woe is me
Why woe, well my digital camera seems to have died. At any rate it doesn't come on when I push the button. I have tried a couple of different sets of batteries too, fresh from the recharger and no luck. I hate this because I have really gotten used to just driving around with it and taking pictures of whatever interesting catches my eye. I was looking forward to using it next week because Pres. George is coming to my neck of the woods to campaign for a Max Burns. I really don't care that much about seeing the President. It would be nice and all but I can live without it. I was hoping to get some pictures of protestors pro and con though. I am sure there will be some. He will be in a college town and that will supply some local opposition from the liberak members of the faculty to join the traveling roadshow of protestors. I suppose I could use my 35mm but then I have to get pictures developed and such. I have been spoiled.
On a different front, awhile back the Lancet, a British medical journal published a study they did showing that more than 600,000 Iraqi civilians have died since the war started. Of course this was leapt upon by the anti Bush blog forces as further evidence of his evil incompetence. Equally predictable were the responses from the administration and various conservative mouthpieces. These responses led to comments such as this
(if you read that now you will see my next point made there a couple of days ago)
Now it seems that Bush and his conservatives aren't the only ones saying that the Lancets numbers are non credible. The website http://www.iraqbodycount.org has released a large multipage press release calling the Lancets numbers into question. Their conclusion is that the Lancet's study was faulty and their data collection.
Incidentally, the Iraqibodycount.orgs body count at the moment of writing this was 49,157, a number that I frankly think is low considering the amount of sectarian carnage going on over there.
This response has gotten amazingly little press or notice from the blog world. Blue girls does VERY briefly touch on it in a quote from another blogger here.
People keep accusing me of being a Bush apologist or something. I didn't vote for the man in the last election. I think his social agenda is a disaster for the country and he has seriously blown the war in Iraq. But waving our hands in the air while bewailing his foolishness isn't going to help anything. Neither will looking at Iraq and saying "Oops, sorry 'bout this but we're going home now." That is just short sighted stupidity in my view.
On a different front, awhile back the Lancet, a British medical journal published a study they did showing that more than 600,000 Iraqi civilians have died since the war started. Of course this was leapt upon by the anti Bush blog forces as further evidence of his evil incompetence. Equally predictable were the responses from the administration and various conservative mouthpieces. These responses led to comments such as this
The man feels no compassion or empathy; he is empty. The number, from what I understand, is credible, and abominable.and this
Thinking about that major intellect at work, scares me to death. He could barely stumble through his speech...saying that he didn't understand "fancy words"...just trying to play "the good ole boy" with an "aw shucks" attitude.Both of these were comments posted hereBluegirl comments section
The mean & nasty calculation just makes me sick. Barf, Barf, Barf.
(if you read that now you will see my next point made there a couple of days ago)
Now it seems that Bush and his conservatives aren't the only ones saying that the Lancets numbers are non credible. The website http://www.iraqbodycount.org has released a large multipage press release calling the Lancets numbers into question. Their conclusion is that the Lancet's study was faulty and their data collection.
Incidentally, the Iraqibodycount.orgs body count at the moment of writing this was 49,157, a number that I frankly think is low considering the amount of sectarian carnage going on over there.
This response has gotten amazingly little press or notice from the blog world. Blue girls does VERY briefly touch on it in a quote from another blogger here.
People keep accusing me of being a Bush apologist or something. I didn't vote for the man in the last election. I think his social agenda is a disaster for the country and he has seriously blown the war in Iraq. But waving our hands in the air while bewailing his foolishness isn't going to help anything. Neither will looking at Iraq and saying "Oops, sorry 'bout this but we're going home now." That is just short sighted stupidity in my view.
posted by exMI | 08:56
6 Comments:
Note: When I say Bush's socail policy is a disaster I am refering to his kowtowing to the Religious Fundalmentalist Right in all things social be it gay marriage to stem cell research.
What difference does it make if its 60,000 or 600,000? Is one life any less valuable than another?
To quible about the body count seems to demean the loss of life in general. Why are we keeping score here?
Its a war..and in war people get killed. Death doesnt care if your in civilan clothing or in a military uniform. Nor does it seem to care if you are an Iraqi or an American.
I wont go into whether I believe the politics of this war are valid. All I will say..is we ARE there..So while we are..we need to support our troops who have been sent there to do a job.
Now we need to either get the job done or get out. Im tired of all the bitching.
What? Practicality? Responsibility? No finger pointing? No wailing and gnashing of teeth?
Wow!
Shame that others do not follow your example
By the way, try different batteries before you give up on the camera.
Certainly there are any number of faults of President Bush. However, that doesn't mean that any argument that slams Bush is therefore correct. You still need to arrive at conclusions based on logic and evidence.
I've run into the same problem elsewhere. Criticize someone's anti-Bush argument, and they automatically assume you're some sort of pro-Bush fanatic, and start attacking.
Cynically, I'd point out that that effect is exactly what the pols want. The point of dividing the country into two parties and polarizing the voters is precisely so that you'll mindlessly give the one party power just because you hate the other. The antidote isn't to despite whatever party is in power. The antidote is to not fall into the "us or them" party trap in the first place.
At this point we have an obligation to mitigate the damage that's already been done in Iraq. Nancy Pelosi will certainly be happy to throw Iraqis to the wolves if she gets to be Speaker as a result, but gaining personal power is not a very good reason to intensify and prolong Iraqi problems. (Isn't that exactly what the anybody-but-Bush crowd likes to charge with the "war for oil / Halliburton / father envy" lines?)
If I wanted to completely turn troops away from support from this administration, I think noting they can't sue for side effects of immunizations - regardless of merit - coupled with "Stop Loss" policies - for volunteers ! - and the tales of financial ruin associated with those who have served plus caps on vet medical services .... aren't you better off out of it ?
My pet worry is not a verified conspiracy but a problem with ignorance. Thousands of vets are reporting mysterious extremely bad physical ailments : including Gulf War One service, not just the current occupation. I don't trust military transparency ( boy, is that an understatement ! ) on issues relating to Depleted Uranium affecting both those who served and Iraqi people and wildlife. Given reports from Baghdad bloggers that teachers, professors and doctors are all seeking refuge outside Iraq because they are being targeted for killing, kidnapping, etc. I had the thought that disease incubation in Iraq has a great chance of being unchecked and epidemic(s) may well run rampant.
Both for the sake of realistic diagnosis of vet's conditions and the slim possibility that Iraq might not be a total meltdown of death and destruction, I would think an international appraisal of this possibility would be urgent.
Unhappily, no sign of such has come to my attention.
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