Month: August 2006

Most conservative think tanks are nothing but conservative war tanks. A case in point is the American Enterprise Institute (AEI). Even though the Marine Corps has called up more reservists, more cannon fodder is still needed. As reported in today’s USA Today, according to “resident scholar” Frederick Kagan, a “military analyst” at the AEI, U.S. forces “are overstrained and undermanned.” Kagan’s solution? Instead of removing the 138,000 U.S. troops from Iraq, followed by the 69,000 troops in Germany and the 35,000 troops in Japan and the 32,000 troops in Korea and the 12,000 troops in Italy, Kagan wants the Army to add an additional 200,000 soldiers.

Where is the republic of the Founders? It is so far gone that they wouldn’t recognize it. Modern conservatism is totally devoid of any principle, except for that of militarism. Conservative think tanks are nothing but conservative war tanks.

Friend-of-blog Dennis Perrin will be on a panel next Wednesday in Tarrytown, N.Y., addressing the topic “Horror and chaos in the Middle East: Who’s to blame, and is there a remedy?” For more information, click here.

On this 8/22 – a date seared into our collective semiconscious forever – Jim Henley begins the healing process.

The general dishonesty of Bush’s ridiculous press conference Monday has already been covered, but he did say two things that weren’t outright lies. That U.S forces will never leave Iraq if he can help it is a given, but I want to point out the one other thing Bush said that was true – before he realized and corrected himself. About half way through, the question came:

“What do you say to people who are losing patience with gas prices at $3 a gallon? And how much of a political price do you think you’re paying for that right now?”

The child-president managed to sputter:

“Look, I understand gas prices are like a hidden tax – not a hidden tax; it’s taking money out of people’s pockets. I know that.”

But, as Greg Palast explains in his book Armed Madhouse, that’s exactly what the high oil prices are – a hidden tax, government revenue. How so?

Americans pay nearly triple for gas; many of those petro dollars, of course, go to Saudi Arabia, whose puppet-princes skim enough off the top for their own coke, prostitutes and Mercedes Benzes and then spend much of the rest purchasing American securities – that is, the government debt that is driving this war machine whose mission, in part, is keeping the Saudis at the top of OPEC, thus setting that high price through production quotas.

Some may wish to keep this in mind when they pump those gallons and when they hear the Republicans claim to cut our taxes.

Occasionally, when time permits (and it rarely does), I indulge myself by reading something non-work-related, something wonderfully distant from the carnage in the Middle East or the police state at home. Maybe something about art, or sports, or science. For instance, today I read a piece at Salon.com about male circumcision, arguments for and against. I have no position on the issue – and I don’t care what yours is, so don’t send me any foreskin screeds – it was just a way to kill five free minutes without thinking of politics (an ancient idiocy we libertarians are supposed to be trying to eradicate – with great success, you might have noticed).

Anyway, at the end of the piece, Slate’s editors posted a few of the most insightful comments from readers. And at the conclusion of the third comment, in reference to an upcoming anti-circumcision conference in Seattle, one of Slate’s all-star commenters writes,

Symposia such as the one in Seattle have more than a whiff of hysteria about them. I wouldn’t dare to suggest that there might be a small hint of anti-semitism as well.

Which, stripped of sophomoric coyness, means, The anti-circumcision movement is driven by hatred of Jews.

Ah, anti-Semitism: the one topic no discussion in this country is ever allowed to omit. Posterity will have a field day with us.

Aim High! Step right up! Bring your daughter on down!

Sign her up for the Service.

It’s a great way for her to be able to afford to go to college and be a professional when she grows up! (If you don’t mind her being raped, that is.)