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Who Says She Doesn’t Have A Fresh Foreign Policy Perspective?

March 18, 2008 in Foreign Policy, Government Thought, Iraq, Journalist Thought, Media, Military, Politician Thought, Politics | 1 comment

Reuters:

Democratic U.S. presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton put the war in Iraq in the forefront of her campaign on Monday, attacking Democratic rival Barack Obama and Republican John McCain over an issue that has divided the country.

Actually, it might be called having a difference of opinion. In contrast, the Civil War “divided the country“. Currently, even as hot as tempers might flair on occasion, we haven’t gotten to a re-run of that just yet.

Clinton, a New York senator and former first lady, laid out her policy proposals to deal with the conflict, including ensuring that troops have sufficient rest time between deployments, pressing the United Nations to be more involved, and getting key allies to help stabilize the region.

“Bringing our troops home safely will take a president who is ready to be commander in chief on Day One,” she said in a speech.

“Withdrawal is not defeat. Defeat is keeping troops in Iraq for 100 years.”…

Good she’s cleared that up.  Withdrawal meant Vietnam was not a defeat.  But remaining here in Europe still, means World War Two was.

BBC Puzzled By Iraqi “Optimism”

March 18, 2008 in Advocacy Group Thought, Britain, Foreign Policy, Human rights, Iraq, Journalist Thought, Media, Military, Politics, South Africa, USA, War on Terror | No comments

Time for still yet another (this time partly) BBC funded poll, as reported once again in inimitable BBC-fashion:

More than 50% of Iraqis think their lives are good, more than at any time in the last three years, a survey says…

But:

…BBC World Affairs editor John Simpson says the continuing divisions make it “pretty meaningless to talk about ‘Iraqi’ opinion.“…

Because:

…While 55% of all Iraqis believe that their lives are good, only 33% of Sunnis are happy with their lives, compared with 62% of Shias and 73% of Kurds…

So, apparently, for the often South African domiciled Mr Simpson, majority rule is a bad thing.

…Only 21% believe that the increase in US forces has made conditions for political dialogue in Iraq better, while 43% think the surge has made conditions worse.

Huh? So 79% believe “the surge” has NOT made “conditions for political dialogue” better? In turn, 57% also think “the surge” also “has made conditions” better? What the heck sorts of muddled questions were being asked of these poor interviewees?

And 38% want American forces to leave immediately, compared with 35% who want the troops to remain until security has been restored…

Or, put another way, 62% want coalition forces to remain at least for now, while 65% want . . . what exactly?

…Just under 50% of Iraqis now have confidence in the government, up from 39% in March 2007…

Meaning, that, even with all their troubles, a larger percentage of Iraqis manage to have confidence in their elected government than British do in theirs currently?

A Snapshot Of What To Expect

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(Old site, 2003-2006)

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In political U.S. terms, this blog is disgruntled Democrat turned Republican, slightly right of what is now deemed "center" -- but admits still to possessing moments of weakness for the rapidly vanishing Democratic party that helped win WWII and the Cold War. (Then again, finding oneself "right of center" is not difficult nowadays, given that according to what one sees of much U.S. political discourse, even a Castro -- and Hillary Clinton -- are apparently now rather rightist, and merely attending church weekly gets one labelled "Ker-ris-chan". Eeeeyou! Not one of those!)

In English terms, this blog loves this country, and it just wishes its politicians would somehow always remember that Britain is where our modern world truly began. Not Brussels. (Actually, to be more precise, just south of Brussels, where Wellington had thumped a certain well-known continental who was also in favor of "European union".)

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Expatyank@aol.com.

This writer sure as heck doesn't know everything -- unlike the BBC's Jeremy Bowen, who obviously does -- so disagreement is expected. Well-expressed alternative views and interpretations are more than welcome, for that's how we all learn more in this life. Which means that vulgar and/or obscene comments will probably be deleted. So please phrase all abuse politely, and if in doubt refrain from any colorful metaphors and get thee to a thesaurus.

Some Things Never Really Totally Change

'I was asked the other day by a well dressed frenchman whether my province (for he took the United States to be a mere province) was not a great wine country and whether it was not in the neighborhood of Turkey or somewhere there about! Another time I was accosted by a French officer "vous etes Anglais monsieur" said he--"Pardonnez moi" replied I "Je suis des Etats Unis d'Amerique"--"Eh bien--c'est la même chose"!'

Washington Irving, 1804.

Be Proud To Be English!

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And DON'T let ANYONE tell you that you should NOT fly THIS!

Why this blog supports him?

I like McCain Because the world's greatest power needs now, perhaps more than in decades, an experienced pair of hands at its helm, and not a state senator of a scant 4 years ago, with a messiah complex.

Indeed, if this blog cannot support that former state senator, it is not necessarily over questions on the War on Terror or the economy. It is because, surprisingly given what we are told of the "post-racial" outlook he represents, publicly unaddressed remains this question: "Guilty? or Innocent?"

Theodore Roosevelt's Nine Reasons a Man Should Go To Church

1 In this actual world, a churchless community, a community where men have abandoned and scoffed at or ignored their religious needs, is a community on the rapid down grade.

2 Church work and church attendance mean the cultivation of the habit of feeling responsibility for others.

3 There are enough holidays for most of us. Sundays differ from other holidays in the fact that there are fifty-two of them every year. Therefore, on Sundays go to church.

4 Yes, I know all the excuses. I know that one can worship the Creator in a grove of trees, or by a running brook, or in a man's own house as well as in church. But I also know, as a matter of cold fact, that the average man does not thus worship.

5 He may not hear a good sermon at church. He will hear a sermon by a good man who, whith his wife, is engaged all of the week in making hard lives a little easier.

6 He will listen to and take part in reading some beautiful passages from the Bible. And if he is not familiar with the Bible he has suffered a loss.

7 He will take part in the singing of some good hymns.

8 He will meet and nod or speak to good, quiet neighbors. He will come away feeling a little more charitable toward all the world, even toward those excessively foolish young men who regard churchgoing as a soft performance.

9 I advocate a man's joining in church work for the sake of showing his faith by his works.

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