Despite suspicions that the row is a first shot against Hamid Karzai's less than pliant leadership, Barack Obama is to be credited for his support of women's rights in Afghanistan. His predecessor (George Bush, remember Media?) would be unlikely to ruffle feathers of his favored puppets in Iraq, Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia. Unfortunately, Obama is less inclined to break with Bush over the so called war against the Taliban, Al Queda or whomever.
This renewed folly comes despite the fact that NATO allies are very cool on a broadened commitment, with Canada and Italy threatening to withdraw troops - using the women's rights legal row as a pretext. Furthermore, Allies like Portugal, Greece and Croatia are exempted from serving in danger areas. Little doubt then that the 38,000 US troops (close to 70,000 with Obama's expansion) will bear the brunt of fighting in hotspots like Hemland province.
The media have done a good job belittling the mostly peaceful G20 protesters and have declined to report on their messages with any substance. However, worldwide protests go beyond G20 meetings and also focus on NATO's 60 anniversary, its Afghan commitment and the incompatibility of this plan with democratic intent in Europe and the US. Fact is, elite and popular opinion in Arab, Western, and NATO nations, as well as the US and Afghanistan are expressly against this escalation. Platitudes about women's rights fade amid this affront to democracy.
**All GOP lies mentioned below have been a prominent feature on WBSM local radio.
GOP fed media have mislead on Economic Recovery Plan ( Stimulus), devised stories about non existent earmarks and pork, and conflated the Plan with Housing Relief and TARP initiatives.
In truth the Stimulus is very simple and uncontroversial. The following are two succinct reports on the Stimulus, its basic Keynesian multiplier rationale, and the specific areas it targets:
GOP minions have also tried to bury the bill's tax cut - largest tax cut in US history - in favor of lies about marsh mice and lies about Harry Reid and rail. In fact, according to the Globe, "the signature two-year "Making Work Pay" tax break will affect 95 percent of working families, and, in six weeks' time, a typical family will start taking home at least $65 more every month."
As Frank Rich pointed out several weeks ago, this Herbert Hooverism plays well in the blogosphere but earns negative equity amongst the public at large. As David Frum admits below, the GOP is not trusted, has minus 8 years of integrity, and is deaf to the public thirst for "solutions first." Even the immediate payroll tax relief he proposes is part of Obama's plan.
Frum is engaged in true patriotism and party loyalty, not convenient dissent and blind party allegiance. Here's an example of the latter, where a SouthCoast GOPer ignores his party's foibles and paints his actions as principled and patriotic. Oh, and as befits a WBSM fan, he lies about the Stimulus by peddling a partial CBO study.
Robert Sands (sandsnb@hotmail.com) Sent: Fri 1/16/09 12:31 PM To: barry@wsar.com Barry,
I am very curious as to what you are going to do when you realize that the Drudge propagated story about Obama's inaugural cost is debunked. Truth is, the cost will be comparable, if not less in adjusted dollars than Bush's party. How will you reflect on the inordinate time spent on a lie? Afterall, as you say yourself, there are serious issues going on.
November 5th, 2008 Israeli Defense Forces broke the truce with Hamas, killing 5 in an assault on a "kidnapping tunnel." Over the past three days the IAF massacre from above killing hundreds as it supposedly attacks terrorists. Israel claims the right to defend itself under Article 51 of the UN charter. But are Gazans not supposed to respond to the 40 year occupation, 4 year siege, and intermittent attacks and blockades from Israel? What can possibly result from this overwhelming assault on a defenseless people?
What will happen?
It is clear that peace is further away than ever in Palestine. How will this affect the Muslim world's approach to the West? Maybe the world's Muslims will think "there is not too much glory and valor involved in flying over a giant prison and firing at its people using helicopters and fighter jets." Maybe this and not the Koran has something to do with Islamic terror? At least that's what the 9-11 Commission said.
How did it happen?
Since the withdrawal in 2005, Israel has maintained a siege on Gaza turning on and off power at will, illegally freezing vital funds, blocking passage at Rafah and Gaza crossings in and out at will. All this as it tells the world it has withdrawn from Gaza. We are not too far from summer 2006 and the bloody assault on Gaza ( a supposed rescue mission for one soldier kidnapped in a reprisal - Gilad Shalit) that preceded the killing of 1,000 in Lebanon.
Expressing the democratic wishes of Gazans, Hamas has consistently demanded to see such restrictions lifted and seemed reluctant to renew the ceasefire without such guarantees. Despite Israeli attacks on alleged militants and seven to ten rockets fired from Gaza, by Sunday December 22nd it looked like a restoration of the truce was possible with Turkish and Egyptian mediation.
Israel had bigger plans and seemingly used the expiration of the truce as a time to implement them. Again, civilian deaths are a part of the plan or at least not considered. Even an Israeli newspaper admits that " little to no weight was apparently devoted to the question of harming innocent civilians."
However, after months of a successful truce, by now Israel is determined not to treat the democratic representatives of Palestinians as equals or treat the Palestinians as deserving of any rights or liberties. So says Israeli historian Tom Segev as he sees Israel "striking at the Palestinians to 'teach them a lesson.' This wont work, he says. Afterall, Israel's mass killing leaves a people with nothing to lose and no way out. The real solution would have come with efforts to refine and restore the truce last week. When this mass killing is over, there will still be one alternative says Segev: "Ending the siege of Gaza and allowing freedom of movement between Gaza and the West Bank [that] could rehabilitate life in the Strip."
Samira Balousha carries her son, Muhammed, while crying over the body of her 4-year-old daughter, Jawaher, during the funeral for Jawaher and her four sisters, who died in an Israeli airstrike on the mosque next to their house in Gaza.
