so as to allow the Bush Administration to continue its wars of attrition without angering the citizenry unduly?

Opportunity or exploitation -- it all depends on whether you trust George W. Bush or not.

Your papers please...

By Capt. Fogg

“The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”

-- Constitution of the United States of America

**********

Like many of you, I had a bit of a drive on Christmas day – 120 miles (200 Km) round trip and nearly all of it on the Interstate. Of course, this being Florida, it can be hard to tell the drunks from the incompetent and the insane, but I’m sure that the fellow in the Honda who did a complete stop in the “Sun Pass” automatic toll lane was just a garden variety idiot, or else he wouldn’t have dedicated the next 20 minutes to trying to prove his Honda was much faster and more agile than my Corvette. I’m sure he convinced himself without much effort.

I’m not sure about he several mega-SUVs that slowly lumbered to the end of a half-mile merge lane and then attempted to merge at 20 mph into a lane traveling at 85. It’s easier to assess the little sedans loaded with passengers traveling at 45 in the center or left lanes – if they are 85 or older with chins resting on the wheel, it’s just incompetence. If they’re much younger, you can bet they’re as smashed as the young men in the full-sized pick-ups rolling at 95+ down the left lane in the pouring rain.

One way or another, it was a circus out there and it thoroughly ruined the mellowness of the evening. It could have been a field day for the police had there been any in sight. It seems that my county and the adjacent counties had decided to set up road blocks on the secondary roads instead. Judging from the comments in the local paper this morning, you would think this was a very popular idea and the one fellow who happened to question the random searches was promptly drowned out by a flood of hyper-emotional tirades from MADD members and others who hate due process and the rule of law. If one cuts through the dubious stories of friends and family slaughtered by drunks, one consistent theme remains: if it saves one life, it’s worth it. That’s a statement worthy of being posted, if not above the gates of hell, at least at tyranny’s door. To reduce it to the absurd, a total curfew would save many, many lives, and a police state is a safe state.

More than the inconvenience of sitting at a roadblock while policemen justify their presence by writing tickets for broken tail lights and peering and sniffing into your car with flashlights and trained dogs and making intimidating comments, it’s the fact that one more increment of what was a guaranteed freedom has been lost in the name of security. Ah, but driving is a privilege, say the mothers of MADD, and so might it not be just a small step to say that renting an apartment is a privilege or being a citizen is a privilege which necessitates searches without probable cause. In fact, our government seems to operating on that presumption.

Somehow it makes more sense to Americans to insist that our troops being blown up in Iraq are “defending our freedoms” then to notice that our freedoms are being taken away in the name of safety or that the obverse side of the security coin is servitude. The granting of unwritten Writs of Assistance that allow police to detain, search, and inspect citizens without probable cause may seem a small step toward safety, but it’s a giant step toward a police state.

(Cross-posted at Human Voices.)

December 25, 2006

By Michael J.W. Stickings

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from The Reaction.

We hope you have a wonderful time with friends and family.

Terrorists target Chunnel

By Michael J.W. Stickings

From The Observer:

The Channel tunnel has been targeted by a group of Islamic militant terrorists aiming to cause maximum carnage during the holiday season, according to French and American secret services.

The plan, which the French DGSE foreign intelligence service became aware of earlier this year, is revealed in a secret report to the French government on threat levels. The report, dated December 19, indicates that the tip-off came from the American CIA. British and French intelligence agencies have run a series of checks of the security system protecting the 31-mile tunnel but the threat level, the DGSE warns, remains high. British security services remain on high alert throughout the holiday period.

According to the French sources, the plan was put together in Pakistan and is being directed from there. The plotters are believed to be Western Europeans, possibly Britons of Pakistani descent. The DGSE say that levels of 'chatter', the constant communication that takes place between militants, has not been so high since 2001.

Needless to say, stay tuned.

Just another day in the life and death of Iraq XXIX

By Michael J.W. Stickings

On this Christmas Eve, please take some time to think about what's going on over there:

Four American service members have been killed in explosions, while seven Iraqi policemen died when a suicide bomber detonated himself in a police station northeast of the capital, authorities said Sunday.

The American casualties occurred on Saturday...

The deaths bring the number of U.S. service members killed so far in December to 77, which makes it the second-deadliest month this year, after October.

Meanwhile, there's this report on the state of the Iraqi police:

Some 12,000 police officers in Iraq have died in the line of duty since the US-led invasion in 2003, Interior Minister Jawad Bolani said.

The figure is from a total force of about 190,000 officers, he said.

The announcement follows a suicide bomb attack that killed seven policemen and wounded 20 others during a morning parade at a base north of Baghdad.

12,000. That's an astonishing "one death for every 16 officers".

Yet another consequence -- an enormous human cost -- of the gross mismanagement of this terrible war.

The man that never was

By Capt. Fogg

LONDON -- British writer David Irving did not return to England after 13 months in prison last week. He was never imprisioned in Austria under a law that applies to "whoever denies, grossly plays down, approves or tries to excuse" the Nazi genocide or other Nazi crimes against humanity in a print publication, broadcast, or other media.

Consequently he cannot be entitled to the sympathy he seeks for having lost the house in London he claims to have had during the period during which he was not imprisioned. After extensive "research," I have failed to find any evidence of his ownership of a house in London or that he is a writer. An objective observer can only conclude that the existence of David Irving is a fiction perpetuated by international Jewish and Zionist interests.

Flipping and flopping and failing

By Michael J.W. Stickings

He's not necessarily my pick for '08, but John Kerry, whom I still respect and admire a great deal, has written an excellent op-ed for The Washington Post on Iraq.

Bush and the Republican spin machine accused him repeatedly of flipping and flopping back in '04, but the opening line of his piece, a line he should have used in some form to counter those ridiculous accusations, is brilliant:

There's something much worse than being accused of "flip-flopping": refusing to flip when it's obvious that your course of action is a flop.

And he goes on:

I say this to President Bush as someone who learned the hard way how embracing the world's complexity can be twisted into a crude political shorthand. Barbed words can make for great politics. But with U.S. troops in Iraq in the middle of an escalating civil war, this is no time for politics. Refusing to change course for fear of the political fallout is not only dangerous -- it is immoral.

And, indeed, Bush's disastrous war has proven to be an immoral flop:

No one should be looking for vindication in what is happening in Iraq today. The lesson here is not that some of us were right about Iraq or that some of us were wrong. The lesson is simply that we need to change course rapidly rather than perversely use mistakes already made and lives already given as an excuse to make more mistakes and lose even more lives.

When young Americans are being killed and maimed, when the Middle East is on the brink of three civil wars, even the most vaunted "steadfastness" morphs pretty quickly into stubbornness, and resolve becomes recklessness. Changing tactics in the face of changing conditions on the ground, developing new strategies because the old ones don't work, is a hell of a lot smarter than the insanity of doing the same thing over and over again with the same tragic results.

Where was this John Kerry in '04? Oh, never mind. He may have lost, but he's been right about Iraq for a long time. And no matter who wins the Democratic nomination in '08, this is the position Democrats -- and critics of the war generally -- ought to be taking with respect to Iraq and, as of early next year, Bush's new plan for "victory," one that, according to all the signs, will feature some sort of "surge" in Baghdad.

It is time for new leadership because the old leadership, Bush's leadership, has failed so miserably. Bush may be preparing his new plan, but there won't really be anything new about it. And it, too, will fail.

John Kerry may or may not be the right person to lead, but his voice still deserves to be heard. For whether he wins or loses the nomination, and whatever the future course of his life in politics, he is right about Iraq.

Make sure to read his piece in its entirety. It's important that you do. (And then go see The Democratic Daily and Liberal Values for more.)