Those Wacky Terrorists!

Al-Qaida-linked Web site backs McCain as president

WASHINGTON (AP) — Al-Qaida supporters suggested in a Web site message this week they would welcome a pre-election terror attack on the U.S. as a way to usher in a McCain presidency.

I'm sure there are Americans who would welcome that. Maybe not the assholes rooting for Gustav, but some.

The message, posted Monday on the password-protected al-Hesbah Web site, said if al-Qaida wants to exhaust the United States militarily and economically, "impetuous" Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain is the better choice because he is more likely to continue the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

This is terrible! How lucky are we to have such brave and selfless agents at the CIA, the FBI and the NSA to alert us to this upcoming danger!

Wait, what? They aren't involved?

Apparently, SITE Intelligence Group is in the business of giving sensitive intelligence to those willing to pay. And all the time, not just when there's such an "important" election at stake. Still, I understand that when the threat of a possibly imminent terrorist attack is intercepted, the American people need to know immediately that it will be John McCain's fault!

Oh wait...

The message is credited to a frequent and apparently respected contributor named Muhammad Haafid. However, Haafid is not believed to have a direct affiliation with al-Qaida plans or knowledge of its operations, according to SITE.

OMG! You guys! You almost had me, you betcha!

What a bunch of fucking idiots.

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If I Admit…A Search For Meaningful Ground

If I admit that McCain’s time in the military better suits him to be Commander-In-Chief, will you admit that time spent in an enemy prison camp probably doesn’t give him the best mindset for setting foreign policy?

If I admit that there is a tiny, little part of me that wishes to wrongly ignore all the issues and vote for Obama simply because he’s “the black guy,” will you admit that not voting for him based upon the same reason is at least equally as wrong?

If I admit that despite my vast education, the current economic crisis seems too complex for me and perhaps for most to understand, will you admit that you must comparatively know even less about the infinitely broader subject matter of God, afterlife, and metaphysics?

If I admit that I see no short-term end in sight to the nearly 50/50 electoral schism between red states and blue states, will you admit that the closest we might get to our own moderate or centrist views in The White House is a Republican for eight years followed by a Democrat for eight years, and so on?

If I admit that Sarah Palin has to have exhibited some intelligence to rise to the position of Governor, will you admit that her stance as a traditional, small government Republican simply means she does less in government?

If I admit that, no matter what he says, Obama as President coupled with a strongly Democratic U.S. Congress is going to cost you way, way, way more money in the long run, will you admit that means more money in programs and less in rich pockets?

If I admit that, based on the Reagan-esque standard, “Are you better off now than you were four years ago?” our answer in 1983 should have been a unanimous YES, will you admit that our answer to the same question in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007 should have been a resounding NO?

If I admit that there’s a large part of me that is simply too lazy to take personal action against global climate change, will you admit that I’m part of the problem, thereby acknowledging the problem?

If I admit that evolution could be a subset of creation, will you admit it’s the only subset based upon empirical data, and therefore the only subset teachable in an evidentiary manner?

If I admit that I’d be willing to acknowledge that timetables are bad, like one to withdraw U.S. Troops from Iraq, will you admit the necessity to eliminate another timetable that claims the Earth is only 5000 years old?

If I admit that giving birth seems like the best choice, will you admit that it’s a choice?

If I admit that Liberals sometimes seek new change for the empty sake of change, will you admit that Conservatives, in the act of conserving our Republic, have over 200 years of practices, many bad, from which to choose their stances and still be considered good Conservatives, regardless?

If I admit that there is no definitive way to control the emotion of greed on Wall Street, will you admit that there is no definitive way to control the emotion of lust in our young adults?

If I admit that God exists, will you then admit that there’s no reason you have to tell me about him?

If I admit that I irrationally blame McCain’s party line, in part, for the mistakes of the George W. Bush administration, will you admit that Obama’s party line makes you irrationally fear another White House BJ?

If I admit that Democratic politicians don’t really care about poor Americans, will you admit that you don’t either?

If I admit that, in the interest of America, Saddam Hussein deserved to be forcibly removed from power and killed, will you admit that Osama Bin Laden deserved the same, first?

If I admit that the surge worked, will you admit that our soldiers deserve to come home then in triumph?

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Would you look at that... Analysis: US now winning Iraq war that seemed lost

From the Associated Press:

Despite the occasional bursts of violence, Iraq has reached the point where the insurgents, who once controlled whole cities, no longer have the clout to threaten the viability of the central government.
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Beyond that, there is something in the air in Iraq this summer.

In Baghdad, parks are filled every weekend with families playing and picnicking with their children. That was unthinkable only a year ago, when the first, barely visible signs of a turnaround emerged.

Now a moment has arrived for the Iraqis to try to take those positive threads and weave them into a lasting stability.

Of course, it should have been apparent that things were turning around when liquor stores in Baghdad stopped getting blown up.

''I open my store at 10 a.m. and close it at 7 p.m.,'' Dawood said. ``The security situation is much better, and I hope it becomes even better because I believe that all Iraqis are brothers and deserve to live in peace.''

Compare this to a story from 2005

Mr Sabah has little competition largely because Islamic extremists now register their disapproval of alcohol by bombing his rivals' premises. The Rose, however, is unscathed, presumably because the bombers fear the proximity of US military hardware.

and another from just eight months ago

But even as Iraqis begin returning to liquor stores, they still take care to remain inconspicuous. On a recent day outside a liquor store on Saadoun Street, two men with a case of Johnnie Walker in their car were removing the bottles from the brightly labeled box and stashing them under the seats and in other hiding places.
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A construction worker and Sadr City resident, who agreed to be interviewed on the condition he not be named, told of how he was beaten last year by the Mahdi Army, the militia loyal to Shiite cleric Muqtada Sadr, after his brother complained to militia members about his drinking.

Regardless of the legitimacy of this war's beginnings, regardless of your opinion of Bush, things are getting better in Iraq. I guess the mainstream media is finally realizing they can't cover it up until November 9th.

Not that we're finished:

U.S. commanders say a substantial American military presence will be needed beyond 2009. But judging from the security gains that have been sustained over the first half of this year — as the Pentagon withdrew five Army brigades sent as reinforcements in 2007 — the remaining troops could be used as peacekeepers more than combatants.

And it's still costing a shitload of money. What's the price for a stabilized democracy in an unstable region? How much is a military presence in the Middle East worth? More than we originally thought, but still less than the Democrats would have you believe.

Flame on, everybody. Don't disappoint me.

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Memorial Day - a different perspective

For another example of how technology is totally changing the world and how we interact and relate to each other go check out Sanya Weathers' take on Memorial Day over at Eating Bees. It's a gaming blog, as Sanya was the Community Director for DAOC and now for GuildCafe and was blogging about MMOs before the term "blog" existed. So though the comments might be a little impenetrable for some, one can't help but understand this:

...I crossed off names with a yellow highlighter when Johnny and Jane came marching home or at least back to a place with air conditioning and internet access hurrah, hurrah.

Sometimes I used a black marker. Not often. But enough.

Regardless of your thoughts on the war (and please don't use the comments to discuss it), I'd like to remember this Memorial Day that people who are "just playing a game" have a great impact on each other's lives and that the loss of a member of a "virtual community" hurts, too.

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