WHILE EVERYONE WAS OUT MARCHING

While everyone was out marching this weekend, a little tidbit of foreshadowing doom very nearly failed to appear on the radar screens of our awareness:

From Yahoo! News --

The aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan passes two fishermen in their small boat as it leaves for its second deployment in a year from North Island Naval Air Station in Coronado, California January 27, 2007. The Reagan is headed to the Persian Gulf to support war efforts in Iraq. REUTERS/Fred Greaves (UNITED STATES)

(Larisa Alexandrovna’s always razor-sharp insights can be found here)

So, steadily and quietly, the build-up continues for the wider Middle East conflagration to come. In utter, contemptuous defiance of the overwhelming majority of the American public, their weak-kneed opponents in the Congress, and indeed the vast mass of people all around the world, the Stalinist weasels at the controls of the power structure won’t be distracted or deterred from their program of catastrophe. The demands of real people in the streets? Hot air. Smart-mouthed bloggers? Virtual ass-gas. The uncountable billions of poor and destitute, particularly those in the Neo-Con cross-hairs? Who the fuck are they ...?

I realize that this question isn’t especially underivative, and that it sprouts out of a sickening manure pile of despair and loathing, but here it is anyway: what’s the answer to this madness? Remove them from office -- remove them now. There’s no future for anyone so long as the Bushniks retain their death grip on power.

What a storehouse of originality I am.

DC: 27 JANUARY 2007

photo from somebody at Democratic Underground ...

DAWN IN MIDTOWN

Dawn in midtown Sacramento ...

...is, I would imagine, pretty much the same as in any other comparably-sized city: everything looks gray and dingy, there never seems to be any place to park, and the homeless legions are beginning yet another useless day of mere survival, way out on the precipitous ass-end of the Bush economy. The SUV people are doing their thing, of course, plowing through the rapidly lightening streets as if the great mass of us financially indistinct people are invisible; fat morons blabbering into cell phones, smartly-dressed jaywalkers, and police officers on bicycles round off this mildly spasmodic tableau -- this weird snapshot of vague determination and ostentatious indifference.

I have to say one somewhat positive thing about this bland and fuzzy town -- my dear old home town -- at least there’s no overabundance of affection for the Baboon-in-Chief, and the Neo-Con program in general, around these parts. Of course, this situation prevails largely because most people here pay very little attention to anything of importance unless they absolutely have to, and even then it’s usually as brief and superficial as possible. Professional basketball teams owned by Las Vegas billionaires, and fools who drown themselves at the instigation of a gaggle of assholes at a local radio station (as well as the armada of pointless distractions inherent to the disposable California consumer culture as a whole) ordinarily suffice to stretch the leaking brain-bag of your average Valley chucklehead to the bursting point. Very little elasticity remains for warm feelings toward the Stalinist freaks in the Bush regime -- and I guess that’s a good thing, all things considered.

Sigh. I’m going back to bed.

LET'S BEGIN WITH TORQUEMADA

Sinus headaches and the usual overflowing septic tank of unbelievable outrages have conspired to overwhelm my sensibilities this week, even beyond what's ordinarily considered normal. All I have the strength to do right now is to offer this suggestion -- to any thinking people out there, and even to our fearless Democratic "leaders" in the Congress -- how about at least impeaching this titanic asshole?

As I said, it's only a suggestion.

AND TO THINK I'D ACTUALLY CONSIDERED GIVING UP ALCOHOL

Yes, it’s true: sobriety, as a way of life, had been looking more and more like a viable alternative in recent days. Most people who actually know me would never believe this to be the case, and it’s almost impossible for me to buy such a farfetched impossibility. Nevertheless, one queasy stomach too many, stirred into a nearly unbearable uproar by the almost universal indifference of my fellow booze hounds in the brewpubs, was sufficient -- well, all but sufficient -- for me to resolve to forego the dubious advantages of alcoholic over-medication and the questionable influence of zucchini-brained bar freaks. All I had to do was clear the beery cobwebs from my existential ventilation system and purge my synapses of drink-induced rust and torpidity, and the world would suddenly appear slightly less inexplicable and revolting. Like magic.

Then George W. Bush opens his thin-lipped pie hole, and nebulous thoughts of heading in a dry direction immediately fly out of the nearest fucking window.

Seriously -- how does an otherwise rational human come to mental grips with the exigencies of these times without being measurably inebriated? Just consider the tortured sinuosities of what may or may not be going on here, in the context of Bush’s blubber-gummed “speech” on his “new way forward” from the other day. In theory, his most recent babblings concern his misfired adventure in Iraq, a disaster that has no military solution; but, in actual fact, what we had the supreme misfortune to witness was the launch of a psychological warfare operation aimed at preparing the public for a vastly expanded conflict, one that could eventually consume the entire Middle East. So, on the contrived occasion of a ridiculous little talk on what he supposedly has in mind to bring his illegal war in Iraq to some sort of “victorious” conclusion, Bush trowels out the worst possible idea of all -- an escalation -- and issues virtual declarations of war against two more countries, Iran and Syria. The escalation in Iraq serves to obscure the truth behind what’s coming for the Iranians, grumblings about a “mythical” US intention to attack Iran temporarily distract attention from the Iraqi meatgrinder, while both effectively blot out awareness of what the Neo-Cons are up to in Somalia and elsewhere. All the while, the new Democratically-led Congress reacts to these dangerous challenges by having no real will to remove this out-of-control regime ... oh, and by passing legislation to increase the minimum wage, legislation that Bush will eventually veto.

How in the hell can you stay sober under these circumstances?

I DON'T PAY ATTENTION TO RIVERBEND AS MUCH AS I SHOULD

I sincerely hope that Riverbend doesn't mind my re- publishing her last post in its entirety -- we all could learn volumes from her, if we just paid attention to what she says. This is her most recent post, from December 31st:

A Lynching...

It's official. Maliki and his people are psychopaths. This really is a new low. It's outrageous- an execution during Eid. Muslims all over the world (with the exception of Iran) are outraged. Eid is a time of peace, of putting aside quarrels and anger- at least for the duration of Eid.

This does not bode well for the coming year. No one imagined the madmen would actually do it during a religious holiday. It is religiously unacceptable and before, it was constitutionally illegal. We thought we'd at least get a few days of peace and some time to enjoy the Eid holiday, which coincides with the New Year this year. We've spent the first two days of a holy holiday watching bits and pieces of a sordid lynching.

America the savior… After nearly four years and Bush's biggest achievement in Iraq has been a lynching. Bravo Americans.

Maliki has made the mistake of his life. His signature and unhidden glee at the whole execution, especially on the first day of Eid Al Adha (the Eid where millions of Muslims make a pilgrimage to Mecca), will only do more to damage his already tattered reputation. He's like a vulture in a suit (or a balding weasel). It's almost embarrassing. I kept expecting Muwafaq Al Rubaii to run over and wipe the drool from the corner of his mouth as he signed for the execution. Are these the people who represent the New Iraq? We're in so much more trouble than I ever thought.

And no- not the celebrations BBC are claiming. With the exception of a few areas, the streets are empty.

Now we come to CNN. Shame on you CNN journalists- you're getting lazy. The least you can do is get the last words correct when you write a story about an execution. Your articles are read the world over and will go down in history as references. You people are the biggest news network in the world- the least you can do is spend some money on a decent translator. Saddam's last words were NOT "Muqtada Al Sadr" as Munir Haddad claimed, according to the article below. If anyone had seen at least part of the video they showed on TV, you'd know that.

"A witness, Iraqi Judge Munir Haddad, said that one of the executioners told Hussein that the former dictator had destroyed Iraq, which sparked an argument that was joined by several government officials in the room.

As a noose was tightened around Hussein's neck, one of the executioners yelled "long live Muqtada al-Sadr," Haddad said, referring to the powerful anti-American Shiite religious leader.

Hussein, a Sunni, uttered one last phrase before he died, saying "Muqtada al-Sadr" in a mocking tone, according to Haddad's account."

From the video that was leaked, it was not an executioner who yelled "long live Muqtada al-Sadr". See, this is another low the Maliki government sunk to- they had some hecklers conveniently standing by during the execution. Maliki claimed they were "some witnesses from the trial", but they were, very obviously, hecklers. The moment the noose was around Saddam's neck, they began chanting, in unison, "God's prayers be on Mohamed and on Mohamed's family…" Something else I didn't quite catch (but it was very coordinated), and then "Muqtada, Muqtada, Muqtada!" One of them called out to Saddam, "Go to hell…" (in Arabic). Saddam looked down disdainfully and answered "Heya hay il marjala…?" which is basically saying, "Is this your manhood…?".

Someone half-heartedly called out to the hecklers, "I beg you, I beg you- the man is being executed!" They were slightly quieter and then Saddam stood and said, "Ashadu an la ilaha ila Allah, wa ashhadu ana Mohammedun rasool Allah…" Which means, "I witness there is no god but Allah and that Mohammed is His messenger." These are the words a Muslim (Sunnis and Shia alike) should say on their deathbed. He repeated this one more time, very clearly, but before he could finish it, he was lynched.

So, no, CNN, his last words were not "Muqtada Al Sadr" in a mocking tone- just thought someone should clear that up. (Really people, six of you contributed to that article!)

Then again, one could argue that it was a judge who gave them that false information. A judge on the Iraqi appeals court- one of the judges who ratified the execution order. Everyone knows Iraqi judges under American tutelage never lie- that explains CNN's confusion.

Muwafaq Al Rubai was said he was "weak and frightened". Apparently, Rubai saw a different lynching because according to the video they leaked, he didn't look frightened at all. His voice didn't shake and he refused to put on the black hood. He looked resigned to his fate, and during the heckling he looked as defiant as ever. (It's quite a contrast to Muhsin Abdul Hameed's public hysterics last year when the Americans raided his home.)

It's one thing to have militias participating in killings. This is allegedly the democracy the Americans flaunt. Is this how bloodthirsty and frightening we've become? Is this what Iraq stands for now? Executions? I'm sure the rest of the Arab countries will be impressed.

One of the most advanced countries in the world did not help to reconstruct Iraq, they didn't even help produce a decent constitution. They did, however, contribute nicely to a kangaroo court and a lynching. A lynching shall go down in history as America's biggest accomplishment in Iraq. So who's next? Who hangs for the hundreds of thousands who've died as a direct result of this war and occupation? Bush? Blair? Maliki? Jaffari? Allawi? Chalabi?

2006 has definitely been representative of Maliki and his government- killings like never before and a lynching to end it properly. Death and destruction everywhere. I'm so tired of all of this…

I'LL TAKE CINDY AND SUNSARA OVER PELOSI AND REID ANY DAY

It’s been amusing -- in much the same way it’s amusing to see someone shut their fingers in a car door -- to read some of the anti-Cindy Sheehan sewer spew being upchucked across the web in recent days. Since I never waste my time trolling in virtual wingnut waters (a lowly endeavor that would serve no purpose), I’m referring to a few hit pieces I saw at none other than Democratic Underground. As would be expected of just about any dogmatic adherents to a political party line, whatever that party line happens to be, a few indomitable “DUers” have concluded that Cindy actually is the enemy after all. She has the unmitigated presumption to publicly challenge the Democratic “leadership” to live up to their responsibilities; for political disciplinarians of all stripes, such audacity is the most heinous of heresies. Like I said, it’s all so amusing -- hardy fucking har.

Actually, the author of the one crap post at DU that was sufficient to send my credulity reeling around the bend also characterized Sunsara Taylor and World Can’t Wait as “communist” oriented, or words to that effect. Funny, isn’t it, that a nebulous and largely irrelevant spectacle, such as the Democrats taking control of the utterly compromised whorehouse known as the United States Congress, apparently tends to induce a number of otherwise reasonable liberal types to adopt the attitudes, vocabulary, and pejorative iconography of their erstwhile Neo-Con antagonists. What an interesting phenomenon.

Well, one of the most blandly over-used axioms out there says something about people having a right to their opinions ... even cross-eyed mouth-breathers who use fear and ignorance as existential lubrication for what passes for a thought process. That would have to include individuals who operate under the sad delusion that only Neo-Con Republicans should be rhetorically questioned and excoriated and sometimes physically disrupted, while DLC types, and Vichy Democrats in general, should be magically immune from any criticism whatsoever. I’m not sure what you call this sort of thing: Intellectual dishonesty? Hypocrisy? Brain-dead stupidity, maybe?

Fact is, people like Cindy Sheehan and Sunsara Taylor understand full well that our real opponent is the apparatus, the machine, not merely its Republican/Neo-Con wing. They’re not so blindly naive and drowning in wishful thinking to believe that Pelosi and Reid and Emanuel -- and the entire coterie of “off the table” Democrats they lead -- represent an authentic answer to anything, simply by virtue of not being Republicans. Just like the Repugs, Democrats in Congress are politicians, first and foremost, burdened with all the baggage such a designation entails. Posing as self-righteous alternatives to the corrupt bottom-feeders on the Right, the Dems have to be held to a higher standard; Cindy, Sunsara, and others know this intuitively. Too bad a few well-meaning libs at DU don’t seem to have a clue. Political operatives aren’t going to save this country -- real people like Cindy and Sunsara just might.