This is so true, americans will be killed until they leave.
How long have we been training Iraqi forces?? Either we dont know how to train, the Iraqis are complete idiots, or Bush Inc. wants to keep us there to protect his oil reserves. Hello Vietnam!
I think the press - by which I mean the mainstream press, and not FOX, etc. - is finally starting to look at things more objectively. The Bush team tried to generate a story on Friday that Bush was having lots of success in his second term (CAFTA, etc.), but that was not only trumped by Frist's stem cell decision, but by the press itself, which downplayed Bush's impact on Congress and the merits of the bills that passed.
On Iraq, I opened my paper this morning and saw an article titled "Despite U.S. aid, Baghdad Crumbles." Obvioulsly Knight-Ridder is still doing the bang-up job they've been doing all along, but they important point is that the article was picked up at all. No longer does the press seem to be interested in putting a sunny face on the wreckage that is Iraq.
Bush is not controlling the messaging now, and that's a first since 9/11. Not only are the Dems getting more of a voice, but the press is asking questions, and reporters like Gregory seem to have had enough (at least for a while). All of which means there's an opportunity here if we can focus our message and remain disciplined. The floor is open, but we must have something to say.
Posted by Jumbo at July 31, 2005 02:34 PM"TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran said on Sunday it would resume sensitive nuclear activities at once without waiting for EU compromise proposals." Not to worry. W said last spring he would give the Europeans until the end of June to resolve the Iranian nukular issue on their terms, failing which he would show 'em how its done. Well, time's up, Tehran has thumbed its nose at the Europeans and is about to strike an alliance with the Iraqis, and we don't need a permission slip from anyone to defend our rightful interests. You can almost feel the Iranians quaking in thier shoes!
Yeah, right. Iran's about to crank up the reactors, our military is too bogged down in Iraq to represent any sort of meaningful deterrent, we've sufficiently alienated our "allies" that we can't look for help elsewhere, and the Chimp is about to go down in history as the American president that allowed (because through his own arrogance he can't do a damn thing about it) the Iranians to get nukes.
I really don't know how much more protection from the terrorists I can tolerate!
Posted by redstater at July 31, 2005 02:43 PMThis morning in the news, 113,500 Iraqis dead. Forty thousand wounded. No wonder they hate us.
Posted by Judith at July 31, 2005 02:52 PMEven though the White House doesn’t want you to notice,
eh? With holding reports or what? If it's on FOX, which it is, they must not be doing a very good job of hiding it.
Posted by Centrist at July 31, 2005 04:03 PMWhy do liberals want our troops to fail?
Posted by Al at July 31, 2005 04:24 PMAl,
"Why do liberals want our troops to fail?"
When you die, could you please have someone you know post your obit here, so we can all laugh our asses off?
Posted by Friendly at July 31, 2005 05:02 PMWhen you die, could you please have someone you know post your obit here, so we can all laugh our asses off?
Why are liberals so fool of hate?
Posted by Al at July 31, 2005 05:14 PMWhy do the neocons hate America and democracy so much?
Posted by Judith at July 31, 2005 05:21 PMAl, Kevin Drum called and he said the Political Animal was missing its blog idiot. We told him you were here.
Atrios has a neat entry this evening called "Iraq Fatigue". It about the missing media coverage on the War, especially in honor of all the fallen soldiers. Well worth the read with some great links.
Posted by emal at July 31, 2005 05:45 PMWhy do liberals want our troops to fail?
Ahhh. You have difficulty with your perceptions. Your profile is almost complete.
You see, Al. Al! Stop looking at your toes! You see, you are mistaking our desire to end troop deaths with failure. That is inappropriate, Al. You know we don't want them to fail. We only want them to stop dying because of the failures of Bushco and it's supporters. They are the murderers, Al. That makes you complicit. You don't have to be a murderer, you only choose to support murder at this time. It's simple...Al! Stop putting your thumb in your navel and pay attention! Don't be a killer, Al. Choose to do the proper thing.
Posted by phidipides at July 31, 2005 06:54 PMIRAQ quote:
Winning an argument with your wife is like winning the war in Iraq...you have more problems after you won the war than you did before it started...James Carville
Posted by chaka at July 31, 2005 07:43 PMwhy do conservatives want our troops to die unessicarily?
Posted by frank esposito at July 31, 2005 08:24 PMI sure hope jumbo is right in his(?) observations about the faltering Bushco message---the Iraq calamity seems to have fallen from coverage, which is certainly what the Incompetent-in-Chief and his "team" most desire, so I'm not so sure.
I am struck once gain by the complete disconnect between what the Team presents us with in Iraq and what is actually happening. Condi nevers mentions the three way battle in community interests which all responsible professionals now use to describe Iraq---it's always "the Iraqis", a construct which clearly has less and less meaning.
Posted by euzoius at August 1, 2005 05:51 AMMaybe you should be amazed by the fact the press only shows the negative side of the war. Rare is do you see that a patrol went out and didn't come uner fire. Remember for every violent incidents you hear about there are 10 or more incident that have a good outcome. Schools geting supplies, patrols not being fired upon. I guess the news reporters would get fired if they reported how they went out with a patrol and all tey did was wave at Iraqis and all the Iraqis did was wave back. It happens everyday but you wouldn't know becuase the media's If ti bleeds it leads philosophy. But lets not let truth enter this forum that might make the left coaster actually pas a news blog and not a political of the left wingnuts.
Posted by Avenger D-22 at August 1, 2005 07:38 AMI nominate Avenger D-22 as the new stupidest troll on this blog. Do I hear a second?
Posted by weinerdog43 at August 1, 2005 07:59 AMI dunno, weinerdog, there's lots of competition here. People touting schools being built in Iraq, while they're being defunded here in the US. That's pretty stupid. Toby, of course, is the Lativian word for stupid, and Al, well, that's a wingbot, so it doesn't really count.
Posted by iamcoyote at August 1, 2005 08:25 AM5. bendito
4. chevy
3. ROOF
2. Avenger
1. Al (bot category)
Avenger -- certainly, there's truth to the "if it bleeds, it leads" criticism of the media, but I for one have seeen plenty of coverage of soldiers not getting blown up, passing out free turkeys, etc. But to find it, you actually have to go and read the long, printed-word articles that cover the "life in Iraq" kinds of stories. Even articles that, like my link above, are focusing on some horrible event, they still include the non-nasty stuff to give the reader a more complete the picture.
But you have to actually go and do some work to see it. You have to read.
Yeah, the video media are under-reporting that stuff, since it's boring to the T.V. audience -- and it's available in print to those who won't be bored by it. But that doesn't mean that the bad stuff isn't happening.
It also doesn't mean that the bad stuff in Iraq is being wildly overhyped either. I mean, all of Europe and the U.S. get in a tizzy over a few suicide bombings in London and Madrid, but Iraq has seen something like 500 suicide bombs in just the last year. It's so damn common that even the reports of these bombs and the dead U.S. solders don't get much airtime anymore, lest the audience yawn, "Booooriing!"
Posted by Doug at August 1, 2005 07:33 PMya runiyu latviski. toby ney pa latviski "stupid", labi? es esmu skolotâjs, so I know:)
Labi -- uz redzesanos
The Latvians are not some unknown people -- so don't think you are so smart and funny. Many Latvians are friends of mine. They would't think it was so funny.
They lived through both world wars and Salispils is a monument to their sacrifice . . . as are other sites and problems.
Next time you want to be funny, think about it first.
Posted by michilines at August 3, 2005 06:05 PM