perfidy

Johno, on Reagan: 

Yes, Yes, and about as close as we're likely to get 

Mike, on Alien and Sedition: 

I don't think its very likely. The amusement factor of someone calling Bush a Nazi in Lafayette Park right north of the White House, yet remaining magically un-arrested, was about a 9.5. Civil Forfeiture is unalloyed, unconstitutional, unacceptable wrongness. Yet, there is a movement to reverse it. All is not lost. There are many bad things in this country. I could talk about them for hours. But overall, things are not just better here than elsewhere, they are good in an absolute sense. We have freedom and wealth and knowledge unimagined in history. And the basic structure of our institutions is sound, though always threatened; threatened more by expediency and good intentions than by malice. There's a lot of things I'd fix, but many more that I'd leave alone. 
 

Well, the government mostly, but not just the government. Arafat began his terrorist career killing American diplomats, but then focused on indoctrinating teenagers to blow themselves up in the hope of taking a few Israelis with them when they check out. The rest of the Palestinian Authority is similarly oriented. When the Israelis move into the west bank or Gaza, they try to minimize, not maximize civilian casualties. They attempt to kill those who plan and orchestrate the suicide bombings of Israeli citizens. Israeli armed forces are subject to the rule of law, and the civilian control of a democratic government.

I pose a little thought experiment: how long, in hours, would it take for the Palestinians to get their independence if they adopted a policy of non-violent resistance a la Gandhi? The fact that they resist the Israelis (the "Zionist Entity") does not justify their behavior. Terrorism is unacceptable, and that is a choice that the Palestinians have made. This is why over the last decade or so I have had ever less sympathy for their plight. The large majority of Palestinians who support the suicide bombings of innocent Israelis are not merely morally wrong, they are stupid because it makes it that much less likely that they will ever achieve their goals.

Mike, would you say that the Chinese Empire in the fifteenth century or so had an informal empire that included SE Asia, Korea, Manchuria, and Japan? For me, I have a hard time translating influence into empire - empire to me means something like the Romans or the British. Generally, if someone wants our stuff, or watches our movies, or whatever, that's their choice. We aren't forcing it down their throats at gunpoint. Now, obviously in Iraq we are going to force Democracy down the Iraqi collective throat, but if McD's can't make money in Mesopotamia, they'll close up shop and move elsewhere.

As for the United States itself, while yes, we did take the land from the Indians, our polity is not structured even remotely like any historical empire. We do not function like an empire internally. Our overseas possessions are leased, or the people there voted to be part of our big crazy party.

Maybe we need to consult a therapeutic semantician.

I haven't had a chance to listen to the news since this morning, though I see on the ever-useful Drudge Report that the ground war has started. Apparently, we are moving into the shock and awe phase of Gulf War II. So I have little to say about that, except that I hope it all moves swiftly, and that there are few casualties.

While I do like Brendan Fraser, and for the same reasons as Johnny, I don't think this disqualifies me from thinking that operation names have gone disctinctly cheesy over the last two decades. Back in the big one, we had cool names like ULTRA, Overlord, Barbarossa, Market Garden, and the like. Even into the Vietnam era, we still had names like Rolling Thunder. But starting around the invasion of Panama, we lost it. I understand that the military still uses a computer generated naming system for small operations - which results in names like Pave Blue (the research project that led to the F-117 Stealth Fighter), Elegant Lady, Tractor Rose, Forest Green, Senior Citizen, Island Sun and Black Light, White Cloud and Classic Wizard. But for the big ones, we come up with utter crap. Noble Eagle wasn't to bad, though even that leaves much room for improvement.

While I don't think that corporate sponsorship is the way to go, "Kotex sponsors operation Iraqi Freedom, because you can never be too sure." has a nice ring.

WKYC news in Ohio reports that Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots is among those helping to liberate Iraq.

n.b. Optimus Prime is evidently a resident of Mansfield, Ohio.

Well, of course he is.

OPERATION BRENDAN FRASER

Operation Iraqi Freedom, brought to you by Snickers. Snickers satisfies you!

But I'm also the guy that thinks Brendan Fraser is cruelly underrated.

Blast From The Past! Encino Man!! The Mummy!!! Gods and Monsters!!!!

Hey ho, Operation: Iraqi Freedom. Good grief. What's next? I've got a few additional suggestions myself. How about Operation: Kick yo’ ass, bitch! That would certainly get the attention of white suburban teenagers. What a demographic! Women are a huge demographic, they need to get them on board, too. How about, Operation: Protect the Freedoms of Women Abroad to Make Them Just like Americans? Soccer moms love Operation: Minivan. Or Operation: Never Discipline your Children, Instead let them run around, scream, and annoy people in public places? Metalheads are a neglected demographic, in my opinion. Operation: Speak English or Die? The original satiric nature of the title might be lost on today's Metalhead. 

But why do that, when you can keep the same Operation: Iraqi Freedom title and add corporate sponsorship? How about the Amazon.com Operation: Iraqi Freedom? The Bank One Operation: Iraqi Freedom. How about the New York Stock Exchange Operation: Iraqi Freedom? The Motorola Operation: Iraqi Freedom? It could be just like sports stadiums, and the government could raise additional revenue by selling the naming rights of the war! What a concept! It's free market capitalism and atavistic ass-kicking rolled into one! Like a football game! 

Hey, we have to teach the Iraqis to be good free market capitalists anyway. Let’s start right away! 
 

They should make a buddy movie starring Rob Lowe and Charlie Sheen.