Libertarian Leanings

How long will this last?

The shocking execution of Nick Berg drew this statement from John Kerry.

"Like all Americans, I'm horrified and deeply saddened by the senseless murder of Nicholas Berg. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and with the families of all our troops and civilians working under such dangerous conditions to rebuild and bring peace to Iraq. We are grateful for the work you do and the risks you take. The terrorists who committed this atrocity will not prevail, and America stands together against them."

Now let's see how long it takes him to blow it by finding a way to claim that Berg's death is the result of the "misguided policies of George Bush".

An anniversary...

On this date in 1968 I was inducted into the Air Force and began basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas.

More Iraqi opinion on Abu Ghraib

Firas Georges has an illuminating post at Iraq & Iraqis. His recent posts, which focus more on rebuilding than destruction, lead me to speculate on the possibility of a cake walk in November for President Bush.

I didn’t even find enough time to open my personal mail, and when a friend of mine from Basra said that he would e-mail me about something important three days ago and I didn’t receive any thing yet because he is busy with a contract about rehabilitation of 100 schools there, and when I received information about two Iraqi companies and another group of companies wins the bid to clean the mess and rebuild Faluja , and when I receive information about an Iraqi company joining with Ukrainian company to invest more than hundred millions dollars in one of the most important steel factories compound in Iraq and supplying job opportunities for more than 4000 Iraqi’s besides training ………..Then I would be sure that the peak is not only here in Baghdad its every where in Iraq. What’s more important that I am not the only one to see this and for sure that’s not every thing. Much more is being done.

If his is the more accurate portrayal of Iraqi sentiment, maybe we can expect insurgency to cool down over the next few months as political and economic conditions in Iraq improve. The key is a successful demonstration of American staying power, and it seems pretty clear that Mr. Georges is a believer. As Iraqis see things improving, we can expect more of them to begin to believe that America really intends to build a free and peaceful Iraq. We can also expect that they will gain confidence in American willpower to succeed in that effort. If that happens, Iraq may turn out to be the shining centerpiece to the Bush-Cheney re-election campaign, instead of the albatross yearned for by Kerry, Kennedy, and the Democrats.

A crucial moment will arrive about a month and a half, when some degree of sovereignty is to be passed to the Iraqis themselves. If there are enough people like Firas Georges who would see a necessity and an opportunity in learning the lessons of Abu Ghraib, the news from Iraq will be good news for the administration. However, we must not expect the establishment media to give it up without a fight. Here is the Iraqi view of the scandal as related by Mr. Georges.

Here in Baghdad any one can see that the media is talking about Abo Ghraib more than the Iraqis themselves. Its not Iraqis they are crying on they are using this case against the Americans. Please try to answer these questions:

Is there any prison in the world with out humiliation?
Did any one talk about Iraqi human rights before April 2003?
Did any one ask what those people in Abo Ghraib did to be treated like that?
Can any Arab country open its prisons for any committee?
Would any one dare to criticize prisons system in any other Arab country?

Well……Tank you Arabs, we don’t need your voices now…

On the other hand, here are today’s headlines from the usual suspects:

Rumsfeld Criticized by Influential Military Paper

A 'clear ... systemic failure'

Senators Fault Pentagon as New Photos Emerge
Lawmakers Split on Rumsfeld Resignation

Beyond the shock

In spite of incessant establishment media reports of doom and gloom, there is cause for optimism. While the formidable liberal arm of the media is in a fierce battle to defeat the Iraqis, we may be heartened that the Iraqis have the U.S. Marines on their side.

Teresa

The always entertaining Man Without Qualities hits the nail squarely once again with this post on Teresa Heinz Kerry. He points out that the late Senator Heinz served in the Air Force Reserve during the Vietnam War, then asks:

QUESTION #1: Does Teresa Heinz-Kerry think that her late husband served honorably? IF YES, then doesn't she think G.W. Bush did, too?

QUESTION #2: Does Teresa Heinz-Kerry think that her current husband - John Kerry - was UNPATRIOTIC for SEEKING a deferment - which he did do, but which deferment did not get? (John Kerry's request for a student deferment was turned down.)

QUESTION #3 - If John Kerry was NOT unpatriotic for SEEKING A DEFERMENT - but getting turned down - then HOW CAN SHE DARE CRITICIZE CHENEY FOR SEEKING ONE - or more - AND NOT getting turned down?

To those questions I would add this one: What about women? I mean ordinary women, not Teresa, who shows not a the slightest hesitation in questioning the patriotism of others. Are [ordinary] women, unpatriotic if they wonder aloud about the Senator's voting record on defense issues? I suppose not if they themselves have served in Vietnam.

It can't feel good to essentially determine herself a hypocrite and to have implicitly called her dead husband (the one she calls her "real" husband, and who she publicly professes still to adore) an unpatriotic coward. And all that when she thought she was just smearing her current husband's opponent! Dear me, life can be so complicated!

Teresa and John are looking like a match made in heaven.

More from Abu Ghraib...

Ali is a doctor in Iraq who posts on Iraq the Model. He brings another perspective to us as he relates a conversation between himself and a colleague who spent a month providing treatment at the prison. The most interesting part comes at the end of his post.

...I must say that these few exceptions happen everywhere, only in good society they can be exposed and dealt with fast, while in corrupted regimes, it may take decades for such atrocities to be exposed which encourage the evil people to go on, and exceptions become the rule.

What happened in Abu-Gharib should be a lesson for us, Iraqis, above all. It showed how justice functions in a democratic society. We should study this lesson carefully, since sooner or later we'll be left alone and it will be our responsibility to deal with such atrocities, as these will never seize to happen.

While Democrats demand resignations in their orgy of pretended outrage, some Iraqis are looking at this as their lesson and their challenge.

Iraqi thoughts on insurgence

Alaasmary at Sun of Iraq describes the results of some research he did on the "root causes" of violence in Iraq.

My research was started before 12 days ago to looking for the fact in the filuja and in Al-Najaf, I met two persons from the Filuja and I asked him
Why you are fighting ?
They say.
1. We are fighting to get money we are without work without salary we spend our life to served Saddam we worked with him and now we can't live without money so we are fight for money...

When I asked Muqtada's fellows in Al-Najaf City they say.
1. We are fighting because we haven’t any work and haven't money to live in the peace, we spend our life in the captor and we get our freedom with USA and UK help but we discovered we are without money without jobs without any things.
2. Muqtada and whom support him pay good money so we need that money to get good life...

Firas at Iraq & Iraqis has hope that the answer is on the way:

And today I know that many rebuilding tenders were issued in the fields of sewerage systems, housing, and general services, and guess where? ……….in Faluja , with the conditions that the people of Faluja should be the main labor for these contracts. When I told some of my friends about this matter they said “now we are talking”, as usual, business and work opportunities is the best to solve terrorism and violence problems every where.

All emphasis is mine

Torture in Iraq

According to The New York Times the apology from President Bush for the regrettable behavior of Army prison guards at Abu Ghraib will do little to convince the world that their behavior was the exception not the rule.

President Bush chose Arabic-language television stations to deliver his message, but he seemed to win few converts in the Arab world.

"We do not think that a single Arab will believe President George Bush when he says that the torture, abuse and sexual violations committed by his soldiers in Iraq do not represent the United States, or that they are individual actions," wrote Abdelbari Atwan in Al Quds al Arabi, a London-based Arabic daily. "The torture is not the work of a few American soldiers. It is the result of an official American culture that deliberately insults and humiliates Muslims."

The reactions you find in the blogosphere are more varied. Omar at Iraq the Model posts a selection of emailed comments:

-"Thank you Sir for apologizing on the abuse of the Iraqi prisoners in Abu Ghraib prison. Here you opened an important file; I think that those criminals who were responsible for the mass graves in my country (who are now in your jails' cells) should apologize for their massacres against the Iraqi people".
Imad Al-Sa'ad - Netherlands.

-"I'm very happy to see Iraqis condemning the abuse and defending the rights of the prisoners and this is the first time they do something like this, which was impossible for them to do under the dictator's regime. I think that our Arab brothers should mind their own business and take a look at their own prisons".
N - Jordan.

Sarmad Zangna at Road of a Nation has a long post today.

...also I speak with some people were in this prison ,the were suspects and they where ,saying ,the American solider treat us so well , and those people don’t represent the hall American ,we could might not ever know a bout the hall think ,but because they are a big deferens between what was happening in saddam time and now ,and the transpierce from the American side ,we know about the hall thing ,I wonder if the hall Arabic regimes allowed the human rights and the press to see what happening in there dark holes...

It's a challenging read, but worth it. It is also interesting to note that Sarmad would fit right in here in the Granite State. His closing comment:

Living free or we die .

Right from Left

Do you ever stop to wonder what is meant by Left Wing and Right Wing? Perhaps this will help.

People who consider themselves to be on the Left describe those on the Right as being conservative, as in resistant to change. In their view Right Wingers support entrenched power. Right Wing philosophies include nationalism, conservatism, and fascism, to name a few. Issues such as abortion and broadcast decency reveal the Right to be a threat to individual liberty and free speech. The Right also includes anybody who opposes the Left. They are evil.

Those who view themselves as being on the Right describe those on the Left as liberal in that they favor government intervention and control. In the view of those on the Right, the Left supports entrenched power. Left Wing philosophies include communism, socialism, and liberalism, to name a few. Issues such as environmental regulation and campus hate speech codes reveal the Left to be a threat to individual liberty and free speech. The Left also includes anybody who opposes the Right. They are evil.

Those who say they are on the Left describe Left Wing as progressive and in favor of change to promote social justice, and equality. In their view of themselves, the Left oppose entrenched power. They stand for the little guy and against the powers that oppress. They would bring the power of government to bear to right past wrongs and ensure that justice is done. They are promoters of freedom - freedom from oppression, freedom from want. They are good. However, in the view of the Right they are liars whose platitudes about justice are a pathetic attempt to disguise their rapacious lust for power.

Those who say they are on the Right describe Right Wing as conservative in and in favor of preserving the climate of freedom, justice, and equality as set forth by our founding fathers. In their view of themselves, the Right oppose entrenched power. They stand for the little guy and against the powers that oppress. They would limit the power of government to encroach upon liberty, and they would ensure that justice is done. They are promoters of freedom - freedom from oppression, freedom to pursue the American dream. They are good. However, in the view of the Left they are liars whose platitudes about liberty are a pathetic attempt to disguise their rapacious lust for power.

This reveals a political spectrum that ranges from totalitarian communism on the extreme Left to totalitarian fascism on the extreme Right. The vast area in between remains a complete mystery. One thing, however, is clear. There is no one who has the slightest idea what he’s talking about. With that in mind, I offer this definition, which measures the degree of individual liberty as a method for locating a philosophy on the political spectrum. On the extreme Left we have total government control and no freedom. On the extreme Right we have total freedom and no government control. This puts communism and fascism together on the Left and anarchy on Right. It also puts both the American Left and the American Right together in the middle but also toward the right end of the spectrum, especially when viewed from the European perspective. No doubt the Left will consider it an insult and a humiliation to be considered on the right end of any spectrum. And the Right will consider it an insult and a humiliation to be considered anywhere near the Left no matter where they might be on the spectrum.

So there it is. Using this sensible definition of the Left vs. Right political spectrum, a Right Winger would like to see us move from Left to Right, away from government control toward individual liberty. A Left Winger would like to see us move along this political spectrum from Right to Left, away from the inherent inequalities of the free market system toward social justice. In reality we know they are all liars whose only purpose in moving anywhere at all is to satisfy their rapacious lust for power.

Will there be justice in Iraq?

This seems to indicate progress in the effort to transform Iraq into a democratic society.

Is nothing sacred?

More bad news! First, the designated hitter, now this!