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Spring Enters, Stage Left
Mar. 17th, 2003 10:05 amYesterday was six weeks, to the day, after Groundhog Day. One cannot but be impressed by the damned rodent's skill at prognostication...
Mar. 17th, 2003
Spring Enters, Stage Left
Mar. 17th, 2003 10:05 amYesterday was six weeks, to the day, after Groundhog Day. One cannot but be impressed by the damned rodent's skill at prognostication...
Good articles on George W. Queeg
Mar. 17th, 2003 12:58 pmThanks to ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
editrx for these pointers through her blog. Both articles are well worth reading: concise, well-reasoned looks at just how horrifically things have run off the rails. Neither is precisely anti-war, or even necessarily anti-war-in-Iraq, but both do a fine job of laying bare the foolishness of the way this is being prosecuted.
First, there's the New York Times Op-Ed article on George W. Queeg. A rather scary examination of a man who is looking more and more obsessive, and less and less rational.
Second, there's an excellent examination of why current American strategic policy is a grand mistake. This is a coldly pragmatic discussion of the larger picture: where we're going, and why it's the wrong direction.
Check 'em out. With war imminent (and looking unavoidable), it's time to pay attention to what's going on, and why...
editrx for these pointers through her blog. Both articles are well worth reading: concise, well-reasoned looks at just how horrifically things have run off the rails. Neither is precisely anti-war, or even necessarily anti-war-in-Iraq, but both do a fine job of laying bare the foolishness of the way this is being prosecuted.First, there's the New York Times Op-Ed article on George W. Queeg. A rather scary examination of a man who is looking more and more obsessive, and less and less rational.
Second, there's an excellent examination of why current American strategic policy is a grand mistake. This is a coldly pragmatic discussion of the larger picture: where we're going, and why it's the wrong direction.
Check 'em out. With war imminent (and looking unavoidable), it's time to pay attention to what's going on, and why...
Good articles on George W. Queeg
Mar. 17th, 2003 12:58 pmThanks to editrx for these pointers through her blog. Both articles are well worth reading: concise, well-reasoned looks at just how horrifically things have run off the rails. Neither is precisely anti-war, or even necessarily anti-war-in-Iraq, but both do a fine job of laying bare the foolishness of the way this is being prosecuted.
First, there's the New York Times Op-Ed article on George W. Queeg. A rather scary examination of a man who is looking more and more obsessive, and less and less rational.
Second, there's an excellent examination of why current American strategic policy is a grand mistake. This is a coldly pragmatic discussion of the larger picture: where we're going, and why it's the wrong direction.
Check 'em out. With war imminent (and looking unavoidable), it's time to pay attention to what's going on, and why...
editrx for these pointers through her blog. Both articles are well worth reading: concise, well-reasoned looks at just how horrifically things have run off the rails. Neither is precisely anti-war, or even necessarily anti-war-in-Iraq, but both do a fine job of laying bare the foolishness of the way this is being prosecuted.First, there's the New York Times Op-Ed article on George W. Queeg. A rather scary examination of a man who is looking more and more obsessive, and less and less rational.
Second, there's an excellent examination of why current American strategic policy is a grand mistake. This is a coldly pragmatic discussion of the larger picture: where we're going, and why it's the wrong direction.
Check 'em out. With war imminent (and looking unavoidable), it's time to pay attention to what's going on, and why...
Afternoon Air
Mar. 17th, 2003 03:30 pmI always do my best thinking when I'm walking -- not necessarily the most linear and logical progressions, but the creative explorations of what comes next. This makes a fine excuse to get outside for a little while when the weather warrants.
I must say, though, there's something deliciously incongruous to be wandering around in weather so warm I regret wearing long sleeves -- past the fields around our building, which are still covered in snow. This year's weather really is odd...
(This posting brought to you by the Society to Employ Homeless W's. Please, won't you alliterate just a little, and help these wee waifs work as well?)
I must say, though, there's something deliciously incongruous to be wandering around in weather so warm I regret wearing long sleeves -- past the fields around our building, which are still covered in snow. This year's weather really is odd...
(This posting brought to you by the Society to Employ Homeless W's. Please, won't you alliterate just a little, and help these wee waifs work as well?)
Afternoon Air
Mar. 17th, 2003 03:30 pmI always do my best thinking when I'm walking -- not necessarily the most linear and logical progressions, but the creative explorations of what comes next. This makes a fine excuse to get outside for a little while when the weather warrants.
I must say, though, there's something deliciously incongruous to be wandering around in weather so warm I regret wearing long sleeves -- past the fields around our building, which are still covered in snow. This year's weather really is odd...
(This posting brought to you by the Society to Employ Homeless W's. Please, won't you alliterate just a little, and help these wee waifs work as well?)
I must say, though, there's something deliciously incongruous to be wandering around in weather so warm I regret wearing long sleeves -- past the fields around our building, which are still covered in snow. This year's weather really is odd...
(This posting brought to you by the Society to Employ Homeless W's. Please, won't you alliterate just a little, and help these wee waifs work as well?)
On the one hand, I feel a major social obligation to watch Mr. Bush's address tonight, since it will almost certainly plunge us into war. (If not today, then soon.) On the other hand, I am quite certain that it will accomplish nothing but raising my blood pressure, and leave me wanting to throw something through the television set.
One more small unhappy choice occasioned by the times...
One more small unhappy choice occasioned by the times...
On the one hand, I feel a major social obligation to watch Mr. Bush's address tonight, since it will almost certainly plunge us into war. (If not today, then soon.) On the other hand, I am quite certain that it will accomplish nothing but raising my blood pressure, and leave me wanting to throw something through the television set.
One more small unhappy choice occasioned by the times...
One more small unhappy choice occasioned by the times...
The Post-Speech World
Mar. 17th, 2003 08:25 pmWell, that was almost comically easy to deconstruct -- the usual even mixture of actual truth, unsupported assertions, and a bit of outright legal nonsense, blended together to justify the war. I'm a bit disappointed: I was hoping that he would at least come up with something new. And I have a nasty feeling that the clumsy propaganda, aimed at the Iraqis, in the middle of the speech may well backfire.
I have to say, the thing I found most striking was how small Bush looked. Especially at the beginning, he looked like nothing quite so much as a terrified boy, sure that he was going to be called on the carpet. He gained some confidence as he went along, but this was generally just a shadow of the impressive post-9/11 speech.
The hell of it is, I agree with the basic principle: that Saddam Hussein is an evil bastard who deserves to be deposed. But on both principle and practice, this is the wrong way to do it -- openly flouting international law and opinion to go barging in. If the US is going to deserve its leading position in the world, it should be leading the rest, not ignoring them...
I have to say, the thing I found most striking was how small Bush looked. Especially at the beginning, he looked like nothing quite so much as a terrified boy, sure that he was going to be called on the carpet. He gained some confidence as he went along, but this was generally just a shadow of the impressive post-9/11 speech.
The hell of it is, I agree with the basic principle: that Saddam Hussein is an evil bastard who deserves to be deposed. But on both principle and practice, this is the wrong way to do it -- openly flouting international law and opinion to go barging in. If the US is going to deserve its leading position in the world, it should be leading the rest, not ignoring them...
The Post-Speech World
Mar. 17th, 2003 08:25 pmWell, that was almost comically easy to deconstruct -- the usual even mixture of actual truth, unsupported assertions, and a bit of outright legal nonsense, blended together to justify the war. I'm a bit disappointed: I was hoping that he would at least come up with something new. And I have a nasty feeling that the clumsy propaganda, aimed at the Iraqis, in the middle of the speech may well backfire.
I have to say, the thing I found most striking was how small Bush looked. Especially at the beginning, he looked like nothing quite so much as a terrified boy, sure that he was going to be called on the carpet. He gained some confidence as he went along, but this was generally just a shadow of the impressive post-9/11 speech.
The hell of it is, I agree with the basic principle: that Saddam Hussein is an evil bastard who deserves to be deposed. But on both principle and practice, this is the wrong way to do it -- openly flouting international law and opinion to go barging in. If the US is going to deserve its leading position in the world, it should be leading the rest, not ignoring them...
I have to say, the thing I found most striking was how small Bush looked. Especially at the beginning, he looked like nothing quite so much as a terrified boy, sure that he was going to be called on the carpet. He gained some confidence as he went along, but this was generally just a shadow of the impressive post-9/11 speech.
The hell of it is, I agree with the basic principle: that Saddam Hussein is an evil bastard who deserves to be deposed. But on both principle and practice, this is the wrong way to do it -- openly flouting international law and opinion to go barging in. If the US is going to deserve its leading position in the world, it should be leading the rest, not ignoring them...