Abu Is Back

Obama's refusal to release more photos of abuse from Abu Ghraib has set the "leftish" folks to either ranting or waxing philosophically or just linking to one another with a reader ragbag of comments which always turn into personal attacks by keyboard warriors who do not know one another but can type words like asshole and troll.

Saw the usual and predictable torture/abuse stories today on Antiwar, PI, Commiedreams, the UK Telegraph, and the ever trusty NYT.

Consensus seems to be that the abuse/torture at Abu Ghraib was rampant, wanton, and no one was held accountable. Actually, a few were punished with prison terms, bad conduct or dishonorable discharges, reduction in rank, fines, etc.: Lynndie England, Michael Smith, Charles Graner, Sabrina Harman, Janis Karpinski lost a bird, Ivan L. Fredrick, Armin J. Cruz, and others.

I know, I know, we want to see Bush and Cheney blood but that isn't going to happen - so the next best thing for the "left" is to continue to fan flames with demands for more torture porn.

I notice most of the recent articles cite Maj. General Antonio Taguba. Be careful Tony, when the "left" embraces you it can be the kiss of death. They embraced Brig. General Janis Karpinski as she claimed she took the Abu fall for BushCo - poor woman. Never mind that the much quoted by the "left," Mr. Taguba, stated in the now famous leaked Article 15-6 Investigation of 800th Military Police Brigade that Karpinski:

"During the course of this investigation I conducted a lengthy interview with BG Karpinski that lasted over four hours, and is included verbatim in the investigation Annexes. BG Karpinski was extremely emotional during much of her testimony. What I found particularly disturbing in her testimony was her complete unwillingness to either understand or accept that many of the problems inherent in the 800th MP Brigade were caused or exacerbated by poor leadership and the refusal of her command to both establish and enforce basic standards and principles among its soldiers."

Or that Taguba also states more than once "Throughout the investigation, we observed many individual Soldiers and some subordinate units under the 800th MP Brigade that overcame significant obstacles, persevered in extremely poor conditions, and upheld the Army Values. We discovered numerous examples of Soldiers and Sailors taking the initiative in the absence of leadership and accomplishing their assigned tasks."

I venture to wager that most of the folks passing around the renewed chant for more torture photos have not read the above Article 15-6 by Taguba.

The "left" also welcomed former Bushista Lt. General Ricardo Sanchez, in fact he was tagged the Democrats General after he saw the light. Taguba came to believe that Lt. General Sanchez ... and some of the generals assigned to the military headquarters in Baghdad had extensive knowledge of the abuse of prisoners in Abu Ghraib ... Taguba was aware that in the fall of 2003—when much of the abuse took place—Sanchez routinely visited the prison, and witnessed at least one interrogation. According to Taguba, “Sanchez knew exactly what was going on.”

Seldom, if ever, does the "left" quote Taguba when he says things like "The M.P.s, were being literally exploited by the military interrogators. My view is that those kids"—even the soldiers in the photographs—"were poorly led, not trained, and had not been given any standard operating procedures on how they should guard the detainees."

Their leadership at the time being Janis and Ricardo - who became new best friends of the "left" blogosphere.

(Hmm was the "left" trying for another Ellsberg leak?) In the NYT oped above the author, as so many before him have stated: "Six months later, in April 2004, when the Harman and Graner photographs were leaked to the press, they shocked the world’s conscience."

What conscious world would that be? Anyone who claims their conscience was shocked is either a liar or a useful idiot. Tell me you were disappointed, discouraged, saddened to see our troops degrading and tormenting prisoners - but don't tell me your conscience was shocked (unless you have spent your life cloistered with no contact to the outside world).

If you glimpse any media at all you cannot possibly be shocked by what man does to man, parent does to child, or complete strangers on stranger, random and planned acts of ghastly perversion or brutal indifference in entertainment/news/music/art - 24/7 porno-violence. Don't tell me your conscience was "shocked" by a pyramid of naked males with a soldier giving a thumbs-up, or shocked at naked men with panties on their head, or of dogs growling at or biting a prisoner. Or a hooded man standing on a crate with a bag on his head. And yes, even of rape, a rape Sy Hersh eternally spins as a child but is age 15-16 according to Taguba's report. Yet here at home the "left" have insured that the rapist of a 5-year-old child will typically receive a wrist slap and counseling, soon to be released back into the community with the ACLU fighting for his right to privacy, and crime TV has fodder for more graphic episodes.

Taguba seems to be what most of the troops are: Honorable and decent. Don't let the "left" adopt you Antonio - you will have to denounce the entire Imperialist Army as murdering torturing capitalist swine, which you served loyally for 35 years, and when they're done - they will dump you faster than they did Mama Sheehan (I feel sad for Cindy, her latest crowd draw was 20).

P.S. Also sir, you might not want to repeat what you said in the New Yorker, that "The stress of combat is not an excuse," because the "left" consider such remarks are rightwing code talk for personal responsibility, and the "left" uses "stress" as an excuse for a lot of criminal shit.

Palomita Cuculi

Antologia

Chomping Noam

Here is Chomsky's latest piece, predominantly a rehash on evil Caucasians of American history, particularly Ford to Clinton. Gosh, will the leftists, always big on inclusion, have to include mulatto Obama on the list of American Imperialists pigs?

Noam: "Historical amnesia is a dangerous social phenomenon ..."

Sigh, roll eyes, no - it is the nature of man, collectively taking 2 steps forward and 1 step backward - but hey, "historical amnesia is a dangerous social phenomenon" has the ring of a more ominous intellectual scary-world ooophm!

In a couple of sentences Noam mentioned what Japan did in China, France in Algeria, and the British in India. But, this hit piece was not about evil-doers of Europe or Asia - it is the god awful barbarism of the USA. A barbarism Noam calls American Amnesia.

Noam reminds American amnesiacs of crimes against all the world's colored folk, many in the US : Vietnamese , Blacks, Native Americans, Central and South Americans, and of course Middle Easterners, specifically Gitmo as torture chamber. I say reminding Americans, because we know the masses overseas are not reading Noam in Dong Thap Province, or in Chichicastanengo, nor the Mbuti or Fulani people. (The left's favorite metizo,Thank-You-Bush-War-For-Oil Chavez, does read and plug Noam, and then there was the 2007 Osama bin Laden tape praising Chomsky. If you don't know Chomsky's book sales are pumped/plumped by government funded educational purchases and mandatory academics you must be one of his disciples, and if you told me some intel acronym bought Noam's books to keep sales up, I wouldn't be surprised.)

Phenomenon, amnesia? No. This piece is to remind colored folks here at home, that maybe we should still be pissed about the barbaric practices of the USA - and it is never ending, era after era after era ... Good lord Bubba, is "white guilt" still trendy? Is it payback time?

Chomsky says he supported McKinney in the 2008 election, you remember McKinney. Had no political problems for 12 years as a representative, then suddenly shortly after WTC/911 she changed her hairdo, cried racism in the Capitol, and went Green. I still wonder what sociopolitical "change" Cynthia thinks is coming down the pike. Chomsky also stated that if Ron Paul ran against Hillary Clinton he would support Hillary. Hillary?! Puleeze ... talk about a corrupt career imperialist ... Is there some dementia going on here?

Of course Noam, like all great scholars of his genre, has no viable solution (although the Rodney King Doctrine comes to mind, "cain't we all just get along"), nary a plan, not one word of how-to or remedy for any of barbaric America's past, present or future atrocities (he predicts future US atrocities) - but as always Noam is just reminding us of our own merciless behavior (especially all you white imperialists), like a good Left pundit should. Or the usual solution, consider having the UN or some global body rule the world - which seems to be the favored solution from leftist scholars (hacks/hirelings), who reluctantly are forced to live well under the boot of American imperialism.

Noam has been stirring our memories for 40 years Bubba and look where US society is today - more divided, demoralized, and socially alienated than when Noam began his career 81 senile years ago. How awful it must be for a political activist to look back at a lifetime of lecturing on the evils of America and realize one hasn't politically or socially accomplished diddly spit, unless of course that was the initial goal.

There's only so much you can blame on republicans and neocons and slaveholders and the man - social critics like Chomsky too have played a subtle role in shaping this fractious society we call homeland. Guys like this seemingly don't believe we are or ever were the land of the free and home of the brave. No sirrrree - the US is a 233-year-old arrogant boot stomping on the neck, especially necks of color, of what would otherwise be a world of peace. (If you breathe too hot on the heels of left professional social critics/activists a few will concede a time or two when the US was the good guys, e.g. WWII.)

So here we are, crying and begging our leaders to be keepers of world peace, while hanging onto the words of old professorial farts telling us who to blame as the leaders/keepers fail time and again, war after war - but hey, we now have many learned folks to tell us who to blame - blame the US. You know Bub, world atrocities are about the only thing dumbed down, doped up, poverty-stricken Americans accept personal responsibility for - and it only took a generation to get there.

We've become an undulating mass of petty philistines choosing one or another famous social critic to mimic; a pastime for halfass activists who think, in between sips of Cha tea, that verbally bashing the Government is really living on the edge - don't let the hardcore "left" know you don't swallow - they will claim your IQ is double digit (considered a high insult), especially if you're not impressed with Chomsky's finger pointing.

But Bubba, the stumper is this - I don't know how Noam's career as America's most influential leftist intellectual ever lasted 4+ decades under the jackboot of Imperialist Amerika.

Evolution of Math

Teaching Math In 1950s: A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is 4/5 of the price. What is his profit?

Teaching Math In 1960s: A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is 4/5 of the price, or $80. What is his profit?

Teaching Math In 1970s: A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is $80. Did he make a profit?

Teaching Math In 1980s: A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is $80 and his profit is $20. Your assignment: Underline the number 20.

Teaching Math In 1990s: A logger cuts down a beautiful forest because he is selfish and inconsiderate and cares nothing for the habitat of animals or the preservation of our woodlands. He does this so he can make a profit of $20. What do you think of this way of making a living? Topic for class participation after answering the question: How did the birds and squirrels feel as the logger cut down their homes? (There are no wrong answers, and if you feel like crying, it's ok.)

Teaching Math In 2009: Un hachero vende una carretada de madera para $100. El costo de la producciones es $80. Cuanto dinero ha hecho?

Star Spangled

Granddaughter Cate (guitar) and her band for this year's high school talent show are doing the anthem (last year was Another Brick in the Wall.). She likes this version from Laiyouttitham.

Increase Your Money

The Money Manager
To show the increase of money on the international market.

Wa-tada! Revisited

In February 2007 I blogged a post on Ehren Watada:

Not to pee on the parade - but it could be this whole officer-takes-a-stand scene is a staged op from the other faction of the ruling elite. In an environment of national news dominated by celebrity lives/death and sex junk – any anti-Iraq war "news" or personality, is questionable. Remember too, it's not that the other "faction" of the ruling elite are good guys when in power, they just prefer the appearance of legal slaughter.

This past week's mistrial in the Watada case has been hailed as a "blow to the Pentagon." It's not the Pentagon getting this blowjob folks. Don't look for any retrial; this will end as it began, nice and neat.

It now seems likely Ehren will resign his commission, receive a general discharge, and find other arenas in which to fight whatever he is fighting (right after the probable book deal) – or he could show up in 30 years as a heavy medal-chested planner in the Pentagon. But more likely a civilian political office is at the top of his to-do list.

--- I was under the impression that the 2 conduct unbecoming charges had been dropped in January 2007, but according to this story today, 05/06/09 "Fort Lewis leadership is still mulling how to handle two remaining allegations of conduct unbecoming an officer against Watada." But, as I more or less predicted, the Justice Department asked the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to dismiss the matter which they did yesterday. Obama will receive credit for not pursuing the matter, his administration being kinder and gentler.

And today, his attorney says Watada, "... plans to return to civilian life and to attend law school."

So .... guess that political office is on the to-do list. Maybe Ehren will study contract law, show folks how to get out of contracts/oath without any serious consequences; he may be real pol material.

In some ways, Watada is the male version of Sheehan - both "found" a conscience that catapulted them into new careers because they had the "courage to resist" Bush's Iraq war and the evil neocons or something like that.

Ft. Lewis is "mulling," which is code for the pseudo-left has finished with these two bullshit distractions. Hmm, catapult, an ancient military device for hurling missiles. Sort of like Ehren and Cindy were thrown at the public as icons of courage, although neither of them have shown any mental or moral strength.

Oh lord Bubba, are they this generation's Jane Fonda and John Kerry? Will our grandchildren have to suffer through their careers and appearances as I have Jane and John's?

Evolution Elixirs