I agree with Atrios that the “great failure of the Right since their awesome adventure in Iraq has been to create a new Hitler for us to fear and fight”. I don’t think that Chavez or Kim Jong-Il cuts it. And I think the Hitler-within strategy they’re trying with Obama genuinely does alienate those moderate …
Foreign Affairs
Cross-Cultural… Misinterpretations
I don’t know why Erick Erickson hasn’t already announced a fund-raising drive to bring this… unusual… artwork celebrating President Obama’s visit to China back to a venue where it can really be appreciated… (via WGNtv.com Chicago) Perhaps the Red State Strike Farce simply can’t decide who’ll get custody. Or possibly $15k is some $14,913 $14,999,913 …
God doesn’t like ugly
From an interesting piece about substituting pop-Christianity for clinical treatment of war-induced psychological disorders (via Sully): In 2008 the RAND Corporation put a number on the problem, reporting that one in five veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan has suffered some form of mental illness, mostly PTSD and depression. “God doesn’t like ugly,” …
Steal a little and they throw you in jail, steal a lot and they make you ambassador
I’m glad William Jefferson will go to jail, but I wish Peter W. Galbraith (ambassador to Croatia under Clinton) were in there too. Greenwald: Galbraith was one of the most vocal Democratic supporters of the attack on Iraq, having signed a March 19, 2003 public letter (.pdf) — along with the standard cast of neocon …
Afghanistan: Another Perspective
Soonergrunt posted this late last week, and I’m just sorry it didn’t get front-paged sooner: I don’t have all the answers. I have said before that I have very little faith in anybody who speaks about Afghanistan as if they know exactly what to do, or they have a single, un-nuanced answer. Again, I write …
The Afghan Decision
Some good info from Jake Tapper: In Wednesday’s meeting, Pentagon officials presented more details about four strategies — two from Gen. Stanley McChrystal, and two others — but President Obama was not satisfied with their assessments. Specicially, he pushed the generals to clarify how and when U.S. troops would be able to turn over responsibility …
Happy Veteran’s Day
This will put a smile on your face- a bunch of videos of dogs greeting their returning veterans. A sample: Somewhat related, a USA Today piece on the decline of the VFW and American Legion. Happy veteran’s Day!