December 23, 2003

PESKY "WAR" DISTRACTION

The New York Times says it like it’s a bad thing:

As he enters the final year of President Bush's current term in office, while refusing to address the question of whether he would serve during a second term, Mr. Powell says, however, that he is more determined than ever to counter the perception that diplomacy in general — and his own role in particular — have been marginalized in an administration obsessed with war and terrorism.

I understand from history books that FDR was also preoccupied by war. Possibly because, at the time, the world was fighting one. Kind of like now.

(Via email warrior J. F. Beck)

Posted by Tim Blair at December 23, 2003 11:43 PM
Comments

and a good thing he is too. imagine how a 'president gore' would be obsessed with reinventing the internet...boy, that would be comforting

Posted by: Mr. Bingley at December 24, 2003 at 12:39 AM

didn't you know you are an evil polemicist? The soonster can't be wrong, he's paid by the government.

Posted by: Habib at December 24, 2003 at 01:04 AM

Funny how those of us determined to stop terrorism are the ones described as "obsessed" with it, while the purveyors of such terror are described instead as "militants" or "elected president of Iraq," but never as "obsessed" with the creating the terror that occupies their every waking moment.

By this logic, Roosevelt was indeed "obsessed", while Hitler was just doing his job, putting down uprisings, and making sure the trains ran on time (or was that Mussolini?)

What nonsense.

Posted by: Kimberly at December 24, 2003 at 01:20 AM

"that ageing One Nation apologist Tim Blair."

boy, he got you, eh?

Posted by: Mr. Bingley at December 24, 2003 at 01:28 AM

Aren't blogs like Tim's amazing. In the past, the only way we cold express frustration with the nonsence that passes for journalism was to write a letter to the editor, in the hope that these same jounalists would deign to publish it. Now, however, we have instant and unfettered reply, and the press is looking increasingly ridiculous as a result. Thanks, Tim, for many laughs and Merry Christmas.

Posted by: chip at December 24, 2003 at 01:57 AM

That pesky war. Normally Bush would be obsessed with starving children and beating the elderly, but now he must concentrate on making war on the that religion of peace.

Posted by: perfectsense at December 24, 2003 at 04:41 AM

"We Are Winning The War on Terror"

http://www.khanreport.com/content/122203.html

Posted by: Adam Khan at December 24, 2003 at 06:23 AM

After pulling up the Google search engine, I used "anti-Bush" as a search word. After clicking on the very first reference, I then clicked on the "Weblogs" hyperlink. Incidentally, nearly 400 are listed. But let's not stop there. Underneath that list is a hyperlink to a site that does list those most important 100 weblogs, yours among them. After visiting your weblog, I got the impression you'd like reading the text between the starred blocks.

* * * *
So, the right wing has succeeded in strong-arming the CBS television network into dumping the proposed REAGANS mini-series onto some subscriber channel. What an impressive display of sheer political might. Here's the kicker.

It was also a startling display of sheer political jealousy. A Sunday or so ago, the History Channel did a retrospective on President John Fitzgerald Kennedy, some forty (40) years after his assassination. Because I won't be around to collect the bet, I must forgo offering this wager.

Oh, how I would love to bet five doughnuts to anybody's three! Some sixty (60) years from now, a hundred years after JFK's assassination, some mass media outlet will do a retrospective on the man and "Camelot". And the institutions dedicated to his memory will be flourishing. By then, former President Ronald (a/k/a "The Great Communicator") Reagan will have been relegated to history's curio shoppe. Chances are, the curators of the Reagan Library will have to made ends meet by adding on a bed-and-breakfast section ... maybe, a massage parlour, even.

Aaay, let's face it. Compared against the swan that was Jackie-O, Nancy comes across like a guano-spattered shrike. That alone is enough to drive the right-wing up the wall. * * * *

Well, if you've come this far, you must've enjoyed the text between the starred blocks. Just so happens, it's an excerpt from an article that was recently published on the Internet. Just in case, you'd be interested in reading the whole article, I've enclosed a hyperlink in this courriel.

Before clicking on it, though, you might like to know the hyperlink connects to an index of sorts that lists recently published articles. Furthermore, the excerpt is found in the "Yoko" piece.

Maybe, more to your interests, you might like to peruse the "Palestine" piece, for which I've gotten a few compliments. I've been told it explains, in large part, the peculiar behavior of the United States with regard to the Middle East, since the end of World War II.

And now, here's the promised HYPERLINK.

The administrators of some websites I had visited have asked me for credentials. A reasonable enough request, I suppose. To honor such requests, I've replied with the following directions.

One need only pull up the Google search engine, and then insert with quotes and all this phrase "A. Alexander Stella" in the search field. After clicking on the Google Search button, your monitor screen will be filled references attached to my name.


warm regards

\

Bogey

p.s - I almost forgot to include this bit of information. The administrator for the www.theworriedshrimp.com website took me up on my offer to display my copyrighted and historically corrected version of the Confederate Battle Banner. So, here's another link for your edification: www.theworriedshrimp.com/ToonReviews.html

When I was in the service, my ship's captain was obsessed with "belt and suspenders". Maybe, he had a point. And so, here's the U.R.L undergirding the above hyperlink:

http://www.bcvoice.com/modules.php?name=News&new_topic=2





Posted by: A Alexander Stella at December 24, 2003 at 08:28 AM

A. Alexander Stella has posted the identical comment on "Samizdata.net". Makes me want to
Google so as to see my "screen filled with references to [his] name."

Or not.

Posted by: Theodopoulos Pherecydes at December 24, 2003 at 09:46 AM

Well, I'm steamed. I didn't vote for Bush to be "obsessed with war and terrorism". Dammit, I voted for him to rape the environment, put women back in the kitchen where they belong, and take money from the poor and give it to the plutocrats.

Okay, I'll give him another four years but he better get with it this time. Get his priorities right for a change.

SMG

Posted by: SteveMG at December 24, 2003 at 10:59 AM

"obsessed with war". Well, well. So was Adolf Hitler. So was Genghis Khan. So is Tim Blair.

Face it, being obsessed with war is not of itself a cause for praise.

Posted by: Davo at December 24, 2003 at 12:06 PM

You know, if someone tried to kill 50,000 people, and "only" killed 3000 (which happens to be 600 more than died at Pearl harbor) through a combination of timing and a slightly off aim, I would want the President to be obsessed by bringing them to justice.

Nothing stunk of weakness more than Bill Clinton allowing Saddam to try and assassinate George Bush Sr without massive retaliation.

Posted by: Bruce at December 24, 2003 at 12:08 PM

our president is obsessed with making sure we don't get annilated. gee, what a horrible man he is.

Posted by: samkit at December 24, 2003 at 12:51 PM

I must confess a degree of curiosity:

What do you think Jacques Chirac, the anti-Dubya, is presumably obsessed with? How about Gerhard Schroeder?

Conversely, what do you think Osama bin Laden (assuming he's alive) is obsessed with? And what was Saddam, in the days prior to his being picked up?

Posted by: Dean at December 24, 2003 at 03:10 PM