Democratic Senator Lieberman Proves My Point

This is a follow-up to the post "There Is No Exit Strategy."

Today, Bush released his National Strategy for Victory In Iraq. The government says it is a follow-up to objectives set forth in 2003, but I couldn't find any such document on their website. Therefore, I think it is really a follow-up to the watershed National Security Strategy of the United States released September 20th, 2002. This is just an excerpt of the mind-numbing speech he gave earlier this morning:

'Pulling our troops out before they've achieved their purpose is not a plan for victory. As Democratic Senator Joe Lieberman said recently, "Setting an artificial timetable would discourage our troops because it seems to be heading for the door. It will encourage the terrorists. It will confuse the Iraqi people."

'Senator Lieberman is right: Setting an artificial deadline to withdraw would send a message across the world that America is weak and an unreliable ally.'

Nothing helps you more as a war-monger than to know you have bi-partisan support. This was my point in "There Is No Exit Strategy." For pete's sake, it would be nice to actually have an opposition party in the US.

As for the updated, new and improved National Security document: I wonder how long the majority parts of this thing have been sitting around. The last one had been hanging out in binders belonging to Karl Rove and Paul Wolfowitz for a little over a decade.

French Government Weighs Just How Openly Racist It Can Be

France continues to blame the victim, following an excellent lead set by the United States, a country that has loads of experience in such areas and has taught brethren in power well.

Get a load of the security cameras keeping an eye on the public (photo courtesy of Reuters)! I wanted to do a search about how many cities in the US already use such Big Brother devices, but I knew the answer would only make me weep. You are welcome to do this search on your own; hell, it could even be a good drinking game! If you find the results, I will post them here.

There Is No Exit Strategy

Since Sen. Murtha's declaration last week that the US desperately needed to "redeploy" (not remove immediately as some would have us believe) troops from Iraq, politicos and columnists, such as myself, have been all atwitter about the possible near end of the war. Take Dan Froomkin's column in the Washington Post: What's The Plan?. In it, he attempts to explain that the Democrats in Congress have a real plan, but the Bush Administration is stalling and sounding more Nixon-like (remember his secret plan to get out of Vietnam?) every day.

Well, I argue no one has a plan. They are just mouthing words as a result of pressure we have put on them. No really, it's true. When I say we, I mean every single one of the over 60% of this country that is against this war and the 50% who say we need to bring the troops home now. They want to look like they are doing something when they really aren't. When I say they, I mean all the jackasses in the halls of power.

As far as I'm concerned, an exit plan that takes longer than the two weeks it took to place the troops and war materials in Iraq in the first place is too long. It is shorthand for further occupation, which equals more death and destruction. The US was in Vietnam for nearly a decade and Vietnam didn't have oil or anywhere near the importance for US and imperial interests that Iraq does. The Financial Times knows this well, as this report clearly shows.

The US needs further occupation of Iraq, its rulers are just in the throes of trying to figure out how it can continue without looking like total, absolute schmucks. It isn't working.

Save Stan Tookie Williams!

On Saturday, November 19th, with the help of Snoop Dogg and Jamie Foxx, the Save Stan Coalition held a Save The Peacemaker Rally at San Quentin prison.

You should find out more about Tookie Williams and his case. He has an execution date of December 13th, and I would argue it is the most important fight facing Californians right now.

The death penalty is racist, it attacks the poor, it condemns the innocent to die, it isn't a deterrent to crime and it is cruel and unusual punishment. Join the fight!

Campaign to End the Death Penalty

Standing Up for Tookie!

New Orleans Still Suffers

This AP Photo I pulled from the Washington Post says it all. It is a picture of one of the many schools beyond repair in the city. The corresponding story fleshes it out in more detail. That this country's government prefers to waste money fighting a war when it could be repairing people's destroyed lives is a disgusting and unavoidable fact.

Bill O'Reilly Is A Jackass

I'm sure he'll probably "name names", but whatever. Bring it on, jackass.

Here is the string of events.

Tuesday November 8, Prop I, College Not Combat, passes by almost 60% in San Francisco.

Later in the week, on his radio show, O'Reilly then invites Al Qaeda to rid the United States of our fair city by blowing it to smithereens. He maintains military recruiters have nothing to do with the war on Iraq. He barks that bringing troops home and away from the danger-zone of combat is anti-military and anti-soldier. This radio snippet is covered by the SF Chronicle on Friday, November 11 and the Board of Supervisors rightly calls for his resignation. O'Reilly claims his show is entertainment and he was being satirical.

Monday night, November 13, Todd Chretien, author of Prop I, is asked to be on the O'Reilly Factor. See Todd and everything else here, from the good people at Media Matters. Notice how O'Reilly grates on your nerves, with his voice sounding like fingernails on a chalkboard. Notice how he tries to squirm out of having a real debate when challenged to one by Todd. Notice as well that they give no time to Todd because they know if he had more air time, he'd kick their asses with his cogent points.

Read Todd's reply and demand O'Reilly live up to his own standards and submit to a live debate with Todd in San Francisco. Write him at oreilly@foxnews.com or comments@foxnews.com.

On an aside note, I must confess that Stephen Colbert with The Colbert Report does an excellent job lambasting jackasses and jackass programming like O'Reilly's. You should check it out. Although Colbert steadfastly maintains his purpose is not political and he's just doing whatever is funny, he really is being political and he has to know it. I think it's even better than the Daily Show.

Ahhh, French Racism

It sounds so much like US racism.

As you may or may not know, immigrant youth are fighting back against second-class citizenship in France. I saw this Reuters photo on NPR's website, as I was looking for a completely shocking interview I heard this morning, which I have found and linked below.

As you listen to this guy scream in his interview, you can practically hear the foam-spittle being jettisoned off his lips. And furthermore, George Bush, Arnold Schwarzenegger or Dem. Governor of Arizona, Janet Napolitano, could have said the exact same thing. It's disgusting. Prepare yourself. Even worse, Montagne barely even questions or calls him out on his racism.

Interview With Jacques, Parliamentarian Racist

This Is The Kind of Irony Fit for Some Type of Jackass Award

Intelligent Transport Conference!

This is just the height of idiocy to me. Are these people even gonna be taking public transit in SF to get to the conference? Muni has been hit so hard with so many cuts and the workers of Muni and BART are so overworked and underpaid, it's hard for me to imagine the logic behind having it here this year.

Additionally, the subway and street lines are totally separate, with a totally separate fee scale and the transfers and connecting routes so mismatched...

Well, I'm flabbergasted. What more can I say?

More Inspiration

I love their signs!

Here is a Reuters photo I snagged from the Washington Post. The caption reads "People March in protest of President Bush's presence at the 4th Summit of the Americas in Argentina."

Well, duh; they had a revolution where they ousted 5 presidents in 2 weeks in 2002. Of course they're gonna protest this jackass.

Sheryl Swoopes...Not A Jackass

Neither is David Zirin, Sports Columnist Extraordinaire. If you've never read his column, check it out: Edge Of Sports. He recently released a book as well, "What's My Name Fool? Sports And Resistance in The United States." You can buy it at Haymarket Books or Amazon.

So, enough plugging for that guy. His latest column is about Sheryl Swoopes coming out of the closet and how it is basically being ignored by the compactly sexist and homphobic genre of sports journalism. Good stuff.

Out Of The Closet And Ignored

Philly Strike Follow-Up

Here's a better story than the Washington Post provided.

Strike Halts Philly Transit

Say It Aint' So, Al...

I was reading Salon.com today, which I don't normally do, and decided since I don't normally do that, I should also check up on celebrity news to see what's shakin' in the world of flash and glam, which I haven't done lately, either.

And I was rewarded.

Here is the 'Money Quote' of "The Fix":

Al Pacino on the work he's been putting out in the past 30 years: "I know I haven't made a good film since 'Dog Day Afternoon.' Somebody at a press conference once asked me, 'Do you think you'll ever be as good as you were in "Dog Day"?' and I said flatly, 'No.' That answered that." (Playboy via N.Y. Daily News)

While I must admit, I almost cried when I saw the preview for "Two For The Money," I still think he's being a little hard on himself.

Never give up, Al, never give up...