October 31, 2003
Friday VDH
On NRO, Victor Davis Hanson has another great essay that I'm late to read, "Those Jews." Excerpt:
And what is the value of the only democratic government in a sea of autocracy if its existence butts up against notions of third-world victimhood and causes so much difficulty for the Western intelligentsia? Still, few intellectuals were silly enough to dress up that insane idea under the pretext of a serious argument (an unhinged Vidal, Chomsky, or Said does not count). Judt did, and now he has confirmed what most of us knew for years — namely, that there is an entrenched and ever-bolder school of European thought that favors the de facto elimination of what is now a democratic Jewish state.What links all these people — a Muslim head of state, a rude crowd in Michigan, an experienced magazine contributor, and a European public intellectual — besides their having articulated a spreading anger against the "Jews"? Perhaps a growing unease with hard questions that won't go away and thus beg for easy, cheap answers.
Recommended reading!
Bad News/Good News
The prolific Dale Franks, of The Review, didn't post for a day. His reason for not posting: a serious health scare. It sounds like his prognosis is good, but I hope any readers will join me in wishing him well.
(Can not posting for a day be considered a "hiatus"? If so, I've had 13 this month. D'oh!)
Post of the Day
If you haven't visited LGF today and could use a laugh, I think you'll want to read this post by "iowahawk." Excerpt:
That's what happened 18 months ago, when a preliminary estimate put first-quarter 2002 growth at 5.8 percent. That was later revised down to 5.0, which is an 0.8 percent reverse over a basis of 5.8 percent, which barely covered the weekend line at Harrahs. More important, growth in the next quarter slumped and staggered to 1.3 percent, reeling and spinning and then embarrassingly putting on a lampshade and singing "Put Some Sugar On Me" by Def Leppard before passing out in the guest toilet. We now know that the economy wasn't really on the mend, and that the Bush plan to revive the totally wasted economy by putting its finger in a warm glass of tax cuts would cause it to pee 600,000 jobs all over the guest bed.
In the comments, Mr. "hawk" reveals that Lileks won't be the only one meeting a certain famous Australian blogger this weekend. Sounds like fun.
October 29, 2003
Another Front Line Voice
New to the blogroll is The Cone-Zone by "Baghdaddy," a colleague of Chief Wiggles. It's a really good blog that I've been meaning to link. Here's a timely taste:
Many soldiers have complained of the enviornment here, or the lengthy deployment. However, far more believe in what we are about here(although the damnable press won't sell papers unless it's all gloom and doom)! And that is a gross misrepresentation of the facts.Please, if I am willing to be here, than as a public stay the course. Dont be swayed by biased reporting. I am finding out every day from those effected, that Saddams regime will be remembered in the history books as being worse than Hitler, or Stalin(more and more facts to support this are emerging daily).
I dont like fighting, but there are evils in this world that I refuse to leave to my posterity to deal with.
Thank you, sir!
Blogs around the U.S.A. Update VI
Here's a small update to the Blogs around the U.S.A. project:
For the Golden State, I've added e-Claire.
For the Centennial State, visit Colorado Conservative and the too-long omitted ResurrectionSong.
For the Buckeye State, at the suggestion of James Rummel, I've added Pork Chop Express. However, Ohio's still one behind California -- sorry James!
Finally, for the Badger State, visit Boots and Sabers.
For some suggested additions, I've either not had enough time to review them in much detail or have yet to see any posts on state or local issues. I continue to visit and consider them. As always, suggested, reasonable blogs that occasionally post on state or local news are eagerly sought. If any readers know of any blogs that I've missed, especially in states with none listed, please let me know via comment or email.
Happy reading!
Paradise Has Relocated
Allah has changed houses. You may want to update your bookmarks, fellow kufr.
October 28, 2003
Gregg vs. Kevin
I never believed that Gregg Easterbrook was an antisemite, despite some poorly chosen words, but this post makes me think that he is a fool. Excerpt:
If we went in to stop a banned-weapons program genuinely believing one existed, and now know one did not exist, then our military must depart immediately. This is the only honorable course.
Professor Volokh helps to explain why this is foolish (my word; the judicious professor chooses "simple") here.
As Kevin of Boots on the Ground puts it:
I don’t think the President lied, and there are probably WMD buried under some rock somwhere, after all, any Iraqi I’ve talked to said they believe Saddam had WMD. But I do think this war was not necessary in that I don’t believe Iraq was a threat to us, however I think it is justified in saving 28 million people from a ruthless dictator. There are reasons why I like being in Iraq and reasons I don’t like it. For one, it is really interesting talking to people from another part of the world, and one thing I’ve notice, they aren’t all that different than us Americans. But also, home just seems so much like the perfect place after being here in Iraq, power goes out severals times a day, and many bombed out buildings from the bombings. However, here, I feel like I am making a difference, and that boosts morale for me and helps me to keep staying focused on what I have to do.
I'll trust Kevin's judgment on this one over Gregg, who seems to have joined forces on this issue with Dennis Kucinich and Al Sharpton. Ugh.
October 27, 2003
Fisking A.N.S.W.E.R.
Jon Henke fisks A.N.S.W.E.R. He does so quite well, catching the organization in a lie or 10. If that's the best A.N.S.W.E.R. and the angry left can do, well, good.
Carnival of the Capitalists III
The Noble Pundit is hosting the third edition of the Carnival of the Capitalists. For the third week in a row, it's very nicely presented, containing links to 28 relevant posts. I hope any readers will pay it a visit.
Meanwhile, Jay Solo is contemplating a name change for this Carnival. Some good suggestions have been offered, perhaps not including mine.
October 24, 2003
Friday VDH
On NRO, Victor Davis Hanson has a typically great essay on Iraq, Europe and American politics, "The Event of the Age". Excerpt:
Yet here we stand, a little more than six months later, with a country that was the worst in the Middle East evolving into the best. We are witnessing nothing less than the revolutionary and great moral event of the age, and when it comes to pass, a reborn democratic Iraq will overturn almost all the conventional wisdom, here and abroad, about the Middle East, the nature and purpose of war in our age, the moral differences between Europe and America — and the place in history of George W. Bush.
Recommended reading.
October 23, 2003
Rumsfeld Speaks
In his Impromptus column today, Jay Nordlinger reports many noteworthy remarks from Donald Rumsfeld. It's wonderful stuff, and I think this is my favorite part:
"Or take the coalition in Iraq. It now includes military forces from 32 nations. Consider some of the countries that are contributing troops in Iraq today: Albania, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, El Salvador, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Nicaragua, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Ukraine. They all have forces in Iraq assisting the coalition. There are others, as well, but I just mention these because those are the nations helping in Iraq today that President Reagan helped to make free."And, "Why are so many of these nations, many small, most not very wealthy, sending their forces . . . halfway around the world, to help bring freedom to the Iraqi people? I suspect it's because so many of them have just recovered their own freedom, and they're eager, they're proud to help the Iraqi people recover theirs. God bless them all, and God bless Ronald Reagan for what he did to help liberate them."
Nordlinger also has an excellent, longer piece on his interview with Mr. and Mrs. Rumsfeld in the forthcoming NRODT. A couple choice excerpts (I'm liking NRO Digital, the latest edition of which also has a new column by Mark Steyn!):
I ask whether Rumsfeld reads Maureen Dowd, the New York Times columnist who regularly makes sport of him. He allows that he reads the headline and the first paragraph or two. Then, having gotten the drift, he quits. “Do you know her?” he asks me. “No,” I say, “but you’ve been good for her career.” He responds: “I’m not so sure about that — that this has been good for her career.” A highly interesting point, which there is too little time to pursue.
and
A final question concerning the War on Terror: Will Americans stick with it, or will they get worn down? “They stuck with the Cold War,” Rumsfeld quickly notes. “And I think Americans have a good sense of what’s important. I have a lot of confidence in people.”
(I almost always read Nordlinger's columns, but hadn't read this one when I saw it mentioned by Zombyboy.)
News from the Quagmire
Zeyad's been posting up a storm over at Healing Iraq. It's not all good news, but it certainly appears better than you'll see in most of the press or on the 'angry left' blogs. A few excerpts:
Are these people sane? I mean what are they thinking? Is this our latest form of 'resistance'? Threatening our own children for getting some shiny new schoolbags. I am trying very hard to understand. This so called resistance is getting hated more and more by Iraqis everywhere. I'm sure this will only add to that scorn exponentially. They are losing any sympathy they may have had earlier. The terrorists have turned out to be MUCH dumber than I thought.
and
Here's the biggest laugh of all, by one of his 'agents': "We intend to build an Islamic democracy in Iraq, not an Islamic theocracy". Sure, like the Taliban for instance. This egocentric looney is starting to sound like Al-Sahaf. I am now seriously considering making a 'We Love Muqty' website like this one We Love MSS. That would be such a blast. Anyone creative taking notes?
and
It's at times like these that I start worrying and get pessimistic about the future of freedom in this country. I see many people reject it, because 'its an American and zionist plot to spread immorality and degradation in our virtous society'. Then they give me all the holy crap. The problem with their logic is that they are not even holy themselves. I don't want to believe in their scriptures. I don't want to be forced to fast in Ramadan. I want to be able to freely criticize them without being burnt at a stake. I want to be able to buy my vodka without having to look left and right. I want to be able to walk with my girlfriend in the street while holding hands together without people glaring at me. Is this TOO MUCH to ask? Do I have to immigrate and leave my country for wanting to do all that?
There is much, much more worth reading on the site. To follow events in post-war Iraq, I consider this a must-read blog.
Scary Short Stories Sought
Michael Williams is hosting the Second Spherewide Short Story Symposium, seeking scary short stories in time for Halloween. The submission deadline is next Tuesday, October 28. I hope any interested readers will consider participating. (The first one seemed to be quite successful.)
Update: In a comment, Michael mentions that the stories don't have to be scary. I knew that from his post, but should have mentioned it above.
October 22, 2003
October 21, 2003
Blogs around the World Update XI
While I'm decompressing, here's a small (but timely) update to the Blogs around the World project. All three of these blogs are based in countries currently much in the news.
Based in Malaysia is RajanR.com, which has several comments on the recent moonbattery of Mahathir.
Via InstaPundit and based in Bolivia is Ciao!, which has many comments on the recent political developments there.
Finally, based in Iraq is Healing Iraq, my new favorite Iraqi weblog.
I hope any readers will pay these sites a deserved visit.
I'm also hoping to clean up the Blogs around the World links soon, removing those long dormant and updating those that have moved. In the meantime, if anyone notices any that should be updated, I would appreciate a comment or an email. Suggestions for new additions are always sought, too.
October 20, 2003
Just My Luck
Once again, apologies to anyone who's stopped by this joint lately for my lack of posts. I'm tempted to rename this blog, "Occasional Posts between Frequent Deadlines," but I don't think it will fit in the header.
And tonight, when I finally have some time to post (and lots of links stored up), someone breaks the internet again, the second time in a week. Is the internet a 1980's-era Jaguar?
In any event, I hope any readers will visit the second installment of the Carnival of the Capitalists. Jay Solo has done a nice job presenting the 30 self-selected and five Solo-selected posts, and his introductions will tempt anyone interested in the subject.
I'll be back tomorrow (or perhaps later tonight), deadlines permitting.
October 14, 2003
Quiz Time
This is one of the best, silly internet quizes I've taken: Which Rat Pack Member Are You?
According to the quiz, I am ___________.
(via Allah. Heh.)
News from Iran
On NRO, Michael Ledeen has some good news and some potentially really bad news on Iran.
The good:
The Kazemi affair was very embarrassing to the Islamic Republic, and the Nobel award to Ms. Ebadi was a slap in Khamenei's face. Just when the democratic opposition was floundering — the result of savage beatings, thousands of arrests and torture, and near-total abandonment by the feckless leaders of the West — the Norwegian committee sent a message of hope and inspiration: Do not despair, we are with you. All of a sudden, the Iranians see again that there are people in the West who understand their plight, and support their struggle. Ms. Ebadi is no mere symbol of resistance to tyranny; she is the real deal, having survived nine months in the horrific Evin prison in Tehran, and 25 years of isolation and oppression from the regime (she was a judge under the Shah, fired by Khomenei after the revolution of 1979, denied the right to practice law, and forced to scratch for a living as a school instructor). There will be monster celebrations when Ms. Ebadi returns with her medal later this year, and the regime will be hardpressed to justify further repression. She will be a dagger aimed at the regime's heart, and the mullahs will feel the first pricks of the dagger's point right away, as she has agreed to represent the Kazemi family in legal action against the regime.
The potentially really bad:
Some of this is bluster, but for the most part it is an honest statement of Iran's intentions. As reported here some weeks ago, the Iranians believe they now have all the necessary components for a nuclear bomb. The only question is how long it will take them to assemble and test it. Khamenei had hoped to be able to test an atomic bomb by the third week in October, but his scientific advisers recently told him they could not make that deadline. They are now aiming for November 4 or 5, the anniversary of the seizure of the American embassy in Tehran during the revolution.There is another November date our leaders should take seriously: the 25th, the anniversary of the disappearance of the twelfth imam, and thus the most significant date in the Shiite calendar. Reports from Tehran suggest that the mullahs would like to celebrate that anniversary with a big-time terrorist attack against America.
As Ledeen has been writing for far too long now, faster, please!
Immigrant Pride
Ravenwolf has a great post up on Arnold's election, immigration and American pride. Excerpt:
Get some pride people. Don't apologize for being an American; it's embarrassing for the rest of us who have jumped through flaming INS hoops to be considered one of you. Think about it; there's a reason why Europe is considered the Old World. With innovative thought and fierce independence, Americans have done more in over 200 years than they have done in all of their long histories. For crying out loud, people! Look at your history! Read it! Be proud of what you have accomplished! We legal immigrants are many, but we shouldn't be the only ones who defend this country from its detractors. There is still a reason why people are dying to come here; after all, the illegals still come. Native-borns, wake up and take a goddamn stand! Be proud of America, recognize its greatness and take back the country you have forgotten about! Or else, don't be surprised when you suddenly wake up and find your America gone; that's what happens when you take things for granted.
Highly recommended, thought-provoking reading!
October 13, 2003
Carnival of the Capitalists
In the original introduction to Capitalism and Freedom, Milton Friedman wrote:
This book discusses some of these great issues. Its major theme is the role of competitive capitalism -- the organization of the bulk of economic activity through private enterprise operating in a free market -- as a system of economic freedom and a necessary condition for political freedom.
I've long thought that many in the blogosphere focused on the latter at the expense of the former. A welcome corrective, debuting today, is the Carnival of the Capitalists, a venture jointly initiated by BusinessPundit Rob and Verbose Jay Solo. (A list of future hosts of the Carnival and additional detail can be found here.) As the Carnival of the Vanities highlights some of the self-selected best blog-writing, this Carnival aims to do the same for writing on "business, management, marketing, accounting, finance, economics, sales, capitalism."
The first edition of the Carnival contains an impressive 23 entries. I hope any readers will pay it a visit and consider contributing in the future. Consider it necessary for freedom, and happy reading!
October 11, 2003
Cheney Was Right
In The Weekly Standard, Stephen F. Hayes writes again on the potential connections between Iraq and al Qaeda. Excerpt:
Although Shakir worked for Malaysian Airlines, the Iraqi embassy controlled his schedule--told him when to report to work, when to take a day off. On January 5, 2000, Shakir received an assignment from his embassy contact. He was to escort two recent arrivals through immigration at the airport. Khalid al Midhar and Nawaz al Hamzi--two of the chief September 11 hijackers--had come to Malaysia for an important al Qaeda meeting that would last four days. That gathering would become the focus of the extensive investigation into the planning of the attack on the USS Cole on October 12, 2000, and the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon nearly a year later.According to U.S. intelligence reports, Shakir greeted these two future hijackers at the airport and walked them to a waiting car. But rather than see them off, he jumped in the car with al Midhar and al Hamzi and accompanied them to the Kuala Lumpur Hotel. Malaysian authorities had been tipped off about the al Qaeda summit before it happened and later provided American authorities with photographs and videotapes of the attendees. While U.S. officials can place Shakir at the Kuala Lumpur Hotel with the hijackers, they cannot say for certain whether Shakir participated in the meeting. Also present that day, according to U.S. intelligence reporting, were Ramzi bin al Shibh, the operational chief of the "Holy Tuesday" attacks, as 9/11 was known to the terrorists, and Tawfiz al Atash, a top-ranking bin Laden deputy, later identified as the mastermind of the attack on the USS Cole.
Hayes also makes a point that may have some bearing on the Wilsongate scandal, noting that, "When the CIA leaks from classified documents, administration officials cannot effectively respond to misrepresentations or distortions because the information is classified."
While you're there, you'll also enjoy reading Arnold Uber Alles, Matt Labash's report from the Schwarzenegger campaign. Here's a taste:
I SPEND ELECTION MORNING covering the race poolside at the Mondrian Hotel in Los Angeles. I tell my waitress, Mashia, that I should be working the polls, but I've had it with real people. "That's okay," she says, "there's not many of them left out here." I ask her who she voted for. She says she hasn't and she's not going to, because she doesn't really know the issues, and she doesn't think ignorant people should vote. I want to hug her, and not just because she's hot and wearing a sarong.
Enjoy!
October 10, 2003
Let's Make It a National Holiday
It's the one year blogiversary of Bloviating Inanities. Thanks to Bill C. for a year's worth of laughs (and occasional groans).
In honor of the occasion, Paul of Sanity's Edge provides a must-read, brief history of BI. (Paul, please don't ever do that to me.)
October 09, 2003
Cui Bono?
I’ve been following the Wilson “affair” as closely as possible of late, perhaps too closely. (Which does not mean that I’m not missing something obvious here.) Of the blogs I’ve been following (along with Seamole’s Log), the Minute Man has the most extensive commentary and links on the subject. Tenacious TM’s Ooops Theory strikes me as fairly plausible, but leaves a few questions, to me, unanswered. Furthermore, while TM’s a very thoughtful fellow, his theory is insufficiently contrarian for my tastes.
The prevailing wisdom in the press and in the blogosphere seems to be that a senior administration official leaked the identity of the employer of Wilson’s wife either to discredit Wilson after he published a largely irrelevant opinion piece in the New York Times, or to discourage any future leakers.
In order to discredit Wilson, administration officials could have simply provided the press with a transcript of this talk by Wilson (given a month prior to the Novak article in question) which led Charles Johnson to label Wilson, properly, it seems to me, as a “moonbat.” And, as many others have noted, the leaked information, if anything, would seem to bolster Wilson’s credibility, not harm it.
If the goal were to discourage future leakers, making Wilson a hero to the press would seem to have the opposite effect.
While many on the angry left regard Bush as “stupid,” he and his senior supporters have managed to win three major elections and two impressive battles in Afghanistan and Iraq. How could they have been so foolish in this instance? Rather than obtaining a benefit they allegedly sought (either a discredited Wilson or a reduced likelihood of future leaks), they’ve instead caused Wilson to be a press (and leftist) darling who jokes about movie deals, and they’ve reaped nothing but an alleged scandal.
Who has benefited from the leak of the identity of Wilson’s wife’s employer?
Perhaps the answer is no one but those opposed to Bush and the war in Iraq, at the cost of Wilson’s wife’s career, the identity of her CIA front-company employer, and, possibly, her contacts.
BLITZER: "He asked me not to use her name saying she probably never again will be given a foreign assignment."NOVAK: Yes. That was not anything -- whether I wrote anything or not, he said she would never be given a foreign assignment. That was a fact that she had moved on to a different phase of her career.
If Novak and his CIA correspondent are correct, perhaps the only danger to the CIA, Mrs. Wilson (apparently now, and perhaps since her marriage to Wilson five years ago, working in the Directorate of Intelligence, not Operations), or her former contacts, was the potential for difficulties in Mrs. Wilson's traveling overseas. If that is the case, perhaps the only entity to suffer as a consequence of the leak is the Bush administration itself.
Who benefited?
· Well, Mr. Wilson did. He’s raised his profile to at least that which followed his earlier adventures in Iraq; he’s a new darling of the press, able to joke about movie deals. In addition, in writing the New York Times piece, he may have disclosed information confidential to the CIA and opened himself to an investigation. But any investigation now would raise calls of “retribution” and mire the Bush administration further in the scandal. Neat trick.
Jed Babbin discusses some of the anomalies in regard to Wilson’s “investigation” here. Excerpt:
Everyone who works for the CIA in everything having to do with intelligence or foreign governments is required to sign a secrecy agreement that provides the Agency the right to approve and censor what the employee may wish to say or write for public consumption. In Wilson's famous July 6, 2003 NYT op-ed, he said, "The mission I undertook was discreet but by no means secret. While the CIA paid my expenses, (my time was offered pro bono), I made it abundantly clear to everyone I met that I was acting on behalf of the United States government." It is unheard of for anyone to not be required to sign a secrecy agreement. So did Wilson get that article approved by the CIA?I asked the CIA, and a very testy spokesperson refused to answer. I asked if Wilson ever signed a security agreement, and she sounded about to burst from stress, but she'd give no answer to that question either. Maybe she was just having a bad hair day. Or maybe the CIA is feeling some well-earned heat.
A senior intelligence-community source told me that no one as vocal as Wilson could possibly be bound to the usual security agreement. So Wilson wasn't required to sign one. Why? The fact that he was paid only his expenses is no explanation. That's Anomaly Number 1.
· The CIA did. As Mark Steyn writes:
If sending Joseph C. Wilson IV to Niger for a week is the best the world’s only hyperpower can do, that’s a serious problem. If the Company knew it was a joke all along, that’s a worse problem. It means Mr Bush is in the same position with the CIA as General Musharraf is with Pakistan’s ISI: when he makes a routine request, he has to figure out whether they’re going to use it to try and set him up. This is no way to win a terror war.
What a stroke of good fortune that the press and the public are not focusing on this!
· Those that opposed the war in Iraq, inside the administration and out, did. What luck for them that, when it became clear that Wilson’s yellowcake-gate was going nowhere, a scandal erupted that cast doubt on the administration’s national security reputation.
Could this explain why the scope of the search for the alleged leaker has gone from Karl Rove to, maybe, someone in the White House, the State Department, the Defense Department or the CIA? Could this explain the administration’s relative nonchalance?
Is this an exercise in blame-the-victim? Well, Mr. Wilson is a rather ebullient “victim.” If it is determined that intentional harm was done to Mrs. Wilson, her employer, or her contacts, they will be true victims and those involved should pay dearly for this. But cui bono? Where’s William of Ockham when you need’m?
Where have I gone wrong?
October 07, 2003
Lyrical Photo Essay III
Sgt. Hook has yet another great "lyrical photo essay" up.
Once again, be sure to click on all of the links in the essay, as the photographs Sgt. Hook has chosen are great.
Operation Give
New to the sidebar is a button linking to Operation Give, a new website set up to assist with Chief Wiggles' toothbrushes and toys drive for Iraqi kids that I've been linking to lately. Thanks to Michele, Dean and everyone else who took on this project. It appears that they've stopped taking direct cash donations (drat!) for now, but the site still contains lots of useful information for anyone who might wish to give. Here is the site's mission statement:
Operation Give was founded as a not-for-profit corporation in answer to a call from a soldier stationed in Iraq, known affectionately as Chief Wiggles. His request? To send toys and other goods to help the children he encountered every day in Iraq. Operation Give is grass-roots, non-partisan, volunteer-driven, and non-political. All we want to do is help children of Iraq in their recovery from years of depredation, and make the world a better place.Our main coordinator in Iraq is the man who created this project, Chief Wiggles (who is, indeed, a real person). We are also inspired by an earlier American military man, Gail Halvorsen, also known as Uncle Wiggle Wings.
If you have toys or other appropriate goods you want to send to Iraq, we can help you figure out how to get them there. If you want to give money, we'll use your money to ship more kid stuff to Iraq. If you have an organization that would like to help promote our efforts, we can help you with that as well.
It's another terrific idea, and a great way to show the people of Iraq our good will.
October 03, 2003
The Author Game
Kurt Vonnegut
Stephen King
Isaac Asimov
Robert A. Heinlein
Douglas Adams
Tom Clancy
Greg Bear
Michael Crichton
Orson Scott Card
Nick Hornby
Kurt Vonnegut
Neal Stephenson
Isaac Asimov
Dan Simmons
Douglas Adams
Neil Gaiman
Chuck Palahniuk
Mark Z. Danielewski
Orson Scott Card
Nick Hornby
Me:
Kurt Vonnegut
Neal Stephenson
Richard Powers
Robert A. Heinlein
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Tim Dorsey
Mark Helprin
Joseph Conrad
Martin Amis
John Kennedy Toole
Click on the links to Ryan or Matt above for an explanation of the game. That was kind of fun.
WMD? -- Check
On NRO, Andrew Apostolou (proprietor of Apostablog) writes that the David Kay report on Iraqi "weapons of mass destriction" (WMD) "has validated the reason for going to war: Saddam's regime was not in compliance with its U.N. obligations." He continues:
Kay has actually done more than simply justify the war to oust Saddam by demonstrating a past history of Iraqi violations. Kay has shown that Iraq never had any intention of complying with the demands of the U.N. inspectors.
and concludes:
Saddam had clearly outsmarted Blix. But he did not fool the late Dr. David Kelly, the distinguished British arms inspector who committed suicide in July. Writing on the eve of the war, as the U.N. inspectors were about to depart, Kelly argued that: "The long-term threat, however, remains Iraq's development to military maturity of weapons of mass destruction — something that only regime change will avert." As Kay has now demonstrated, Kelly was right. Fortunately, George Bush and Tony Blair acted before it was too late.
You might want to read the whole thing.
Furthermore, the Power Line blog excerpts an email from Laurie Mylroie which provides additional detail.
Both posts seem utterly dispositive to me.
Update: The Power Line blog has more from Kay.
Definitely Tony
The Wall Street Journal and OpinionJournal are publicizing Chief Wiggles' toothbrushes and toys drive for Iraqi kids, "Hail to the Chief."
Excellent.
October 02, 2003
Front Line Voices
New to the sidebar is a button linking to Front Line Voices, a new website (the development of which was initiated by Frank J. of IMAO). Here is the site's mission statement:
Since, as the saying goes, perception is nine-tenths of reality, those who control what we learn about the war in Iraq and other conflicts have an immense power. They can spin a victory into a failure, and a perceived failure in the fight against tyranny can only strengthen the resolve of tyrants.It has increasingly been the complaint of many troops that the picture that the media is painting of the progress in the War on Terror is far from reality. The mission of this site is to get out the full story by posting first-hand accounts as written by men and women who have actually been to Iraq and Afghanistan. There is no editing or commentary by those who run this site, and we will print any letter or story submitted by a legitimate source who has served overseas. Our only goal is to offer you the opportunity to read these stories and to find out what the reality is.
It's a terrific idea, and I hope any readers who don't already visit the site regularly will do so on my recommendation.
October 01, 2003
No News
Apologies to anyone who's stopped by for the absence of posts here. Life, as it sometimes does, intervened unanticipated. I hope to start posting at my regular, irregular rate again tomorrow or Friday.
A question in the interim: If, as I suspect will be the case, the White House is completely exculpated in the "Plame/Wilson Affair", will those whose lives have been suddenly brightened (or, at least, energized) by the "affair's" existence:
(a) apologize for their hasty overreactions ("never mind....");
(b) claim it as evidence that the conspiracy is escalating; or
(c) other (and please let me know what "other" might be).
Thanks for your thoughts, if any.
Update: Daniel Drezner commenter Robert Modean and InstaPundit commenter Richard Aubrey each come pretty close to my educated guess on this matter. Excerpts of their comments:
Modean:
Novak has repeatedly asserted that no one in the Bush Administration leaked the information to him, rather he was given the information during the course of two different interviews with Senior Administration Officials. On their face this seems to be contradictory, but it is not inconsistent when one considers that Novak often identifies people associated with the Whitehouse by the current Administration (Bush, Clinton, etc.). So no one in the Whitehouse talked to Novak, but someone in the Administration (whom he characterized as a non-pol) did, this means either State or Defense. Low and behold in the Washington Post today they indicated that the DOJ investigation will now extend beyond the Whitehouse to ...(drumroll please) State and Defense.There are a few old sayings that would apply hear, the first is never attribute to malice that which can be explained away by incompetence, and the other is Occam's Razor: Of two competing theories, all things being equal, the simpler one is to be preferred.
Aubrey:
The investigation, if it ever gets that far, will discover that the requirements of the law will not be met. Plame will not meet, or even come close to meeting, the definition of the operatives the law sought to protect. Nobody will be able to show a serious, or even unserious, effort to keep her ID secret. It will become apparent that her employment was publicly-available knowledge if not publicly known. Or possibly publicly known, too.The leaker in question, should one ever be discovered, will then be able to make the case that he didn't know he was outing an undercover operative since she wasn't undercover.
It will all fizzle out on the legal end. That will be good for the dems who can then claim coverup. We'll hear about that for a year and a half.
My prediction, based on my review of the available public record, is that these two speculations will converge to make the whole "scandal" a non-issue (except to those presently enjoying it). I also think that those in the White House already know this to be the case. That's my bet. If I'm wrong, I'll sadly admit it. And if I'm correct, I'll admit that, instead.
(Note: Update posted after four comments made.)
