Why we are winning in Iraq and its a good thing

Read the whole thing, its pretty good. Contrasting what we have lost and gained in the war, the alternatives, and why its important.

The military isn’t broken. Unlike after Vietnam when the Russians, Iranians, Cambodians, and Nicaraguans all soon tried to press their luck at our expense, most of our adversaries don’t believe the U.S. military is losing in Iraq, much less that it is wise now to take it on. Instead, the general impression is that our veteran and battle-hardened forces are even more lethal than was true of the 1990s — and engaging successfully in an almost impossible war.

Shout out to Joe Biden

Yep, I'm calling you out Joe. More like a shout out. Nice Job. A few weeks ago i hammered Joe Biden on his op-ed but I have to give him his properes here for showing up in Iraq during the election. I don't care why here was there or if it was politically motivated or how he will use it later in his possible presidential run, at least he is there and he is recognizing the success of the elections. Good job, Joe.

FAT PENGUINS!!!!!

That is freaking awesome. Now just get these same guys to come to Congress....

Problems with the JSF

If you don't know about the F-35 JSF deal, here you can see alot of the problems that are occuring. Its a tricky situation to just roll over ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations) because there is alot of legitimate concern. At the same time, Britain has been the best ally of the US in recent times. Hard to say who is right on the issue, though the author of this article certainly has an opinion. Personally, I think that we would have to have a guarentee to not share arms data with other members fo the EU community. In this case however, not knowing a whole hella lot about the F-35 specs, I think that there isn't a whole lot that we need to protect in the plane. The F-22 is another matter and thats why we won't sell it to anyone.

Very Good News

Looks like the elections are going well. Always good news. Its good not only for the mostly peaceful elections but also for the amount of participation. People are getting it. The Sunni population has seemed to decide that the only way for them to have a say in the new government is to be a part of it. Really awesome. Also check out these links to what is going on in Iraq and about the elections.

Embedded
Violence Levels Low
Large Turnout

Apologies and Responsibilites

One of the biggest criticisms that i have heard of President Bush in the past 2 years, about the iraq war ecspecially, is that he never apologizes or admits that he is wrong. Suppossedly, he just cant admit that mistakes are made in himself or policies. Well, now he has. Of course now he will be attacked for being weak...

NeoHobbits?

Warning: Its a long article, sit down when you have time but its a pretty good, if somewhat rambling, comparison of the story of Lord of the Rings to modern day politics. And as some know, the Lord of the Rings itself mirrors our own history and politics. So its good if you liked fantasy lands as well as real politics and discourse.

Update on Eritrea

I seriously doubt that anyone really cares what is going on Africa, but this situation poses some unique questions. If the UN could not enforce a border settlement that was agreed upon by the parties, and they can't stop the countries from fighting, what exactly is the point of having them there? Is the UN so powerless that freaking Ethiopia and Eritrea can just tell the UN to go fuck itself?

Torture abounds in US!

Apperently, I was tortured. Seriously though, the author of the Oped makes a good point. The real question here when talking about torture is was exactly constitutes "Cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment." Is it torture to have fake menstral blood smeared on you? I mean if the point of interrogations is to make someone give up information they don't want to give up, doesn't it makes sense that you have to do more than mildly unsettle them?

Words from the ground-pounders

Linked is an article printed in the OP/ED section of the Washington Post. Its a good piece in that it contrasts the disconnect of the people on the ground in Iraq with the pundits and commentators back in the US. He also points out the question of what exactly the troops on the ground have to gain from staying if its a hopeless cause.

Never too late to blog

Here is a few quick ones (hard to blog during exams)

Some idea of what the preperations for the elections in Iraq haven been and will be
Officer's Club

The F-22 finally drops a guided bomb, from supersonic speed. This is the first time this has been done with any plane.
F-22 Raptor

Very old post but its one of the big problems i have with the Patriot Act. Congress needs to set real limits on the powers.
WMD Meth?

A better Rotory engine perhaps with military applications? Perhaps down the line a ways but perhaps indeed.
Ram Cam

Gee ya think they might not wanna cooperate?
Syria

I just don' t know what to think of the headline followed by the story in disconnect. Also, if you look it up you see three were caught in established crimes red handed.
Journalists behind bars

Wow is a country actually standing up to a corrupt, unaccountable world body that counts despots and torurers as members?
UN slammed down

Still waiting for proof on the US Torture flight and proof on the UN doing anything useful. ;)

Lack of Evidence Abounds

We are still hearing allegations about how the US moved prisoners from the US to countries that allow torture. Frankly, it would be an important topic given how much we say we don't. I have posted enough times about my opinion on torture and aggressive interrogations so we all know my opinion. The problem i have is a total lack of evidence to support the allegations. There is nothing except media reports that use nothing but indirect and anonymous sources. There is no way to verify any of the story they have. To make accusations without any sort of proof is just silly, perhaps I should just start accusing people of drowning puppies...

Wow, freaking awesome

Oh, I'm sooooo jealous. Also, thats freaking crazy how much death the abrams can fire out to infantry insurgents now.

Good News in Iraq

Looks like very good news in the events leading up to the elections. We know the Sunni population doesn't really like us and doesn't really like the Shi'ites, but if they are finally realizing that the only way to have any sort of say or protection of their rights in a new government is to vote, thats major progress. Another few weeks might be very telling in Iraq.

The Daily Quickie

We all enjoy a good quickie everynow and then....

1) I think the whole situation is tragic but if the man was running, impressing to the Marshals that he had a bomb, and refused to stop when Marshals told him several times, the Marshals did it right. Also, despite what the guardian suggests, they couldn't have known the wife was telling the truth; what if she was an accomplice, as the wife of a suicide bomber in Jordan was?

Miami Bomber

2) Democratic Senators call ad by GOP shameful and disgusting. If you havn't, look at the ad, and see if you think its any of those things. The answer is yes but not because its the ad itself. Point is, you say it, its fair game.

Gop Ad and Homepage

3) Little Torn on this one as I think its great that we are teaching kids that guns are not toys and should be handled responsibly. That being said, its a freaking toy gun, whats next water guns?

Toy Gun Bash

4) I gotta wonder if this is just posteuring by the PA. If there is every going to be a decent chance at peace in the region, the violent hardliners on both sides need to be reigned in. Sharon has left his Likud party to form a more centrist party with the goal of establishing statehood but the PA seems beholden to the military groups.

End of a Truce

5) Diversity for Santa? Well, I can't say the idea isn't bad, but unless the malls are being charged with discrimination of not highering black men to play Santa, i don't see the problem. Counter point, I wonder if the Mocha-Moms would take a white woman to join them, or perhaps an Arab woman?

Diversity for Santa

6) Good column here on immigration. Don't know how i feel about it that much, cause i can understand the draw to the country and the desire to get in by any means necessary. At the same time, "What does it mean when your first act is to break the laws of your new country? What does it mean when you know you are implicitly supported in lawbreaking by that nation's ruling elite? What does it mean when you know your new country doesn't even enforce its own laws? What does it mean when you don't even have to become an American once you join America?"

Peggy Noonan