A Good Point Stolen...

From the Illusory Tenant:

The Martyrdom of Saint Alberto

Spc. Tony J. Gonzales, 20, of Newman, Calif., died Dec. 28 in Sadr City, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. — USDoD 12/30/08

Hang on a minute, wrong Gonzales:

I consider myself a casualty, one of the many casualties of the war on terror. — WSJ 12/31/08

:rolleyes:

Support the Troops

From the Center for American Progress:

Class War?

Who is fighting in Iraq?

Music - Black 47 & UFO

Black 47 - (here for MySpace) joins other Irish acts on UFO - check out the next album coming:

The band will be releasing its twelfth album (and first for UFO) titled Iraq on March 4, 2008. Inspired by friends and fans of the band that have served in Iraq and shared their thoughts and experiences, the album includes a batch of new songs along with several composed by Larry Kirwan over the course of the war. The album overall strives to capture the war through the eyes of the U.S. soldiers serving in it.

Also:

NEW YORK CITY, NY – Steadfast in its opposition to the war since before the invasion, Black 47 presents a dry-eyed view of life in combat on IRAQ its debut for new model indie, United For Opportunity (release date: March 4, 2008). The band hits the campaign trail in February performing across the U.S. and culminating with a St. Patrick's Day release party on their home turf, New York City, at BB Kings.

Recorded at Coney Island's Cyclone Sound in July 2007, IRAQ includes a batch of new songs along with several composed by Larry Kirwan over the course of the war. Inspiration for the characters and stories are very personal, many coming from the point-of-view of fans that served in Iraq and shared their experiences with the band.

Black 47 rarely plays to the converted and their shows have often seethed over the last five years. “Because of our background, we've always had as strong a fan base of right wing cops, firemen and conservatives, as of left wing students, radicals, and the working disaffected; neither side has been afraid to vent its views,” Kirwan dryly notes. “We also take pride in keeping in touch with our fans, many of whom traditionally join the Service as a way to fund their college education or mortgage. Add to that the many who enlisted in response to 9/11, and it's easy to see why we have had no shortage of information from those actually doing the fighting in Iraq.”

Iraq: 5 More Years?

It's all here:

The briefing seemed uneventful -- very much a reflection of the ongoing mood of the moment among American commanders in Iraq -- and received no significant media coverage. However, there was news lurking in an answer Col. Bannister gave to a question from AP reporter Pauline Jelinek (about arming volunteer local citizens to patrol their neighborhoods), even if it passed unnoticed. The colonel made a remarkable reference to an unexplained "five-year plan" that, he indicated, was guiding his actions. Here was his answer in full:

"I mean, right now we're focused just on security augmentation [by the volunteers] and growing them to be Iraqi police because that is where the gap is that we're trying to help fill capacity for in the Iraqi security forces. The army and the national police, I mean, they're fine. The Iraqi police is -- you know, the five-year plan has -- you know, it's doubling in size. ? [We expect to have] 4,000 Iraqi police on our side over the five-year plan.

"So that's kind of what we're doing. We're helping on security now, growing them into IP [Iraqi police]?. They'll have 650 slots that I fill in March, and over the five-year period we'll grow up to another 2,500 or 3,500.

Most astonishing in his comments is the least astonishing word in our language: "the." Colonel Bannister refers repeatedly to "the five-year plan," assuming his audience understands that there is indeed a master plan for his unit -- and for the American occupation -- mandating a slow, many-year buildup of neighborhood-protection forces into full fledged police units. This, in turn, is all part of an even larger plan for the conduct of the occupation.

Song for the Day: Drive By Truckers - "Dress Blues"

Quote of the Day:

"I want to know why I'm planning a funeral while George Bush is planning a wedding."
Anika Lawal, of Maryland, whose daughter, an Army sergeant, was recently killed in Iraq

College Republican Chickenhawks Tour...

From Max Blumenthal:



Untitled from huffpost and Vimeo.

Petri votes to stay the (failed, bloody) course in Iraq

In a press release last week, Rep Petri stated:

By a vote of 223 to 201, the House of Representatives voted late Thursday to bring U.S. troops home from Iraq. Rep. Tom Petri voted against the withdrawal proposal, and has issued the following statement:

I'm concerned that the current debate on Iraq in Congress is driven by domestic politics rather than by sensible foreign policy.

Yes, the situation in Iraq is unsatisfactory, to say the least. But while it's easy to say what isn't working, there seems to be a shortage of solutions that will actually work, and that won't threaten to expand the conflict throughout the entire region.

Rep. Petri, is it sensible to stay involved in (a sample of today's headlines):

Officials report massacre of Shiites in Iraq
Car bomb explodes near Iranian embassy in Baghdad
Two fathers with missing sons, one war
Iraq-bound Guardsman fast-tracks wedding for terminally ill father
29 killed in overnight attack in Iraq
Military Considering bigger Surge
Florida Army reservist asks court to stop 5th overseas deployment
Officials report massacre in Diyala
Triple bombings in northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk kill more than 80 ...

Those were from the last hour on Google alone.

It is time to admit that Iraq is the largest failure in memory and move on. No more sons separated from fathers, no more rushed weddings, no more lonely brides.

No more American lives in a failed, poorly planned experiment.

Rep. Petri, bring our troops home. This isn't about politics, it is about common sense and compassion.

An American Torture...

A contracted interrogator tells his story:

American authorities continue to insist that the abuse of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib was an isolated incident in an otherwise well-run detention system. That insistence, however, stands in sharp contrast to my own experiences as an interrogator in Iraq. I watched as detainees were forced to stand naked all night, shivering in their cold cells and pleading with their captors for help. Others were subjected to long periods of isolation in pitch-black rooms. Food and sleep deprivation were common, along with a variety of physical abuse, including punching and kicking. Aggressive, and in many ways abusive, techniques were used daily in Iraq, all in the name of acquiring the intelligence necessary to bring an end to the insurgency. The violence raging there today is evidence that those tactics never worked. My memories are evidence that those tactics were terribly
wrong.
...
Some may suggest there is no reason to revive the story of abuse in Iraq. Rehashing such mistakes will only harm our country, they will say. But history suggests we should examine such missteps carefully. Oppressive prison environments have created some of the most determined opponents. The British learned that lesson from Napoleon, the French from Ho Chi Minh, Europe from Hitler. The world is learning that lesson again from Ayman al-Zawahiri. What will be the legacy of abusive prisons in Iraq?

This War Has Been Brought to You By...

I saw this press release linked to by the Wheeler Report:

Sergeant First Class (SFC) Todd M. Tilkens, of Bravo Company 2/127th in Green
Bay, Wisconsin, has been chosen as an honoree in the Jackson Hewitt
National Guard "Heroes of the Year" campaign. Sponsored by Jackson Hewitt Tax Service(R), an industry leader providing full service individual federal and
state income tax preparation, this year-long campaign recognized National Guard
soldiers, families and even employers around the country who have made a
difference in their states or on foreign shores.

On first thought, it seems nice. A company wants to honor a National Guard Member. But, let's keep reading...

Ten monthly honorees have been chosen, and Jackson Hewitt will soon announce
the grand prize winner, who will have the opportunity of a lifetime - to have
their image featured on a NASCAR race car that will be raced at a 2007 NASCAR
NEXTEL Cup Series Race in February. This is the first time that a non-
celebrity's image will be featured on a NASCAR racecar.

This is not the action of a company that wants to honor National Guard Troops. This is a tax preparation company that is using the image of our Armed Forces to get their name out in NASCAR in February.

This is war profiteering, pure and simple. As Americans, we should be insulted.

The release continues:

To view the soldiers, families and employers who have been nominated for
their dedication to and support of the National Guard's mission, visit http://www.supporttheguard.com.

So, let's visit their website. The first thing you see is the logo of the company. The second is a picture of the car that will race in NASCAR, also with a large logo for the company.

I will gladly be the first in line to honor SFC Tilkens. I can not and will not (and will urge anyone I can not to) support a company that uses the sacrifice and honor of our armed forces to sell their tax service.

We in America have a way of honoring members of our military. The commendation system is as old as our country. Here is the Army's Medal of Honor page. Here is the official site from Congress. And look, they accept donations. They are even tax deductible.

There is even a veteran's clinic in Green Bay. I am sure they would love your money.

Jackson Hewitt, put your money there and keep your logo off our troops.

And, until they apologize and turn their NASCAR money to a better cause, get your taxes done elsewhere.

This place is even in my County Board District.

Can Someone Help Me...?

... care even less about Donald Trump and Rosie O'Donnel?

It kinda reminds me of that one time when we went to war with Iraq when all of our news channels were discussing Scott Peterson.

Whatever happened there? I'm sure it all turned out all right...