Is This a Problem?

WASHINGTON, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Among the 1,000 people who work in the U.S. Embassy in Iraq, only 33 are Arabic speakers and only six speak the language fluently, according to the Iraq Study Group report released on Wednesday.

Unbelievable!

Reminds me of an old joke:

What do you call someone who speaks two languages? Bilingual.

What do you call someone who speaks three languages? Trilingual.

What do you call someone who speaks one language? An American!

The Huffington Post Gets It Wrong!

You've probably all seen the Huffington Post article claiming that none of the incoming Republicans members of Congress have served in the military. It's a great little article, but unfortunately it's also wrong.

The Huffington Post article lists twelve incoming Republican freshmen, and indeed none of them have served. But there are actually thirteen. One is missing. He's Vern Buchanan (FL-13), who served six years in the Michigan Air National Guard...

FL-13 is the seat previously held by Katherine Harris that is still in dispute because there were so many undervotes in areas that voted Democratic. So there's a reasonable chance that there'll be a new election in that district, and that Buchanan will never take office. But unless and until that happens it is incorrect to claim that none of the new Republicans have served.

It's important to me that we on the left are honest and truthful, even if the results aren't always to our liking.

-------------------------------

Just in case you're wondering, five freshmen Dems out of a class of 41 have served in the military:

Phil Hare (IL-17)
Tim Walz (MN-01)
Joseph A. Sestak Jr. (PA-07)
Patrick Murphy (PA-08)
Chris Carney (PA-10)

And that's a lot better ratio than the Republicans, even if you do count Buchanan...

The Iraq Study Group In Cartoons

Many political cartoons are visual editorials, and some of the most concise commentary on the Iraq Study Group is found in such cartoons. These first three are good examples. They present very differing views of the ISG, but all are common perspectives seen in the MSM. Click on any cartoon for a larger version.




The cartoon above is from Steve Bell at the Guardian (UK). I don't usually like Bell's artistic style, but this one is a classic! (Thanks Don!)

And here are a couple more that are kind of fun. I particularly like the final one. I believe it's a deliberate parody of a widely circulated picture that shows George Bush looking at an upside down children's book during a school visit. The picture was photoshopped, but it was a pretty good job and fooled a lot of people, aided of course by the general perception that Bush is a moron. Snopes has the details.



You can find most of these cartoons and a whole lot more at Daryl Cagle's Professional Cartoonists Index. It's a fantastic site, so check it out!

Pictures and Graphics On My Blog

I've traditionally placed pictures and graphics at the beginning of my posts, but in the future I'm going to put them in the body of the post. It seems some blog aggregators, like Leftyblogs, choke on images and truncate the text of a post where they hit an image. So if there's an image at the top of the post all they capture from the RSS or Atom feed is the title. Not good.

Listen to John Nichols Speak at DFW-Madison

John Nichols gave one heck of a talk at the Madison Democracy for Wisconsin meeting Wednesday night. The talk (mp3 format) is here, and the Q&A that followed is here. His subject was the 2006 elections, but as usual with John he ranged far and wide, but always came back to why we won, and what we need to do to keep winning.

John's talk is about forty minutes long, and the Q&A is about the same. If you're interested in Wisconsin races, John gets into that at about twenty-four minutes into the talk. Both files are fairly large, about 14MB, but they should stream in most browsers.

John believes that groups like Democracy for Wisconsin are critical to future Democratic success. DFW grew out of Howard Dean's presidential campaign, and reflects both Dean's basic political values and his desire to reform and rebuild the Democratic Party. We have a very active chapter here in Madison, and we usually have great guest speakers at our meetings. We always meet at 7 PM on the first Wednesday of the month at the Madison Main Library downtown. Watch this page for upcoming events. If you want to see the sort of things we do, and the type of speakers we attract, check our past events page.

Chickenhawk Slapdown

I love to debate, and I'll take on almost anybody. Here's an exchange that I had with a reader who came to my blog from a link on Boots and Sabers. He objected to a recent post in which I called Jonah Goldberg a chickenhawk, so we had it out in the comments.

I've pulled out the best parts here. There was also a third person commenting, which is why there are a few non sequiturs, but you can click on the link above to see the entire exchange. Notice that I never called Chris a chickenhawk, and I wouldn't do so because I respect his military service. But that didn't stop me from going after his defense of Goldberg and his own position on the war in Iraq.

Enjoy!


Chris said...

Since it seems you believe you have to have military service before you are allowed to have an opinion on wars or military matters

May I be so bold to ask you the question I ask every Dem who throws out the Chickenhawk charge.

Have you served in the military? I couldn't find it anywhere here, not that I looked all that hard. But I need to know since you used the line "a right-wing chickenhawk who has never served in the military and has no clue what war is like"

I am just trying to find out what makes you more knowledgeable than Mr Goldberg?

Thanks

Russell Wallace said...

Nope, I haven't served in the military, Chris, but what makes me more knowledgeable than Mr. Goldberg is that I was right about the war in Iraq, and he (and presumably you) were wrong. Kind of simple, really.

Just so we're on the same wavelength, here's the definition of chickenhawk from Wikipedia:

"Chickenhawk is an epithet used in United States politics to criticize a politician, bureaucrat, or commentator who votes for war, supports war, commands a war, or develops war policy, but has not personally served in the military. Generally, it is not a label applied to essentially "dovish" leaders who support defensive wars, "humanitarian interventions," or UN operations."

If you feel I've used the term incorrectly in regard to Mr. Goldberg please feel free to point out my error.

Chris said...

First just for the record I have never read Free Republic in my life.

I am sorry I have to throw the bullshit flag on any lib who has no military service but then tries to use that same lack of service to deny Conservative the right to voice their opinion on a War or Military matters

The whole Chickenhawk concept is lame that if you support Military action you must enlist and fight or you will be labeled a fraud by the left.

Wars are fought by a very small percentage of Americas population even in World War 2 a war where were fighting for our survival as a nation only 12% of the population wore a military uniform And they had to use a Military draft to get a large number of them.

The Chickenhawk Charge is just an attempt to shout down conservative supporters of the war I was just recently called a chickenhawk not because I didn't serve because I have but because I have not reenlisted to fight in this war.

You have no more insight into the Military or what war is like than Jonah Goldberg. But until you are willing to put on a military uniform yourself you should lay off the calling others who have no service cowards or chickenhawk.

They have just as much right to their views on the War as you do.

Whats next if you were in the Military but not in a combat unit will you be a Chickenhawk since you didn't actually fight? Do you understand how small the actual percentage of the population that actually sees combat? Where do you draw the line with who gets an opinion.

As I stated before the Chickenhawk charges are nothing more then the typical Liberal tactic of shouting down those they disagree with, you know that tactic it is all the rage on Liberal Universities lately The only free speech you on the left believe in is your own.

Sorry that go so long winded.

well Tim was I well behaved enough for you?

Russell Wallace said...

Hi Chris, I take it you agree that I applied the term chickenhawk correctly to Mr. Goldberg. Glad we got that settled. And I never said you were a freeper, only that I find them entertaining.

You need to realize that it's not just the military service angle that has resulted in the widespread acceptance and use of the term chickenhawk. It's the broader idea that conservatives as a group are unwilling to make any of the sacrifices necessary to support the war you all so desperately wanted.

Dead soldiers? Hide the caskets and for God's sake don't go to a funeral if you're the President. Injured and sick vets? Deny them services and cut their benefits. Three hundred billion dollars? Cut taxes and borrow every penny so the war won't become unpopular.

Notice a pattern?

If you support a war you have to be willing to pay the price. While that price is indeed different for all of us, as you've stated, it must still be paid by everyone.

This is a matter of fundamental moral and fiscal responsibility, and conservatives have utterly failed in this solemn obligation to our country.

So excuse me if I have a hard time taking conservatives seriously when they whine about being called chickenhawks. Actions speak louder than words.

Chris said...

nice try Russ but please dont put words in my mouth I do not agree with you on Jonah being a chickenhawk

but I will stop there since I know it is a waste of time

You and Tim enjoy having stabbed American in the back for a second time. Revile in our defeat you sure worked hard enough for it, you should enjoy the results of all your hard work.

Russell Wallace said...

Actually Chris, it's you and your fellow conservatives who have destroyed our international credibility, run our military into the ground, and buried us under a mountain of debt. You're the ones who have stabbed America in the back.

You still can't admit you were wrong, so instead of trying to actually deal with the mess you made, you spend all your time trying to blame the left for your own failures.

You started the war in Iraq, and you ran it exactly the way you wanted to. It's a fucking disaster, and you have no one to blame but yourselves.

So start acting like a grownup and take some responsibility for the consequences of your decisions.

Big Brother Is Listening...

"A recent court ruling in a case against the Genovese crime family revealed that the FBI has the ability from a remote location to activate a cell phone and turn its microphone into a listening device that transmits to an FBI listening post, a method known as a "roving bug." Experts say the only way to defeat it is to remove the cell phone battery." - ABC News

Whenever I run into a conservative who isn't worried about the erosion of our civil liberties under George Bush, I ask them if they're still going to be as comfortable when it's President Hillary deciding who gets wiretapped without a warrant and thrown in jail without a trial.

Sure makes them think hard.

The Walrus Man Is Gone!

John Bolton has resigned! The most prominent symbol of the Bush administration's cockiness and contempt for the international community has been taken down, thanks to the Democratic victory in November!

Bolton, who received a recess appointment from Bush in 2005 to be the US Representative to the United Nations, had to be confirmed by the Senate to continue in that position, and there was no way in hell that was going to happen. But whatever you think about Bolton you have to admit he was always entertaining. We're gonna miss you, John!

In memory of Bolton I present I Am the Walrus from The Beatles. It seems a very fitting requiem because this song from their psychedelic period makes about as much sense as the Bush administration's foreign policy.



(lyrics from sing365.com)

I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together.
See how they run like pigs from a gun, see how they fly.
I'm crying.

Sitting on a cornflake, waiting for the van to come.
Corporation tee-shirt, stupid bloody Tuesday.
Man, you been a naughty boy, you let your face grow long.
I am the eggman, they are the eggmen, I am the walrus,
coo coo coochoo

Mister City P'liceman sitting
Pretty little p'licemen in a row.
See how they fly like Lucy in the Sky, see how they run.
I'm crying. I'm cry------------ing,
I'm crying. I'm cry------------ing.

Yellow matter custard, dripping from a dead dog's eye.
Crabalocker fishwife, pornographic priestess,
Boy, you been a naughty girl you let your Knickers down.
I am the eggman, they are the eggmen, I am the walrus,
kookoo kachoo

Sitting in an English garden waiting for the sun.
If the sun don't come, you get a tan
From standing in the English rain.
I am the eggmen, they are the eggmen, I am the walrus,
kookoo kachoo kookoo kachoo

Expert texpert choking smokers,
Don't you think the joker laughs at you? (ho ho ho, he, he he, ha, ha, ha)
See how they smile like pigs in a sty, see how they snied.
I'm crying.

Semolina pilchard, climbing up the Eiffel Tower.
Element'ry penguin singing Hari Krishna.
Man, you should have seen them Kicking Edgar Allan Poe.
I am the eggman, they are the eggmen, I am the walrus,
kookoo kachoo kookoo kachoo kookoo kachoo kookoo kachoo kookoo kachoo
(rhythmical speaking along with juba's).
Juba juba juba, juba, juba, juba, juba, juba, juba juba. Juba juba.....

I Love Wisconsin Winters...

I Found this on Boots and Sabers, and it was just too funny not to bring over to our side of the political world. Jed and Owen may be wild and crazy conservatives, but they have to live through Wisconsin winters just like we do. Be sure to check out their blog to see how the other side thinks.

Jonah Goldberg: We're Losing In Iraq Because We Haven't Killed Enough Civilians

This is one reason I think neoconservatives are disgusting. Jonah Goldberg, a right-wing chickenhawk who has never served in the military and has no clue what war is like, has a column in yesterday's State Journal in which he says that a big reason we're losing in Iraq is that we haven't killed enough Iraqi civilians. And in the very same sentence he says that the other part of the problem is that we haven't been willing to sacrifice enough American lives and treasure:

But it now seems that the light footprint hasn't made enough of an impression on Iraqi soil or Iraqi society. By trying to inflict as little collateral damage as possible, by trying to fight a war on the cheap, we inadvertently emboldened our enemies by what appeared to be a lack of will.

If he wasn't such a coward Jonah would be in Iraq doing his bit for this bloody war he wanted so badly instead of writing columns calling for others to make sacrifices he isn't willing to make himself.

Typical conservative prick.

(Sorry, but the link to Goldberg's article doesn't go to the State Journal because I couldn't find it on their website even though it was in the print version)

Nekkid at the Airport

If you liked the idea of X-ray glasses when you were a kid then you'll love this! X-ray backscatter machines can see right through clothes, as the image above rather graphically illustrates. And they're coming soon to an airport near you!

The lovely model in the picture above is Susan Hallowell, the director of the Transportation Security Administration's security laboratory. I guess she figured that showing us how she looks without her clothes would make everyone else feel better about getting the same treatment when they fly. Not sure it's working...

X-ray backscatter can detect objects that would otherwise be missed in a regular security check using a metal detector. For example, there are ceramic knives that are better than the best steel knives, and it's certainly possible to make a gun using ceramics that wouldn't contain any metal. Most explosives are also nonmetallic.

Of course the big problem with all this, in addition to the privacy issues, is that we're still fighting the last war. No terrorist worth his salt would now try to hijack a plane with a knife or even a gun. If they did they'd be quite literally torn to pieces by the other passengers. You stand a much better chance of surviving a knife wound, or even a gunshot, than you do of hitting a building at 500 miles an hour. And it's still far easier to put a bomb in your luggage than to carry it on. Until that loophole is fixed, better X-ray machines for passengers are a questionable use of resources.

GM To Introduce Plug-In Hybrid SUV!

OK, so this doesn't have much to do with politics, but it fits with my interests in technology and environmental issues:

Next year General Motors will introduce plug-in hybrid version of the Saturn Vue sport-utility vehicle. A plug-in hybrid lets you charge its batteries by plugging it into a regular electrical outlet overnight. For short trips, like city commuting, a plug-in hybrid uses little or no gas. It gives you all the environmental and cost advantages of a true electric car for shorter trips, while still having a gas engine for longer trips.

Most American made hybrids are crap, and I don't know if the Saturn Vue will be any better. The Japanese have nearly a decade's head start on the technology, so the real importance of GM's move is that it puts pressure on Toyota and Honda to make plug-in versions of their own hybrids. Both manufacturers have been resisting calls to do so, claiming there's no market for plug-in hybrids.

Toyota could produce plug-in hybrids quickly and with minimal R&D and production costs if it wanted to. The design of current Toyota hybrids lends itself to this because most of the necessary pieces are already there. You can actually covert a Toyota Prius into a plug-in hybrid yourself, but it's technically demanding. There are also after-market conversion kits and services, but they're not cheap.

Unfortunately the technology Honda uses it its hybrids can't be easily modified to work as a plug-in, so it'll take Honda a lot longer to get into this market.

We're starting to think about replacing our trusty old Honda Civic, but we're going to wait until we can get a good plug-in hybrid. I suggest you do the same when it comes time to get a new car.

The best place to learn more about plug-in hybrids is CalCars, which is "a group of entrepreneurs, environmentalists, engineers and other citizens working to spur adoption of efficient, non-polluting automotive technologies." It's a good organization doing important work.