:: Wog Blog ::

:: WHAT AM I THINKING ABOUT? ::

:: Wednesday, 12 March 2003 ::

Rumsfeld is a clumsy oaf, a jackass and a liability

His careless comments - about which Quiggin has gotten a complete hardon thinking it is the end of everything, or something, who cares - were meant to acknowledge Blair is in trouble on his home turf and, if the US had to, it would go alone into liberating Iraq from Saddam's disgustingness (sorry to remind all you anti-war folks that that is what it is about - Saddam, you daft buggers). Careless. Clumsy oaf. Because the left in the UK is so freakin' mad at the moment it cannot see Saddam as anything other than a martyr. And would rather lose Blair than Saddam. Or so it seems to me. Of course the UK media is muchly going with this - Tony Benn leading the charge on the teevee I just saw.

Tony Benn. Please.

For some perspective see The Sun - running a pic of some royal kissing her jockey lover.

Okay. Now on with the day.

UPDATE: Serbian PM assassinated. Jesus Christ.


:: WB 12:19 PM [link+] ::

Whoa-o. I bin bitch slapped.

By a red.

This is too much. Using my very own patented wog-speak technique, Gummo Trotsky declares that I think I am better than Adams and Dunlop and therefore I am the snob.

...

Yeah. Well, yeah.

Who'd you rather have a beer with?

:: WB 3:02 AM [link+] ::

Fair and Balanced. And making it worse.

That is how I see Mr Blix. To many "Could be doing more..." "Is doing something..." "Might be a breach..." "Requires further investigation...".

And my view is shared at The Times.

It is not, needless to say, shared by Robert Fisk.

Make up your own mind. For me, I can imagine the word passing into common parlance:
"Blix" to submit incomplete reports, to fudge or obfuscate, to use unecessarily cautious language when precision is the Key Performance Indicator of your freakin' job, boy. To take the money without taking any of the pain.

I know, I know. It is not an unserious job the man is doing.

But I do believe he is failing to grapple with the central matter he has been vested to resolve - report on Iraq's compliance. Every day that passes is another day of non-compliance.

It has to be said.


:: WB 2:41 AM [link+] ::

For the left it is all about tone.

Reading The Guardian again. It is a duty, otherwise I would not get enough variety in my commentariat. But jeez, this about PM Tony Blair?

The damage done to him is serious, and probably irrecoverable. Even if the war goes "well", there will be no forgiving his refusal to listen to his natural friends and allies.

The quote marks around "well'. And what the? Natural friends and allies? As in, lefties but not Italians, Spaniards, Protugeezers, Nederlanders etc etc.

What Polly Toynbee means is this:
Even if the war does liberate Iraq from Saddam's brutal grip, and quickly, and even if civilians die in numbers far lower than die at Saddam's hand in any quarter year currently, and even if Iraqi exiles volunteer to return home to rebuild their newly liberated country etc etc, even then, Tony, I'm sorry, but we cannot never speak to you again. Your tone, you see, Tony, it is just not respectful enough. When we on the left speak we fully expect not just to be heard but heeded. Shame on you Tony, for not heeding us. Shame.

How easy is it to listen to that sort of commentary and just think: This old bird is mental.
.
:: WB 2:28 AM [link+] ::

"No War"

Not "No War", dummy.

"No Walnuts".

See. That is a sign I wanna see hanging from the balcony of some super expensive house on my way to work in the morning.

A "No War" sign on an expensive house in Oz is just so self-indulgent and stupid. Like every idiot who marched, "Look at me, Ma. I'm walkin'."

Yeah, yeah. They got a right to march. A right to put signs out.

And I got a right to meet 'em in bars or at work, or to stand under their balconies on the street, and call 'em freakin' idiots.

And other fruitier language, as it comes to mind.

:: WB 2:06 AM [link+] ::

Could you be any worse at your job?

See. You gotta read this SMH shite fairly carefully but it is there. Plain as the Roman nose on your face. Read:

"I think it's (vilification) already started, in some ways," he told ABC Radio.

Wha? He did not use the word vilification? Oh right. The ABC must have asked him if he felt he was being vilified.

And the SMH decides that that is good enough to run a freakin' headline that this man has been 'vilified'. They put it in quotes, which is an admission that it is not a story.

Why did they not just write "Some guy does 'something'. Whatever."

That paper is really too awful even to plug the holes in the floor between the gear stick and the sagging bag of cheap leatherette that has come apart from its seams in that crappy heap of liquid-paper white (no, really - it is liquid paper) EH Holden outside my house.

:: WB 1:57 AM [link+] ::

Phil Adams revisited

From fabulous Andrew Sullivan, this BBC article and photo caption. Sno. Ber. Eeee.



:: WB 9:15 PM [link+] ::

Ferrari fourth, Trulli fifth. Happy enough with that.

Blair blogged it in real time. Good work.

:: WB 9:05 PM [link+] ::

Oh fer cryin' outta loud, jackass you freakin' ARE Anti-American.

I know Blair and Parker have posted briefly on this but I too have something to note about Phillip Adam's declaration this weekend.

Essentially, Phil's thesis is this: some of my best friends are American. I unrealistically insist America should be perfect and when she isn't well, I hate the imperfection. Oh and by the way, imperfection means anything that does not fit neatly into my snobbery. And some Americans share my view. So I cannot be anti-American.

The man does not get it. Know why? Becuase he misunderstands entirely what anti-American means. Let us get with the definition. It is Anti-Bush's America.

Now that is a charge that is much much more serious than mere Anti-Americanism.

Know why?

Cos mere Anti-Americanism is stupidity on wheels. I mean, you can hate bits of that giant country, but hardly all of it. As Phil rightly notes, fool. He cannot even run a tight argument.

He is all jazz and Steinbeck about the US but certainy not Ford 500 and "This Old House". Know why? Because he is a A-grade snob on wheels is why. He admits it. He hates Dubya. Dubya isn't jazz and Steinbeck and is much more Ford 500 and This Old House. Ergo, Adam's dislikes him intensely.

That is the extent of the thought and philosophy at work. That is it. There is nothing more at work that snobbery.

What a worldview it takes to actually have not the slightest respect for the President, for Rice, for Little Ceasar's Cheeser Cheeser.

But I know Phil just adores Vienna in Spring and Parma ham and museums.

See, the trick is to like Parma ham and all that AND a bit of Nascar racing.

Makes you more interesting and interested in the world if you do not shut out half of it.

UPDATE: My favorite wanker, Tim Dunlop, has a go at Bush's press conference. Utterly fails to grapple with Hussein, of course. Hussein is not important to Tim. The centre of the whole thing is Hussein. Has been forever. But not for Tim. Just like Adams, he is driven more by his visceral snobbery against Bush than by any other sentiment. Have a read. The centre of the whole thing is apparently Bush, who is evil because he is not a great public speaker. I mean, g'uh.

Really. Snobbery is shit. It really is. All superiority, but rarely substantiated. Jazz, Steinbeck. Bore me to tears why don't you. These are all symbols for 'do not speak with me unless you know the code for my exclusive club'.

I sound like a reverse snob, don't I? I hate the stuff the chattering classes like? Wrong. Opera, art, architeture, industrial design, chess, European history, restraurants, horse racing, museums, reading, public radio, ABC - I can handle all of it, cos I like it. But then we add country music, comics, car design, Tony Roma's Deep Fried Mozzarella Sticks, porn, that F1 racing game at the TimeZone etc etc.

Do not get me wrong. I do not mean to say we should all like everything. Please. I am not some hippie idiot. We should discern between that stuff we care for and that we do not. But really, Adams hardly discerns at all. He is older than me, better travelled, met more poeple. But he has a secret code and it is driven by snobbery. That is not discerning.

The title to his piece should have been "Kick me. I am a snob."

:: WB 4:52 PM [link+] ::

Hmmm.Got to watch this.

:: WB 12:07 PM [link+] ::

Oh fer crying outta...

This thing is still making me laugh, care of Prof Bunyip:

My month in Iraq ends on a flight out of this city later tonight. When I get home, my first order of business will be to help energize a massive, preemptive sit-down for peace that is the last hope to prevent a humanitarian disaster here in Iraq. I hope you will join with thousands of us in that effort.

The last hope.

O Jeez...the giggles.


:: WB 12:04 PM [link+] ::

It is true. It is true.

"This is not a normal country," he said. "Tuscany is like a black hole in western democracy - anti-government, anti-globalisation, anti-America, anti-everything."

Heart of Eurocommunism, which is nothing more sophisticated than a bunch of snooty Italians who do not like to work in competitive industries but prefer the role of the State something chronic.

And that, my friends, is why I prefer Umbria, Le Marche, Abruzzo and Emiglia-Romagna, all equally Eurocommunist, but not quite so snotty with it.

Do not misunderstand. Toscana is gorgeous. Really stupendous. I have nothing but the greatest respect greatest respect for folks from there and for everything built there. It is beautiful the food is magnificent, the driving is good and all that and everything. Except it is filled with English idiots wanting to pretend to be Italian for a weekend, getting married, buying villas etc.

Berlusconi was mad to think there would not be a general strike if he even set foot in the zone.

That is how bad they are.

Me, an apartment in Rome will do. Soon, my friends. Soon




:: WB 12:19 PM [link+] ::

Filipinos do not deserve this.

Nobody does.

But how come no-one is claiming responsibility? That is just freaky.

:: WB 12:08 PM [link+] ::

This is why HEROEC, Human Rights lawyers and the UN suck

Because they produce whole screeds all about how awful racial vilification is, and every example they give about racial vilification on-line is from some redneck cracker or Nazi loving whitebread jackass, having a go at asians, arabs, jews etc, folks, but they never ever actually grapple with the hateful stuff some muticultural types get up to, that is more than just name calling or some sick Hitlerite fantasy - it is an actual call to arms to hurt people, oppress them, treat them badly.

I am referring in this instance to Islamic jihadi sites. And apparently the US is targetting them. Good.

I am not about to link to any in Oz. Jeez, who wants to dirty their hard-drive with that stuff.

But I would appreciate HREOC using my tax dollars to do it. In the course of their investigations.

This reminds me of that stupid Racism Conference the UN HR held in Durban - nothing but wall-to-wall Arabs calling for the death of Jews. See, that's your racial vilificaiton right there. In front of you. There. See it? No, not the whitebread skippy, and not the old world Euro born-to-rule jackass. There. The crazy Arab mo fo who cannot finish a sentence without mentioning Palestine or burning an Israeli or US flag.

And do not start with the free speech thing, okay, because I am not interested. There is no right of free speech in Oz. Never has been. Closest is maybe a constitutionally implied right of free speech in a particular political context arising out of our participatory democracy - the voting thing. That is not burning flags. And it is not websites calling folks to jihad, and insisting September 11 was not the work of muslims etc etc you know the drill.

Man. What a wasted opportunity from HREOC. Could have really done something to get folks talking and looking into racial vilification in a big way. Instead same old same old. Fingering the idiots who do not actually call anyone to arms. No jihad for the Coon joke man.

Complaining about idiots who do not call anyone to anything. While ignoring the elephant in the sitting room, or lobster in the bathroom or whatever that skippy saying is.

Urgh.

:: WB 3:29 AM [link+] ::

Oh please. Do not lob softballs at Blair

:: WB 3:15 AM [link+] ::

Paul McGeogh. Bringing us balance.

And by balance I mean roomspinning imbalance of the severe distress variety.

He has singlehandedly spent his posting to Baghdad, a couple months now I figure, rooting out favourable statements about Saddam, as many as he can get per piece, from willing folks about town. How can any person spend a posting in Iraq at this point in history and not find anyone at all to talk to who takes a line opposite to the SMH's line - that war is naughty?

No person can do this. McGeogh is a robot.

:: WB 3:13 AM [link+] ::

Oh man. That is not good news.

No one claiming responsibility just yet. But if it the Moron Islamic Front, well. What can you say? More of the goddam same.

UPDATE: And another bomb at a bus terminal. Poor Philippinos.

:: WB 3:02 AM [link+] ::

Hold it Hold it

I thought they said they did not have any nerve gas thingys. Okay, so now they say they do and they can show it, or show where it is buried. Or something.

So where are we at this fine morning (my time)? Saddam has to be dragged kicking and screaming into doing something everyone voted for him to do just a few weeks back and even years back, come to think clearly about it. And he only ever relents at the last second, before some deadline or report or vote or something. Meantime he is moving his troops around and about and constatntly with the whining and the threatening to stop doing the teeny bits he is doing now...urgh.

A good part of me thinks that keeping on keeping on like this is kinda good because with every relenting thing, Saddam is more and more crushed. And eventually he'll relent one time so many that he will be just like a dog. Doglike. Which is some sort of fate worse than death, for a nut like him, all ego and hair-trigger humiliation, and no dignity at all.

But another goodly part of me thinks this is too awful to go on because serously, while Saddam is there, every day, something lousy is happening to someone in that country and that someone probably does not deserve it.

:: WB 12:11 PM [link+] ::

Short sharp and sweet, the Bitchin' Monaro

He makes a good point.

:: WB 12:00 PM [link+] ::

This might be the most tortured crap in OzBlog world.

The trashing of rhetoric by those who profess to defend and guard it indicates just how much conservatism has been colonized by a cynical reason blinded by being on the pleasure machine of violence, death and destruction.

Hmm. Let us see. It is not funny. It has a go, too wordily, at Prof Bunyip. And it features the obligatory snide aside at Tim Blair. This is a half double pike twist with a twist of lemonlips and the jackass has split his head open on the board on the way down.

I believe it has bored me to tears.



:: WB 3:23 AM [link+] ::

If I had a copy of this in my hand Friday night....

I would have bunched it up and shoved it real hard into the gaping maw of the imbecile marcher I was fighting with about this goddam war Saddam is putting us all through 'cos he won't freakin' fall on his own sword.

Sound like I am running out of patience, my friends?

Yip.

:: WB 3:08 AM [link+] ::

Filthy violent scumbag reds.

This sort of business is not tolerable. On the train 'tween Roma and Firenze. I take that train, dammit.

Jeez.

Filthy cop killing scumbag thugheaded reds.


:: WB 2:54 AM [link+] ::

Nuts

Bless.

MORE: Wha?

:: WB 2:48 AM [link+] ::

More More More! How do you like it? How do you like it?

Got some disco bug in my brain which is never a good sign. (Do NOT click on the link. It is like some cracked Casio version of what is already a crap tune. Found on a Brasilian website. God Help Me.)

Ahem.

Iraq has done the thing with the destruction of the missiley stuff. Or part there of. 'How do you like it?' And Chirac of all folks, is calling for 'More More More' disarmament. Chirac, of all people.

Chirac.

Quel surpreeez.

:: WB 2:30 AM [link+] ::

Italy is Old Europe. Old as it gets

I have been pondering the Rumsfeld slag of 'Old Europe' and I have concluded that it is as imprecise slag. Which is what you can expect from Donald whose job is not to talk straight.

Italy is oldest Europe. Western Europe.

Spain, Germany and France were filled with folks wearing whole rabbit carcasses hanging off their bare bodkins, instead of pelts, while Romans were peeling grapes.

And do not begin with the technical age of Greece - please. Eastern, okay? And one stupendous civilisation, followed by too much oregano and then a bunch of left wing ship building for the next millenia does not make me sit up and say wow. And neither should you. Even if you are a Greek.

Anyhoo, Rumsfeld's slag of France and Germany was calculated to give comfort to Rumania, Bulgaria, Lithuania etcania etcania. Spain and Italy and the Netherlands too are okay with their independence from the Franco-German stuff that has been pushed so hard. But Spain and Italy and the Netherlands too are old old old Europe, with real old sensibilities.

The blog world has picked up on stuff and the Mark Steyns and whoever. But for those of us from Old Europe, there is some translation needed. Cos 'Old Europe' should not mean exactly what it says. It should mean "Old-thinking Europe".

That is the key.

New thinking Europe is made of old old fashioned countries. With new new fashioned philosophies.

That is all.

Oh, except this, which is funny provided it is levelled at France and Germany.

Got that?

Good.

:: WB 3:11 AM [link+] ::

I suppose technically you can pray for Saddam

But why would you?


:: WB 3:00 AM [link+] ::

Name a great Arab whiner

The author's name is not on this piece. But sure as rugs is rugs, the Palestinians get a good look in.

Urgh.

:: WB 2:48 AM [link+] ::

That's a lot of people

To pay their respects to Dear Departed Favoloso Alberto Sordi in Rome.

A lot.

Kinda puts the peace marching in perspective.

I think it was Tim Blair who noted more folks go to the Grand Prix every single year than turned out Oz wide for peace on marchy-day.

And let us not even think about the AFL finals series...

UPDATE: And this will get the Romans out for a pleasing passeggiata in nearest piazza after a perfect (if a just a teeny bit too salty) Roman dinner.


:: WB 2:35 AM [link+] ::

Sepp Blatter role, eh? Go Guinea Go.

To lighten my dark mood, I will turn my trembly mind at some superglib World Cup tips:

FOR Mexico Chile Angola Guinea Cameroon Spain US UK Bulgaria Pakistan - that's your min 9 exceeded right there. That's what is needed to pass the resolution.
AGAINST Syria France Germany
ABSTENTIONS Russia China

VETO? France

I reckon they'll do it.

Unless...

Whatever.

:: WB 12:32 PM [link+] ::

Tony Blair survives the revolt

But jeebus, some of the quotes against are really priceless. And these people are in charge?

I mean, really:

"Strength does not lie simply in military might. Strength lies in simply having an unanswerable case. It lies in making the right moral choices, it lies in maintaining the pressure and it lies in securing the fullest possible international agreement."

See it? "I think I am good. That is all. You may go."

I caught Tony Blair talking to a bunch of anti-war types. Man, that guy is working hard. There is no changing the minds of some folks. And that is their business. But some folks will not, and I do mean, they will not think to the end of the line. It is all 'there must be another way' and absolutely no focus on what that be.

Urgh. What a way to start a day.


:: WB 12:26 PM [link+] ::

Surely it is vice versa.

But maybe the Daily Tele is just luring in the anti-war jackasses with the headline.

Or it could be that the subeditors are drunk.

:: WB 12:14 PM [link+] ::

Wow. An ABC poll that is pro-war

:: WB 12:11 PM [link+] ::

This shit can happen naturally?

Dear God.


:: WB 3:36 AM [link+] ::

Sounds like....

And is just as much a fool.

You know who I am referring to. Do not play dumb.

UPDATE:

On today's WebDiary site is a priceless bit of gymnastics that says essentially: I am anti-war. I know it involves leaving Iraqis to die, but hey. That is that. But I might be able to go with the pro-war left if they can convince me the war will be short. But I will never never go with anyone who is pro-war and not left. That is sooo that.

That is what is felt. Iraqi life. Not worth a pinch of shit. Change from the status quo of UN nothingness? Change is bad.

All impugning motives and absolutely no coming to grips with arguments.

I would like to see Margo post Jose Ramos Horta's piece (I blogged it last night I think. Scroll down). I actually think it will change some of her correspondents' minds.


:: WB 3:25 AM [link+] ::

Oh. The guy is just soooo wrong

You see, exile was an option Tony Blair canvassed, even at this late hour, last night (Oz time) in his speech to his Parliament. But hell, no, Saddam says no. What is he on? He is mental. It's like George Costanza. He really needs to start doing the opposite of what he instinctively wants to do.

Sheesh.

I know that being glib is not helpful. But he is breathtakingly lousy.

:: WB 3:12 AM [link+] ::

Nice post

And probably on the money.

:: WB 3:09 AM [link+] ::

Whaaaattt?

Just a minute. Just a minute. He's black. Let's call him Mr B. And, apparently this whole debacle is 'Assisted Fertility'?



:: WB 3:06 AM [link+] ::

Lawyers. Oh, for... G'uh

I had thought to blog about the imbecilc lawyers but Ken Parish has done very well. So has ABCWatch.

See, these lawyers are the kind of lawyers who cannot conceive that Saddam is, deep down at the very root of his being, a crime against humanity. Because he is as he does. He does violence. He is violent. He begets violence through his kids. But the lawyers cannot fathom that a regime of international activity exists in which Saddam can be challenged straight up to give up his shit or fuck off. Cannot put it any plainer than that. But it is too plain for the lawyers.

Human rightey lawyers are all the worst parts of Clarence Darrow and Lord Denning, you know? I have trouble finding folks I respect in that game of law. I caught a show on BBCWorld on the weekend about Carla del Ponte, former associate to Fabulous Falcone, Mafiabusting magistrate in Italy. She is tenancious and has an eye on real atrocities and real atrocious folks to go after. But she is big picture slapdash, so her detractors say.

Would I want her doing my .08 case in Moore Park, or the speeding fine bonanza that is the Tulla freeway?

No. I do not think so.

:: WB 3:01 AM [link+] ::

So Very Sad

This beautiful beautiful man, this great actor, fabulous person. No more him means a lot less good.

He was hilarious, fall down funny in so many Italian films. I Vitelloni is fantastic. And so deeply moving too. In a gorgeous Italian language version film of Moliere's Il Malato Imaginario he does a scene talking to a swallow that is so touching. So beautiful. Perfect. And he does scenes of enemas. Laffs.

But in English he made a beautiful war movie with David Niven called "The Best of Enemies which featured an exchnage something like this:

Toffy Major Niven is forcing the captured Italians in some blasted part of North Africa to build latrines.

Major Sordi gets upset: The Romans were building aqueducts while you people were still painting yourselves blue!

Always loved that. Funny cos it's true.

Man, oh man. I think a bit of my heart has broken off. He's Alberto Sordi. Rome.

Jeebus, they will be in mourning.

:: WB 5:53 AM [link+] ::

The London Sun

Staying with the important stories. And where do they get these photos?

Yetcht.

:: WB 5:25 AM [link+] ::

It is Saddam's way

Tell the Russians - who are not yet for bombing him out of his strangehold on what should be a great nation but instead is a shitheap with 4 million of its folks living somewhere, anywhere please, else - that he will destroy his missiles.

Tell Dan Rather from the US that he will not destroy them.

Tell Blix he is considering Blix's demand that the missiles be destroyed by Friday, and the pace of that destruction can be the subject of discussion and he will get back to Blix. Maybe by Friday, maybe not.

Will the man ever be a straight up guy?


:: WB 5:18 AM [link+] ::

Popham = insufferable snob

How a bout this for snippy.

"The streets of Rome are filled with rubble," sang Bob Dylan. An American – perhaps even Dylan – might feel the urge to take a bulldozer to the city and start afresh, but for us "old" Europeans, it is those vistas of antique ruination that give Rome its unique majesty and the sense, like nowhere else, of living cheek by jowl with the past. Here Cicero spouted ancient inspiration for all the modern rebarbative bores on Italian television's wall-to-wall political chat shows. Here the gladiators fought – not in terror and misery, says new research, but, like today's footballers or pop stars, with personal trainers, incredibly rich diets, and referees to ensure a clean fight.

Wha'?

Americans do not like Rome? Want to bulldoze it? James Lileks? Chris Isaaks? Dick Cheney? Freakin' try and they will have a bunch of Romans arguing about it. And nobody wants Roman argument. No one alive, that is.

Zif, jackass.

:: WB 4:51 AM [link+] ::

Tony Blair is speaking to the British Parliament

And he getting a bunch of 'hear, hears'. It is very good so far. He is covering all bases. Transcripts need to be found. If he can turn his parliament a bit, that is a major step. For him. And for picking off the emptiness of opposition to action.

UPDATE:
First quotes from the speech I can find.

:: WB 4:46 AM [link+] ::

First up against the wall when the revolution comes....

Only it ain't the revolution they imagined. I am quite certain they would secretly lovelove to get shot by the Enigmatic Subcomandante Marcos in Mexico or some such.

See, lawyers, 'specially civil righty types, are so freakin' earnest they carry no concept of what it means not to have His or Her Honour be the centre of the universe.

They were always going to lose this one.

They lost back in 1991.

They wanted an injunction, fer cryin' outta loud. Jesus wept. For the uninitiated, which should not be any of you, an injunction is a court order. In this case, the idiot loser lawyers wanted a court order to stop this Iraq business.

Imagine, for a moment, the process server who serves, or delivers, this order.

Imagine.

"Hello. Is Mr Rumsfeld at home?"

Imbeciles.

:: WB 4:41 AM [link+] ::

O mo Go' O Kon B'leeevit

Look. Violence at Italian football is peculiarly Italian, fuelled by animosity that is generations old, deep hatred, conspiracy theories, a feeling of abandonment by the players and suspicion at the motives of coaches and owners.

They do not call it Serie A for nothing.

A-grade.

Does not get any finer.

:: WB 4:36 AM [link+] ::

Got your 18th resolution right here

:: WB 2:57 PM [link+] ::

Biased BBC. You bet.

Andrew Sullivan has been doing stuff about the BBC but this li'l bit of bias is just perfect:

Shortly before the Gulf War of 1991, hundreds of British nationals were briefly detained as hostages (by Saddam) to deter bombing raids on Baghdad.

They were subsequently released, but the strategy backfired: coercing women and children into staying in a war zone cast Saddam Hussein in the role of the ruthless ruler many of his detractors had long maintained he is.

How is this biased? Because they were not coerced into staying. That suggests maybe they were bribed or just threatened. They were held against their will in Baghdad. Different thing entirely. And Saddam's stragedy (yeah, it is spelled right) did not backfire. It was a freakin' criminal disgrace. Backfire suggests that, had it succeeded, it would have been a legitimate act to undertake.

What the...?

And Saddam does not have detractors. He has folks the world over, mainly his compatriots, who hate his freakin' guts.

Incredible.



:: WB 2:56 PM [link+] ::

Baldfaced, finalmente

Have a read of this article in The Times. And note this paragraph:

M Chirac explained that the counter-proposal by saying that France saw no need to abandon “the logic of peace and to switch to a logic of war”. Nicolas Sarkozy, the French Interior Minister, said that France’s position was that “there cannot be a superpower that runs the world’s affairs”.

Not to do with Saddam. Nothing to do with Saddam. Just do not want America to have its way. Never mind that many nations indluding my two favourites Italy and Australia happen to AGREE with the US, as opposed to having been bullied by them....nevermind that.

These guys in charge in Paris are giving Frenchmen everywhere a bad name.

It is such a stupid position for France to take. I mean, I say in response: There cannot be a single nation able to thwart the wishes of fine nations on earth in favour of lousy nations on a matter of what that single nations deems is a matter of pricple when really all it is is a gigantic jerk-off.

And make no mistake, Oz and Italy are superfine, high-grade quality joints. That is my view. It is the view of many others. Well, those that can see and think in a straight line. And I am happy to add Spain, Poland, Bulgaria and the rest.

Really, these guys in charge in France are just appalling. Stronzi.

Stronzoni.


:: WB 2:50 PM [link+] ::

Guidelines for disarmament, programme by programme

Interesting. If Saddam has to be dragged kicking and screaming to give up every weapon, every aluminium tube, etc, it will be the mother of all humiliations for him. Hussein cannot feel shame. But he's got that humiliation thing going on. Will he destroy his missiles? God I hope so. I mean that is the point. And it vindicates the military pressure, and it vindicates Blix and the UN, although they have been too soft with Hussein.

But every missle, cap, aluminium tube? Nope. I do not reckon Hussein will do it.

No shame see.

Speaking of shame, tonight's Foreign Correspondent about the Dubai camel racing slavekiddies looks a gruesome bit of teevee.

No shame, see.

UPDATE:
There is no timeframe on the French and German proposal. None. Just the same old same old. What a wasted opportunity.


:: WB 12:26 PM [link+] ::

Lileks

:: WB 12:18 PM [link+] ::

I do not like your tone

How is this for analysis from the Left?

First, a reality check. NATO's intervention in Kosovo had neither the intent nor even the result of ending Milosevic's rule. And the delusion that Australia "intervened" in East Timor is a dangerous one to base future actions on. Our troops went there with Indonesian consent (extracted albeit by some third-party arm-twisting) and we "liberated" no one.

Second, what the New Humanitarians want is to trash UN Resolution 1441. They advocate invasion whether Hussein disarms or not, which would make a lie of the claim that war is up to him.

Third, very few of us can claim any high ground on how much we allow foreigners' suffering to impinge on our daily thoughts, let alone actions. If the New Humanitarians have thoughts on how to spread human rights and democracy around the globe – which doesn't involve bombing them first – please share them with us.

Let me paraphrase. NATO's efforts in Kosovo were not so good, neither were Oz's efforts in East Timor. Resolution 1441 did not warn of serious consequences, and if it did 'serious' only means talktalk. And Hussein ,being a madaxe killer who prevents peaceful attempts at his removal, is not important.

It boils down to: I like people more than you. I do. I do. I do. I am a leftie. I am good. He is my friend. Not your friend. Wah.

Nothing. Empty.

And Dunlop, well please. More evidence of the emptiness. He is more concerned with the tone and the motivation of those who argue against his views, than he is actually coming to grips with the arguments. So he asks the question about domeocracy and dissent, isn't it good for democracy to have dissent?

Damn straight it is.

What is really bad for democracy is when self-styled dissenters bleat about getting criticised for it.

Have a read of the comments thread. Urgh.

UPDATE (in anticipation of leftie snippiness).

Read it and weep. No, really.




:: WB 12:16 PM [link+] ::

The deal

The deal is:

Tony Benn (is he a Sir? I cannot be bothered looking it up) is not a person with whom one can have a rational much less a convicing conversation. Caught him on radio 2BL or whatever in Sydney late last night. It is all about oil. War is naughty, naughty, naughty and people who make war are naughty people. He reckons he did the interview just to show Saddam's side of the story. As if he did Saddam any favours.

Benn is a man in full. He knows what it is all about. And he knows the Americans are the baddies. He is the reason why indecisive Librans like me end up deciding against whatever he is for.

Caught Kevin Rudd on Meet the Press on Channel 10. I cannot say it was incoherent rambling. Because he is not. But he is empty. Blah Blah UN. No freakin' difference between that position and siding with the Americans, except siding with the Americans actually makles sense cos they are go to guys. Not always great to us, but they can be. The UN guys are not for Oz. Never have been. When have they helped us out? They have not. They snipe like we are some third world cesspool about wogs and Abos. Ridiculous.

The deal is the worst the left can throw up, Tony Benn and the best, Kevin Rudd, cannot come to grips with Iraq. They cannot focus on Iraq as the key to this whole equation. That is a major, glaring failing. All HowardBushBlair and no Saddam makes lefties look and sound stupid.

And now we have more folks going to Iraq as human shields. What are they thinking?

Who has the time?

Wouldn't it be great if not one of them got hurt in the fray?

They wanna get hurt. Surely they do. Isn't that the end point? Fighting against the invaders? Against Australians.

Against Australians.

For Iraqis in the regime.

Urgh.


:: WB 12:24 PM [link+] ::

A weekend filled with veal

Light posting lets everyone down. Non-existant posting is inexcusable. Mi dispiace.

:: WB 12:11 PM [link+] ::