Whichever, this pretty well reflects what I’m hearing from the bush campaign.
It is pretty clear that they have failed in their primary mission to protect the American people from threats to their life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.
An appropriate campaign message, and one that might win my vote, would go something like this: We and our allies around the world have eliminated terrorism as a threat.
Via The Apostropher.
Digby exposes the man behind the curtain (via Scott) and Mark Kleiman reports on digging holes.
Folks riding Washington’s ferry system will be subjected to an increasing number of vehicle searches. Here is one reaction:
In the interest of national security, I understand the Washington State Patrol is instituting random car searches at our ferry terminals (“Feds order new level of security for ferries,” Times page one, Sept. 29).
And so while they are busy trampling our rights by digging through our possessions, I hope they regret ever encountering my car.
I have a family and I have not seen the floor mats of my car since 2002. A single road trip requires at least six stuffed animals, 10 pounds of books, a box of crayons and a note pad for my child. My husband takes at least three coats, a hat and an extra seat cushion.
Added to that pile, which is now threatening to swamp the aforementioned kid in the back seat, are my backpack, clothing, a first-aid kit and occasionally a wetsuit. I have not mentioned the trunk.
That is because a mouse has taken up residence in it � we’ll call him “Kenny.”
…
bush and allawi have been telling the US public and the United Nations that the effort in Iraq is progressing. What does this look like in real life?
Well, in some areas of Iraq it may appear to be what they say. In others, it is something dramatically different. Since both the administration and the media fail to give us full disclosure of both the good and the bad a little visualization exercise might be helpful. To assist, Juan Cole has provided a script with some interesting transpositions:
What would America look like if it were in Iraq’s current situation? The population of the US is over 11 times that of Iraq, so a lot of statistics would have to be multiplied by that number.Read it all. You might quibble with the different comparisons but it does help one visualize an environment that is not conducive to normal living.
That’s not much more than a mockery of democracy, but unfortunately I can’t really complain too loudly. Roughly speaking, it would be as if Democrats and Republicans agreed to team up and decide in advance who was going to win each district in elections for the House, thus preventing any real choice. Which, of course, is pretty much exactly how it works these days, with both sides collaborating in gerrymandering schemes designed primarily to protect each other’s incumbents.Yes, Iraq will get democracy as envisioned by an administration that is watching the so called reagan victory over the evil empire implode with nary a whimper of opposition.
In other words, Sistani is getting a democracy considered state-of-the-art by his occupiers. What more does he want?
PZ Myers asks a couple reasonable questions.
First, concerning dangerous weapons and airport security:
So now we let the underpaid, unqualified, uneducated people who get hired to man security checkpoints have the discretion to throw people in jail because they carry some unspecified item they think might be dangerous?While these folks should be extra cautious this incident is just stupid.
What�s their position on the responsibilities and obligations of a commander-in-chief who freely peddles bogus tales of mobile biowarfare facilities, nuclear weapons programs, imported radioactive materials from Africa, flying drones filled with nerve gas, and horrific stories of widespread Weapons of Mass Destruction that are going to be used to Blow America Up?Yep, perhaps heads should roll at CBS and, since the media, congress and much of the blogosphere won’t hold the executive branch to a similar level of scrutiny, come November the US voters should, perhaps, jsut fire the current executive branch office holders.