Der Spiegel posts reprints of a very few selected New York Times Editorial
Opinions.
One such Op/Ed, Axis of Appeasement, by Thomas L. Friedman, gets it
about half right. In this case, the half which is right is very much right. In fact the
Dems could do well to give the article a read.
spiegel.de/politik/ausland/0,1518,291214,00.html
The rest of the story? Well heck, in this best of all possible worlds one could hardly
expect the good Mr. Friedman to present a full picture. That's not what he is paid so
handsomely to do. Besides, his quote of Churchill's remark to Chamberlain is so handily
appropriate that it would be a shame to muck up such a beautifully worded piece. Why
spoil the effect? Don't bother to click this link...
Vee Jay says 62; Dems don't want the presidency
Axis of Appeasement
March 18, 2004, by Thomas L. Friedman
"The new Spanish government's decision to
respond to the attack by Al Qaeda by going ahead with plans to pull its troops from
Iraq constitutes the most dangerous moment we've faced since 9/11. It's what happens
when the Axis of Evil intersects with the Axis of Appeasement and the Axis of
Incompetence." (snip)
"But if they (the Axis of Evil) are so bad, why aren't we doing better? It has to do
with the pigheadedness of the Bush team and the softheadedness of many allies.
Regarding the Bush team, let me say yet again: We do not have enough troops in Iraq,
and we never did. From the outset, the Bush Pentagon has treated Iraq as a lab test to
prove that it can win a war with a small, mobile high-tech Army. Well, maybe you can
defeat Saddam that way, but you can't build a new Iraq - and control its borders to
prevent foreign terrorists from coming in - with so few troops, especially when you
disband the Iraqi Army on top of it." (snip)
"My dream is that the U.S., Britain, France, Germany and Spain announce tomorrow
that in response to the Madrid bombing, they are sending a new joint force of
5,000 troops to Iraq for the sole purpose of protecting the U.N.'s return to
Baghdad to oversee Iraq's first democratic election. The notion that Spain can
separate itself from Al Qaeda's onslaught on Western civilization by pulling its
troops from Iraq is a fantasy. Bin Laden has said that Spain was once Muslim and
he wants it restored that way. As a friend in Cairo e-mailed me, a Spanish pullout
from Iraq would only bring to mind Churchill's remark after Chamberlain returned
from signing the Munich pact with Hitler: 'You were given the choice between war
and dishonor. You chose dishonor and you will have war.'"
spiegel.de/politik/ausland/0,1518,291214,00.html
"La Mosca Cojonera" gives one Spaniard's view of war, Iraq,
Aznar, Zapatero, etc.
La Mosca Cojonera describes this issue of La Razon as:
"Las oscuras razones para oponerse a la guerra"
Other descriptions of other issues of La Razon by La Mosca Cojonera...
moscacojonera.org/larazon.html
The current issue of La Razon can be read directly online at ...
larazon.es/
"No hay ninguna exageración en decir que la opinión pública mundial contra la guerra se ha convertido en una potencia con la
cual el poder tiene que contar. Nos enfrentamos deliberadamente a los que quieren la guerra, les decimos "NO", y si aún así
siguen empecinados en su demencial afán y desencadenan una vez más los caballos del apocalipsis, entonces les
avisamos desde aquí que esta manifestación no es la última, que continuaremos las protestas durante todo el tiempo que dure la
guerra, e incluso más allá, porque a partir de hoy ya no se tratará simplemente de decir "No a la guerra", se tratará de luchar
todos los días y en todas las instancias para que la paz sea una realidad, para que la paz deje de ser manipulada como un
elemento de chantaje emocional y sentimental con que se pretende justificar guerras. Sin paz, sin una paz auténtica, justa y
respetuosa, no habrá derechos humanos. Y sin derechos humanos -todos ellos, uno por uno- la democracia nunca será más
que un sarcasmo, una ofensa a la razón, una tomadura de pelo. Los que estamos aquí somos una parte de la nueva potencia
mundial. Asumimos nuestras responsabilidades. Vamos a luchar con el corazón y el cerebro, con la voluntad y la ilusión.
Sabemos que los seres humanos somos capaces de lo mejor y de lo peor. Ellos (no
necesito ahora decir sus nombres) han elegido lo peor. Nosotros hemos elegido lo mejor. Leido por José Saramago al finalizar
la gran manifestación contra la guerra."
15 de marzo de 2003
José Saramago
La Mosca Cojonera
moscacojonera.org/
So whatever happened to "la gran manifestación contra la
guerra" ? Have you seen pictures of the bombings in Iraq in mid March 2004? Could you
imagine anything more grotesquely ridiculous? We predicted that some who had objected to the second war in Iraq would get
egg all over their faces. We told you so, we told you so, we told you so.
How many people would want Paul Brenner's job? Is Paul Brenner doing a great job or what?
Maybe you could let him know what you think,
osec.doc.gov/bmi/staff%20directory.htm
pBrenner@doc.gov
There is more reconstruction of infrastructure to come. More
hospitals, hospital equipment, pharmaceutical supplies. More roads and bridges. More
sewage disposal infrastructure. More infrastructure for generation and distribution of
electricity. More commercial and housing construction. More air conditioning. For us that would be the biggie. The sine qua non. Air conditioning.
Iraq has a land area equivalent to California. Iraq's habitable
areas constitute only a small area, a swathe of land through the center of it's map.
Iraq's population of 25 million persons is relatively small and concentrated. It will
take a relatively short time before enough development has occured to make a visible
difference to the extent that the great majority of Iraqis will become happy campers.
Opinion polls of Iraqi citizens conducted in March, 2004, had definitely been leaning in
that direction already. Finish the build-out and the populace will have little or nothing tangible about which to gripe.
Ridiculous and futile will become more ridiculous and more futile before it goes away.
Road bombings of American Armed Forces vehicles and personnel
had been expanded to include vehicles and personnel of other nationalities. Later, bombings
were targeted at Iraqi security forces and civilians. Soft targets? Is infrastructure a
soft target? Development of infrastrucure has always been the main objective of the
occupational forces. It will be the key to their success. What if bombers changed
tactics and began to hit targets representing infrastructure development? There are not enough
suicide bombers nor enough explosives to make a serious dent in infrastucture
development. As more development occurs, bombings of infrastucture will become less
and less effective and more and more unpopular with Iraqi citizens. Future bombers may
find themselves tarred and feathered. Or maybe worse. And then expelled from Iraq.
spiegel.de/politik/ausland/0,1518,291973,00.html
14 `enduring bases' set in Iraq
March 24, 2004, by Christine Spolar, Chicago Tribune
"From the ashes of abandoned Iraqi army bases, U.S. military engineers are
overseeing the building of an enhanced system of American bases designed to last
for years.
Last year, as troops poured over the Kuwait border to invade Iraq the U.S. military set up at least 120 forward operating bases. Then came
hundreds of expeditionary and temporary bases that were to last between six
months and a year for tactical operations while providing soldiers with such
comforts as e-mail and Internet access.
Now U.S. engineers are focusing on constructing 14 'enduring bases,' long-term
encampments for the thousands of American troops expected to serve in Iraq for
at least two years. The bases also would be key outposts for Bush administration
policy advisers. As the U.S. scales back its military presence in Saudi Arabia, Iraq provides an option for an administration eager to maintain a robust military presence in the Middle East and intent on a muscular approach to seeding democracy in the region. The number of U.S. military personnel in Iraq, between 105,000 and 110,000, is expected to remain unchanged through 2006, according to military planners"
groups.yahoo.com/group/energyresources/message/54266
Almost everybody thinks war stinks, don't they?
Japanese armed service personnel may go to Iraq and build roads, bridges, hospitals,
and sewage treatment plants. They may not suffer casualties. For some war may be just
a construction job.
What to do if you are a member of the American Armed Forces
in Iraq? Going AWOL is not an option you should consider even for a nanosecond. Ditto
for conscientious objector. Not an option. Unless the thought of spending time in
Leavenworth, Kansas is somehow attractive. Imagine signs of demonstrators outside your home
back in the US. Imagine what most who will have known you may think or say,
after the infrastructure build-out is to the point where Iraqis themselves will have cause for
celebration. Where would conscientious objectors find sympathy or solace? It might seem like
the day may never arrive but eventually you will become a two digit midget. Then you may
choose to celebrate. Or contemplate the unfairness of life.
Matt WuerkerTM
"The Madness of King George:
The Ingenious Insanity of our most 'Misunderestimated' President." A book that ponders the question, "What did we do to deserve a leader like this?"
Matt WuerkerTM
An impromptu polling of seven Japanese citizens was conducted on a subway one afternoon during non-rush hours by Masa, one of the Pufferfish Trio. "Why only seven citizens?" we asked. No answer. The question was, "What do you think of the American president, George Bush?"
Results:
Two citizens, one male, one female, said that the American president, George Bush is handsome.
Two citizens, both male, said that the American president, George Bush is handsome and does what he says he'll do.
Two citizens, both female, had no comment.
One citizen, Masa, said that the world must be saved from Mr. Bush.
Masa's last comment. If a guy says he'll cut off your left pinky finger and then does so, why wouldn't that make him a swell guy?
Masa says, "The Invention of God Makes Sense!"
March 22, 2004
"I would like to give you my answer on your subject question (regarding the invention of god).
My answer;
I think it is't odd at all.
I must say to believe in God is rather odd.
In fact God is invented by human beings. Looking at history, one can see the strife brought on by the conflict bewteen religion and materialism which is based on the Science-Darwinism.
But, it seems that people always wants to have God. Otherwise we might be mad.
If we don't want to have God, we will make other objects instead of God.
Do you know what is meant by that?
I'll show you an example.
Upon Japan's defeat of war in 1945, GHQ had begun to democratize our society by destroying our previous system and peoples' sense of value established in our long history.
But, the emperor system was an exception. Though it has been changed from representing genuine sovereignty to just a symbol of the nation by GHQ. Because GHQ considered Japanese might be mad without the emperor.
Human beings can not live without a God though the notion of God is different from nation to nation.
Best regards,
Masa
Tired of King George's "Bushit"?
Ostensibly, Der Spiegel readers know better than to be bothered by something as trivial
as that.
Mittwoch, 24. März 2004
spiegel.de/panorama/0,1518,291947,00.html
spiegel.de/panorama/
NACKTE TATSACHEN
Galionsfigur mit nackter Brust verschreckt US-Schüler
Mittwoch, 24. März 2004
Seit Janet Jacksons "Nipplegate" stehen nackte Brüste in der US-Öffentlichkeit nicht allzu hoch im Kurs. Kein Wunder, dass
eine amerikanische Schulklasse eher irritiert reagierte, als sie auf einem niederländischen Segelschiff die blanke Brust einer
Galionsfigur sah. mehr...
spiegel.de/panorama/0,1518,291940,00.html |
