Dan Lyons
~ Thursday, November 30, 2006
 
CHINA TO HELP IRAN DEVELOP A HUGE OIL-FIELD. GulfTimes

Bushies talk as if they would isolate Iran. But it's the US that's getting isolated.
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Even though the super-prestigious 'Baker' commission made as a central demand that we 'make nice' with IRAN and Syria (to get their help in stabilizing Iraq) , Bushies will do no such thing: their Israeli masters forbid this.
 
AL QUAEDA will NOT take over Sunni/Arab areas when we bug out !

S.Arabia (& America) will back Baathists a) to wipe out former AlQuaeda allies
and (b) to protect S.Arabs from Shia revenge.

Only SunniArabs have motivation for more civil war; they'll have almost no oil, so will be tempted to attack the other 2 ministates. But both Kurdland (with formidable Peshmerga) and Shialand (with Iran's backing and outnumbering SunniArabs three to one!) should be able to defend their borders--just in case S.Arabia & US try to restore Baathist control over all Iraq !

WashPost
===============
Prestigious bipartisan 'Baker' committee reaches consensus:
--we must talk to and compromise with Syria & Iran, to get their help in stabilizing Iraq after we bug out. (This will enrage zionist neocons among the Bushies!)

--We should start bugging out of Iraq soon, withdrawing to fortresses to cut US casualties.
ChinaView
(These fortresses would be vulnerable to insurgent rockets & mortars.)
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Bush agrees to quick turnover to 'all-Iraq forces'. GUARDIAN

This means turnover to Shia militias. Then we're supposed to train these forces militarily !
Maybe Bushies' hope now is for new civil war between Sadrites and the other big Shia militia.
'Hobbesist' move for IRAN would be to figure which militia is most likely to prevail, then help it wipe out the other one. That would shorten such a 2d civil-war.
 
$ SINKS TO 15-YR LOW. Telegraph
One index shows 'near-recessionary' lows. Ten-year treasury yields down (indication of coming deflation).

All those holding US bonds (esp. China & Japan) lose when $ sinks--but the nation that starts selling $ 1st will lose less--prescription for a panic. Our imports (e.g. Walmart) should get more expensive--[not from China, whose currency is deliberately set to fall with the dollar) but Walmart types can't raise prices in deflationary climate.

IF our exports don't rise sharply with cheaper $, that will show that our export industries are hopeless.

GOP may not mind a recession now, hoping the Dem Senate &House will be blamed. But Dems in Senate,House may scramble to boost economy, (e.g., by sharp rise in minimum wage, etc.) Bush would probably veto such moves, but then blame should fall on GOP.
==============
Some experts say $ has reached 'tipping point', will continue to fall--faster in 2d half of '07 'when fed has to lower interest rates.' OBSERVER
==============
Stock Markets all over the world fall because of weak $ INDEPENDENT
Every industrial country has EXCESS productive capacity, so is mainly concerned with threats to its EXPORTS, not the cost of imports (which cost it WANTS to rise--less competition for home industries.) Goofy US spending has kept the world afloat, but this may soon end.
~ Wednesday, November 29, 2006
 
IRAQ AID BILLIONS WASTED, says respected expert A. Cordesman. UnitedPress
Iraq oil-production, for instance, has not revived. Problem is not just sabotage, but also lack of maintenance of oil facilities. (Of course the irremediable sabotage--2 pipelines blown up this week--discourages anyone from investing in maintenance. And the oil-officials are corrupt.)
 
BUGOUTS: Italy & Poland and SouthKorea will shortly bug out completely. And Brit honcho says that by the end of '07, there'll be 'thousands fewer' Brits in Iraq (there are only 7000 there now!)
SeattlePI

We broke it; we bought it.
 
TWO BILLION A MONTH TO REPLACE WORN-OUT MILITARY STUFF:
USATODAY
The bad news is that we're losing the Iraq and Afghan wars; the good news is that WIN OR LOSE, wars use up equipment, so that billions more must be shovelled to the war-corporations.

Pentagon hasn't won a real war in 60 years, but that's OK; it's not really a war-machine, it's a financial device to shovel trillions to war-corporations.

Too bad we can't replace the over 3000 GIs killed SO FAR in these wars; also, the tens of thousands wounded or crazed GIs can be only partially repaired.
==========================
FINALLY, NBC SAYS IT'S A CIVIL WAR ! ChiTrib Bushies don't like this, because they're saying we must keep GIs there to PREVENT a civil war. (The one idea uniting Shia & Sunnis is that it's OK to kill GIs !)

On the other hand, we must remember that MOST of the killing and destruction is by the Sunni insurgents. They just killed hundreds of Shia in one attack, and blew up 2 oil pipelines.
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LARGE SADRITE BLOC OF PARLIAMENT BOYCOTTS, to protest Maliki's talking to Bush.
~ Wednesday, November 22, 2006
 
I'LL BE 'OFF-BLOG' PROBABLY UNTIL NEXT WEDNESDAY, 29 NOV.
~ Tuesday, November 21, 2006
 
IRAQUIS OK KILLING GIs ! Most Iraquis NOW SHIA AS WELL AS SUNNIS, say we're doing more harm than good; they want us out; THEY APPROVE OF ATTACKS ON GIs !
InformationClearingHouse

Also, Harry'sPlace

(no reference to recent polls of Iraqi opinions on Google search !)

If Shia really turn against us, they can disrupt our supplies from Kuwait.
 
TET, OBAMA, TRAINING:
IRAQ SITUATION WORSE THAN VIETNAM AFTER TET: says a veteran observer.While Americans became too pessimistic after Tet (after learning that Nixon govt. was lying to them), Americans are now too optimistic about Iraq. UPI
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Obama Barak is mealy-mouthed. He says that we can't pull out, and that we can't go isolationist.Real meaning: Dumb Americans can't stand to be told they've lost another war; also, they can't stand to hear that our government is too intelligence-blind to meddle in world affairs.So, like a competent pol, Obama fudges.
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While US is covertly supporting Sunnis vs. Shia, we're still training Shia 'govt' forces. On the other hand, US trainers are incompetent.
Nutty.
~ Monday, November 20, 2006
 
3 OPTIONS? NO ,JUST ONE !
Secret Pentagon study concludes we have only 3 Iraq options left:

--Put in many more troops (as dim McCain advocates)

--or stay in there (with thousands more GIs killed or maimed) for a long, long time;

--OR pull out now.

http://www.forbes.com/technology/feeds/ap/2006/11/20/ap3191072.html

Since the 1st 2 are clearly impossible, PENTAGON SAYS WE MUST BUGOUT !
the sooner the better, the later the worse.

-
~ Sunday, November 19, 2006
 
US GENERALS NOW CHATTER ABOUT CIVIL WAR AS MORE DANGEROUS THAN INSURGENCY ! [NYTIMES,19nov]

Yet most of the killing is by Sunnis, presumably insurgents--certainly most attacks on Americans ! What are generals up to?

One explanation: they'd like to restore Sunni strongman, to control Shia who are allied with (US-hated) Iran.

But there's no chance that Shia would accept Sunni rule again. Shia outnumber Sunnis three to one. And now they're striking back.

The only solution: splitting Iraq into 3 ministates--US protecting Shia fleeing from Sunni areas, Sunni fleeing from Shia regions.
 
"NO VICTORY POSSIBLE", says Kissinger: i.e., impossible to set up one govt. over all Iraq, controlling civil war. However, we can't just bugout, he says. We must set up a super-conference of all neighbor countries--including IRAN (meaning we must quit threatening to bomb them, and must stop Israel from doing this). USATODAY,19Nov

How long will this take? How many more thousands of GIS killed, maimed or wounded will this involve?
~ Saturday, November 18, 2006
 
BLAIR AGREES INVASION WAS DISASTER, BUT...NOT because of planning mistakes 3 years ago (by Bushies & Blairites)...rather because of sabotage by alQuaeda and Iran.ZeeNews

(He deemphasizes overwhelming role of native Iraqis in attacking US & Brits.)

How could leaders in DC & London foresee that, after being invaded, these people would fight back ? !!
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WAR SUPPORT down in last month from 36% to 31%. USATODAY
~ Friday, November 17, 2006
 
SHIA PUT WARRANT OUT FOR SUNNI LEADER/ SUNNIS CALLED TO QUIT GOVT.
SEATTLEPI

Shia now 'control' (semi-fictional) govt. of 'all-Iraq' (not Kurdland, of course). But their forces, even helped by US, cannot defeat the fanatic, trained forces of Sunni insurgents, in order to control Sunni/Arab land.

They'd be smart to hurry setting up Shia ministate in South, helping Shia to flee into Shialand from Sunni murderers, and chasing out ALL SUNNIS from Shialand.

Then they should be able to defend their border with Sunni/Arab land; they have access to advice from combat-trained IRAN army, and they outnumber these Sunnis three to one
 
GOOFY BUSH:
"We can succeed unless we quit!" is the message Pres. Bush takes from our resounding defeat in Vietnam. NYTIMES 17Nov.

What he doesn't say is that our quitting was inevitable, once Americans realized that we had NO real stake in Vietnam (they don't even have oil!)--once we realized that the quarter-million US casualties there were needless and pointless.

As is true in Iraq also, it's NOT our bugging out of these wars that's shameful; it's our government's habit of BARGING INTO winless, pointless wars.
~ Monday, November 13, 2006
 
INCREDIBLE 'OTHER WAR': 20 Taliban attacks each day in Afghanistan this year, with nearly 4000 people killed. The Afghan poppy crop (used to finance Taliban) rose 69% just from last year.USATODAY

All this after FIVE YEARS of 'allied' attempts to wipe out the Taliban, with encouraging reports regularly of TAliban body-count. GOP honcho Bill Frist recently returned saying we could never defeat the Taliban. A given GI in Afgh has almost the same chance to be killed or wounded as one in Iraq/
ARROGANT IGNORANCE:
Not only the Bush-team were crazy to start a second war in Iraq when they were entangled in Afghanistan. Congressmen (Dems & GOP) were also crazy to implicitly approve of Iraq invasion when we were already entangled in Afgh ! (They should have realized after one year of Bush-regime that they were incompetent.)

Let's face it--even the political elite of America (say, Congressional staffers) are ignorant and incompetent about foreign affairs.And of course the voters are completely incompetent to pick rulers who would understand the world outside US.

THE REMEDY: pull out of our 100 military bases around the world (this would mitigate our federal deficit, also our trade deficit). Quit our blind meddling in world affairs. Cut the obscene Pentagon budget (equal to our federal deficit; it's as if other govt. depts. were operating within reasonable budgets, with only the Pentagon allowed to spend wildly.)

Spend all our money and attention on Homeland Defense: it's rumored that new Dem Congress will (a) inspect all ship-containers entering our ports (b) mount on our airliners devices to counter shoulder missiles, and (c) demand that chemical factories institute real security measures to protect them from terrorists.

These are fine ideas--but we can't afford them, if we continue to shovel $1200 millions each DAY to Pentagon. But Congress will never rein in Pentagon spending; their cash-bloated corporate allies could contribute billions to ruin any pol who dares suggest Pent. cuts.

So maybe we'll have to INCREASE our federal deficit, to afford these NECESSARY anti-terrorist precautions. Also, and most important, we need precautions against germ-war attacks.
~ Saturday, November 11, 2006
 
CHINA 'DIVERSIFIES', DOLLAR DROPS: 1% in one day. It's said that China will not sell dollars, will just switch from US treasuries to dollar-denominated securities.

China has one million millions of dollars worth of reserves.
BLOOMBERG

This sensitivity of dollar's value to decisions to 'diversify' away from dollar's role as top reserve currency supports strange idea that the main grudge of Bushies vs. IRAN was NOT their nuclear ambitions, but their plans to open an oil trading-post that would NOT be tied to dollar.

Rumor has it that the Pentagon looks forward to an eventual clash with China. All the stranger that we have shovelled so much wealth (reserves) to China. Obviously our rulers care more for our importing corporations flourishing (e.g., Wallmart) than for 'security' of US.

One is reminded of our selling loads of scrap iron to Japan just before WWII. The business of America is (big) Business.
~ Thursday, November 09, 2006
 
CATHOLIC POLS ABOUND !
Once upon a time, Prot.fundamentalists went ballistic at the idea that 'the RCs are Coming!' But now the place is crawling with Catholic pols, judges,etc. and nobody screams...???

I tried to warn, years ago, that while the liberal 'ecumenical movement' was getting all the attention, (CAtholics, Orthodox, Lutherans, Episcopals, Presbyterians)--at the same time there was proceeding a RIGHT-WING ecumenical movement (Catholic & Prot. fundies, plus zionists). And sure enough these right-wing loons are now thrashing around in bed with each other, with the marriage blessed by the GOP.

And the right-wing of each sect hates the left-wingers of its own sect far more than it hates 'rival' sects ! Go figure ! The truth is that modern Americans are bored with real theology, they go for politics disguised as theology. (Who cares now about Trinitarianism, Transubstantiation, Faith vs. Works ?)
~ Friday, November 03, 2006
 
MARRIAGE IS BETWEEN ONE MAN, ONE WOMAN--AND A VERY GOOD FRIEND. A rabid evangelist from Colo.Springs (TedHaggard, honcho of a 30-million-member group!)has been exposed as having sex once a month with another guy. The accuser says it was USUALLY 'vanilla sex', raising the issue of what counts as man-to-man NON-vanilla sex. [rMTNnews4Nov, FRONT-PAGE STORY!] Haggard denied the story--but went on leave.

This same evangelist was quoted earlier about the heroic 3 nuns who spilled their own blood on the obsolete, dangerous ICBM just outside Ft.Collins. This PHARISEE said of course that they SHOULD HAVE gone to prison !(They did, and will probably go back, making their co-prisoners among the luckiest people in the world. being ministered to by saints.)
[see indie movie COMMITMENT ]

One can only hope that the Colorado Springs 'Christian conservatives' (whom even their White House exploiters call 'the crazies') stay home next Tuesday in disgust at their betrayal by their hypocrite leaders, letting the 'sanies' elect Fawcett.

One also wonders if this hypocrite endorsed Musgrave's crusade at stopping NON-ADULTEROUS gays from calling their unions 'marriage' . (By the way, she says this anti-gay stuff is the 'the most important issue this year'. What happened to concern for the pin-sized boys and girls murdered in early abortions?)
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Another development: on the one hand, the accuser flunked a lie-detector test, which point the Denverpost headlined. BUT: Buried in the story was the info that the ADMINISTRATOR of the test HIMSELF DOUBTS THE TEST'S ACCURACY ! Denverpost
This new slant should keep the story in the headlines till election day. How sweet it is !
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New developments: Haggard has resigned, not just taken a leave./He admits he bought meth, but of course he didn't use it./

Archbishop Chaput just sent unsolicited to every nominal Catholic an injunction to vote Catholic (!!!), and that means anti-gay. Then the archdiocese revealed that they are paying off a couple dozen victims of priestly pederasty here in Colorado !

One hopes that the millions of dupes of these pharasaical charlatans will exercise more discretion in picking their leaders in the future. (The Pope picks the bishops; but Catholics can just ignore their ravings.)
~ Thursday, November 02, 2006
 
"LAST GASPS IN IRAQ": oldtime hawk Ralph Peters actually says that in Iraq we can't win.
USATODAY
He correctly blames Bushie incompetence; he correctly blames Iraqi fanaticism; but he never blames dreamers like himself who helped plunge us into this bloody debacle.

It's a familiar tale he offers: the project was good, but it was incompetently managed. But how could it have been competently managed, run by a team complacently ignorant of foreign languages and alien cultures, yet willing to meddle with worlds they never understood?

"It's not our Vietnam!" he consoles himself; we won't really be damaged by our bugout. Of course not. But we weren't damaged either by our bugout from Vietnam !

It's not our bugouts that are shameful; it's our foolish 'barge-ins' into conflicts that we have no chance of winning, conflicts that involve no serious American stake except our national ego as self-styled 'superpower'.
 
UNDERSTANDING IRAQ/IRAN TRIBALISM is key to pacifying Iraq, says expert.
UnitedPress
Yeah, well the chance that the goofy Bushies would understand any details about a foreign, alien society speaking a strange language--these are about the same as chances that they will come clean and admit that they've lost this tragic war.

After the hints from Bushie flacks that we might be able to 'stand down as they stand up' in 18 months, Iraq's President just opined that we must stay in Iraq for 2 or 3 more years. 2 more years is very possible, assuming that Bush doesn't go openly, frothing mad, or suffer apoplexy, before his term runs out--but you can bet that the next Pres. (Dem,GOP or Prohibitionist) will bug out right after his inauguration. And a Dem House of Reps. might be able to cut off the funding for the war even while this loon squats in the White House.
~ Wednesday, November 01, 2006
 
'CRITICISM OF ISLAM THREATENS PEACE' says Turkish cleric.
SeattlePI

What he means is that crazy Muslims (some unknown portion of worldwide Muslims)will attack SOMEONE if anyone dares to criticize their cult, let alone their Prophet.

Crazy as they are, they're so numerous that only a goofy Pope would provoke them,as big-mouth Benny did, insulting their Prophet !

Why did he do that ,just before visiting Turkey ?! Perhaps he wants to commit 'suicide by Muslims' since he's aged and unhealthy, and Catholics abhor open suicide. He might want to top his predecessor's getting shot, by staging his own martyrdom.
 
MY MILITARY CAREER: For those interested in a soldier who never once passed a Saturday inspection--I got passes anyway from a company clerk in (unrequited) love with a friend of mine--I'm offering links to these stories posted here in years past:

first, the story of my strange triumph over a sociopath sergeant in Basic Training:
ArmyMedicine

second, my comic-tragic relationship in Korea with the most impressive human I have ever encountered: PHILOMENA


third, my strange encounter with a Marine top general, in a debate I should have won, but for my physical cowardice: VVAW,Kerrry,Lyons
 
THREE INTERESTING IRISH CHILDREN'S CHANTS:
1) Ireland was an intense shame-culture, where the natural anarchic tendencies of male youths were firmly held under by all the cousins, aunts, uncles, parents, siblings who would shame you if you got out of line.
A mild pecadillo is this naughty rhyme (but one you'd not want your mother to overhear--it was aggravated by being sung to a sacred melody):

Poor Mrs. Gunny/she's gettin' so funny, they won't let her out on St.Patrick's Day;
----ONE LINE FORGOTTEN...'FAST-- She's bought a jackass
To take her to Mass on a sunny day!"

2)The most disgraceful act these lads could imagine was to 'moon' the congregation at Sunday Mass ! But if they had no relatives-- then they had a 'HuckFinn'liberation..then all they'd face is the physical beatings, which they were too dumb (or perhaps too used to beatings) to fear.

SO: "Here's to Tommy Makem: he has no relations/He can tick and tack and turn his back and kiss the Congregation !"
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3) Measles killed so many children that survivors were marked for a long life:"Here's to Paddy Clancy, standin' up so high--He's had the measles, he'll never never die! "

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