Atop_my_high_horse

April 6, 2008

Every time I turn on the news, there‘s John McCain, insisting that he and his party are the only people best equipped to handle “the terrorists” – whoever and wherever they may be. He and his brethren maintain that the Democratic hopefuls, insisting that there be a withdrawal plan with timelines in Iraq, will essentially acquiesce to “the terrorists” and jeopardize our national security. The record of the Right, unfortunately, reflects exactly the opposite.

These are the geniuses who were willing to sign off our port security, domestic and foreign, to Arab businesses.

These are the geniuses who have rallied hundreds of thousands of terrorist hopefuls to the cause by using torture, and waterboarding in particular, as a method of interrogation. Espousing such practices removed the United States from the list of moral democracies, and painted us as a pariah in the global community.

These are the geniuses who keep insisting that our vocal opposition to constitutionally illegal methods like warrant-less wiretapping embolden “the terrorists” and weaken our ability to fight back.

That’s a laugher.

If I was a terrorist bent on wreaking mayhem and destruction within our borders, I’d be emboldened by the fact that the one entity that was created to protect Americans from such mayhem and destruction, the National Guard, is a long way from a state of readiness should such an attack occur. And everyone knows it, including “the terrorists.”

It was only through an unforgivable lack of planning and gross mismanagement that we were forced to support our regular military with our National Guard. Numerous independent evaluations, coupled with evaluations from high ranking officials within the Guard and from many state governors, concluded that not only is the National Guard ill-equipped to handle a domestic terrorist attack, they lack the ability to adequately assist us during more common domestic emergencies and catastrophic events like floods, tornados and hurricanes. They were unable to respond appropriately, for instance, during Hurricane Katrina because thousands of Guard members were in Iraq.

The National Guard is in profound disarray at this time. Most state-side troop levels are below those necessary to address most domestic crises. Recruiting quotas are down significantly. Their state-side supply inventories are far below readiness level, having been forced to use them in Iraq where replacement and/or repair of broken or destroyed equipment is virtually non-existent. Guard members are forced to serve extended tours of duty doing a job for which they have not been adequately trained. Guard families suffer severe financial hardship because their pay is far less than that of active duty military.

Do not be swayed by the Right’s claims that only they know how to defend us from the bad guys. Do not blame the Guard for their troubles either; blame Dubya and Rumsfeld and Co. Most importantly, don’t be surprised should you find yourself in the middle of a terrorist attack, expecting our National Guard to come save the day, and no one shows up for the party.

Gunboat Saga – A Case of Really Bad SFX April 6, 2008

   The second the news media aired the “alleged” potential assault by Iranian gunboats on the Allied fleet patrolling the Strait of Hormuz recently, I literally stood up in front of my TV and cried foul. I was incensed not because those dangerous, plutonium-gathering, bomb-building, exclusively heterosexual Iranians were threatening our men at sea; my concern came from this administration’s persistent efforts to find an excuse to attack that country.

   To think that Dubya and his boss Cheney have permanently shelved any plans to launch a cluster bomb fireworks display on Iran would be foolish folly on our parts. These bozos are stilled PO’d that the next target in their Axis of Evil campaign was downgraded to a “less than lethal threat at this time” by sixteen government spy agencies, and I firmly believe they’d willingly hatch some inane scheme to legitimize their efforts to invade.

   Watching the video was like watching something middle school kids would patch together just for yahoos. Any competent videographer or television techie would look at that tape and guffaw at the sheer amateurish quality of the overdubbed voice-over. More than one expert in this area has remarked about the obvious splicing of the tape and the absence of synchronization between the audio and video. I find it exceedingly difficult to accept that any self-respecting terrorist is going to warn their target of their impending attack before it happens by exclaiming in a contrived voice that sounds like a hideously bad Borat impersonation, “I am coming to you… you will explode after a few minutes!” Civilians with radio equipment listening to ship-to-ship radio traffic are commonplace and have the ability to broadcast on those same frequencies. Anyone could’ve sent that audio; it certainly doesn’t sound like someone trying to scream over the deafening din of a speeding patrol boat. 

   One can watch Iran’s version of this incident on any news website; whether doing so arouses suspicion as to their intentions depends I believe on your political affiliation at this time. Certainly Iran can splice tape and draw from their video archives, as well, to formulate their own version of events. Yet watching their video casts doubt on ours, and that alone should be cause for calm.

   I was certainly not surprised by the jingoistic rhetoric emanating from Bush’s lips. Displaying his well-documented reading comprehension deficiencies, he stated from his podium, “… we view Iran as a threat, and that the National Intelligence Estimate in no way lessens that threat, but in fact clarifies that threat.” The NIE report he cites actually completely contradicts his administration’s claims that Iran is the pre-eminent “nucular” threat they make them out to be. The guy needs a remedial reading comprehension class using a Ted and Jane primer.

   I just pray that sensible people keep these dangerous fools in check by refusing to rely on less than credible evidence before scrambling our squadrons. It’s clear in my mind that Dubya’s warmongering minions still have intentions of initiating yet another military debacle.

McCain April 1, 2008

If John McCain is so faithful to the Republican Party, and wishes to uphold its “integrity”, perhaps he should spend some time assisting them in looking for those 5 million missing emails. Of course, I do realize he’s kinda busy right now perusing his copy of “Economics for Dummies.”

So! April 1, 2008

Could there exist better proof than this one-word response that Dickie Boy could be less interested in how we feel about what’s going on in Iraq? I’d put this right below his response to the gas crisis on his list of priorities. What response, you ask? Exactly my point. He hasn’t. He hasn’t because, like his impotent puppet Dubya, he couldn’t care less. When you’re affiliated with Halliburton, one of the most disreputable companies on the planet Earth, chances are your focus will always be on the bottom line, and in his case, that means getting the most profit at the expense of those who have to suffer at the gas pump.

I find great solace in the likelihood that, when Cheney’s heart finally explodes, he’ll be heading south for all eternity. He’ll flounder in a pool of his own oil and excrement below all the rings of Hell, the agonizing screams of those brave souls who gave their lives to his ignoble cause forever ringing in his ears.

Clarence Darrow said it best: I have never killed a man, but I have read many an obituary with great pleasure. Cheney’s I will read with glee.