Antiwar.com Blog

In reply to those who point out that we defeated the Nazis in less time than we have now been fighting in Iraq, National Review (Sept. 25, 2006) agrees that it only took three years and five months to defeat Germany, but then adds: “But is that how long it took to defeat the Nazis in Europe? Try telling that to Britain (bombed August-October 1940), France (conquered June 1940), or Poland (invaded September 1939).” Okay, National Review, once we have been in Iraq longer than the time between Germany bombing Britain, conquering France, and invading Poland, and surrendering, what logic will you use to justify the war then?

Over at The Corner, we learn today that:

*Jonah Goldberg has lost whatever mojo he once imagined he had.

*Ditto for Bush and Olmert.

*The admission of defeat in Iraq may lead to the end of belligerent American exceptionalism.

People send us all sorts of byzantine plans about what to do in Iraq – a change in tactics, a redeployment, a gradual draw-down, etc. – but there’s no way out but out.

Thousands of U.S. troops have been disqualified from overseas duty because they are considered security risks. One reason: many soldiers are in debt way over their head. According to the Pentagon, there are two concerns: “Financial problems can distract personnel from their duties or make them vulnerable to bribery and treason.”

But never fear, President Bush signed legislation last month cracking down on high interest rates charged by payday lending businesses which often cluster outside of military bases.

Government intervention abroad is never without government intervention at home.

I was subwaying into Washington last night when I learned of a grave new terrorist peril.

The train’s driver kept repeating, “For safety and security reasons, please do not take pictures or video recordings of Metro trains and buses.”  He recited this core message with often  mystifying enunciation after each subway station.

To jazz up the rendition, he occasionally added ominously at the end of the announcement: “POLICE WILL BE NOTIFIED.”

If that actually happened, it could wake up Metro police, putting them in a more surly mood than usual. The subway police are renown for their heroics in  arresting 12 year old girls criminally consuming French Fries within Metro confines.  But in recent years, they have broadened their hassle-outreach.

I took some photos of a subway train entering the Tenleytown  station a few weeks ago.  To my untrained eye, the photos all looked like crap, thanks to my camera savvy and the dim lighting in the station.   But to experts at Homeland Security, the blurs might contain a secret message for Al Qaeda.

I was not surprised to learn of my terrorist tendencies, since people have been emailing me such accusations IN ALL CAPS for the last 4 years.  But I did a quick Google search and found heaps of clear photos of the Washington subway.

Even worse, the subway system itself has created and released photographs of trains.   Terrorist infiltration of the subway system might but probably doesn’t explain all the recent train breakdowns and delays.

Unfortunately, I was the only person on the train who snorted loudly when the driver announced the photo ban and the police warning.  Perhaps people in Washington are more docile than elsewhere – perhaps some people are comforted by the endless halfwit bans.

At least in Washington, antiterrorism BS still sells.

Comments & cavils on this post welcome at my blog here.

Today is the day we celebrate the anniversary of the end of a war – the Great War – Wilson’s War.