Daily Archive

• Like this is a surprise? And it cost how much?
• No. You’re kidding. It did?
• Like this is a surprise, either?
• For an instant, I didn’t notice the word “Marathon“. However, if you do think about it for a moment, if they could run it, that would probably make for a big improvement.
• And like this is a surprise, either?
• And they have the nerve to complain about Guantanamo?
• Typical of this Government: another example of take away, but then likely concocting some Rube Goldberg scheme that allows some people to fill out forms claiming back what they had had previously . . . while this Government hopes the form-filling-out process itself deters, or people are just too proud to seek what they deserve, thus allowing this Government to keep most of the money in the end anyway.
• Also what one expects from this Government.
• It had long ago run its course. Please, enough already.
• Before I forget: like this is a surprise, either?
• Oh, and just wait’ll this weapon catches on here. ‘Cos you just know some genius thug will try it eventually.

The Independent:

Newspapers in the United States have revealed that John McCain’s 19-year-old son, Jimmy, has been serving in Iraq, prompting a furious response from the Republican presidential contender’s aides after months of effort to keep his son out of the public spotlight.

Mr McCain has repeatedly refused to make political capital from his son’s service, despite having put support for the war in Iraq and national security at the heart of his campaign for president. But a tacit pact with the US media has begun to break down, and details are emerging of L/Cpl Jimmy McCain’s military service, his childhood interest in war memorabilia and his experiences patrolling Anbar province in Iraq…

Ah, our ever helpful media strikes again. According to The Indy, the revelation means:

…John McCain could become the first sitting president since Eisenhower to have a son serving in a war zone…

Oooh, did the Indy just say Eisenhower ? (That son was John S.D. Eisenhower, who was serving in Korea when his father became president.) Also:

…it will play heavily in the presidential campaign where the war in Iraq will be a fissure between Mr McCain and his rival, whether it be Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama, both of whom have demanded an immediate withdrawal of troops…

However, other than perfunctory tributes, it appears unlikely this will “play heavily” in the campaign from the direct mouths of either Democratic contender. Rather, it will be their underlings and supporters who will almost certainly try to make this an issue. Yet it’s hard to see how they capitalize, given one of their loudest complaints has always been the lack of high-ranking officials’ “children” being in the battle zone.

…Democrats have criticised Mr McCain for saying the US should stay in Iraq for 100 years if necessary…

Provide a serious interpretation of his son having served in Iraq? Most Democrats can’t even handle how, in the senator’s statement above, clearly he meant “100 years” as in Aviano, not as in Agincourt. For instance, note Sen Kerry’s feeble attempt to try to indict the senator’s view. In doing so, Sen Kerry succeeds only in twisting himself into debating knots:

…“On the 100 years war issue, John McCain is being disingenuous, because what he said in that interview was as long as there is no violence — which indicates a fundamental misunderstanding of Iraq itself,” Kerry alleged.

“If he’s talking about being there for 40 years, 100 years, he’s talking about attracting more and more terrorists and not paying attention to the larger challenges.”…

Thus Sen Kerry. Because there are currently “terrorists” in Iraq, there must always be “terrorists” in Iraq. So it is well-nigh inconceivable that a small number of U.S forces ever could be based in a peaceful Iraq with the acquiesence of an elected government there, from where those forces might be of use also in facing some of what he terms those “larger challenges”.

Apparently, Sen Kerry feels “terrorists” will cease to operate in and from an Iraq which sees its nascent, fragile democratic state collapse utterly. That being so, then his overall assertion is perfectly reasonable. Of course the “larger challenges” he alludes to — whatever else they might happen to be — undoubtedly will be better addressed strategically from the likes of, say, Osan Air Base.