Did the "first casualty of war" in Iraq have plans to be a suicide bomber? Did his death save American lives? Too bad the suicide bomber who killed four American soldiers didn't meet the same fate before he could conduct his unscrupulous act.
posted by Happy at 4:48 PM

 
I must take personal pride in today's Best of the Web. Which without my contribution may not have been Best of... (of course).
posted by Happy at 1:17 PM

 
Suspended for his politics or his stupidity? You be the judge. But remember, "Stupidity is not a crime, but it seldom goes unpunished.

SF Chron's Norr suspended after participating in war protest

Romenesko Letters

San Francisco Chronicle technology columnist Henry Norr (left) says he was suspended without pay after getting arrested in "a peaceful civil disobedience" against the war. "The offense the Chronicle is charging me with is falsifying my timecard, but this is a bogus, after-the-fact cover for an act of political retaliation and an attempt to intimidate other employees," Norr writes in an e-mail. "For Thursday, the day I spent in jail, I took a sick day. I did so because I was sick -- heartsick over the beginning of the war, nauseated by the lies and the arrogance and the stupidity that led to it, and deeply depressed by the death and destruction it would bring."
posted by Happy at 3:32 PM

 
Laura Collins, hero. She doesn't measure up to our brave troops, but she's a hero nonetheless.

From today's LA Times.

"Now that war has started, we have to think of what will happen after. Killing Saddam will not solve the problem," said Hatoon Ajwad al Fassi, a professor of ancient history at a Riyadh university. "You will not have a peaceful land yielding to you and taking you in their arms. There will be lots of revenges, lots of instability."

At this point, Laura Collins, an American who is rearing her children in Saudi Arabia and helping Saudi women start businesses through the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority, spoke up.

"I'm not a warmonger. I certainly don't like war — nobody likes war. But I agree with the United States' intentions," she said. "I think they've got their heart in the right place. Since Sept. 11, if something poses a threat, the U.S. really needs to go after it and deal with the threat."

In mentioning Sept. 11, Collins unearthed a sore point in the complex relations between the two nations, whose decades-long alliance has been tested in part by the fact that 15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudi natives, as is Osama bin Laden.

The temperature across the tea table instantly fell about 15 degrees.

"Saddam Hussein is a bad man," Collins said. "He's killed lots and lots of Muslims, he was the only Muslim attacking Kuwait and Iran, he threw bombs at Saudi Arabia and Qatar, he used chemical weapons on his own people.

"Really, how many people need to die before you say this has got to stop?"

Collins, who regularly socializes and does business with these women, said later that "halfway through my little talk, I had an out-of-body experience."
posted by Happy at 2:11 PM

 
More Moore from today's LA Times,

He starts off
A word of advice to future Oscar winners: Don't begin Oscar day by going to church.

Then the scum continues

The pope even came right out and said it: This war in Iraq is not a just war and, thus, it is a sin.

Do we get it? Michael Moore was only doing the pope's bidding. What a scumbag and liar. I hope to get a chance to fully dissect his piece of garbage. I'd say he's still no Robert Scheer.
posted by Happy at 8:58 AM

 
Here's an open response to TJ Jourian at Michigan State University.

My dear TJ, this is an open letter response to your rants and Robert Fisk-like commentary.

>>>This is an open letter to all you pro-war and anti-protester imbeciles out there.
You wanted your war, and now you have it.>>>

I consider myself pro-war AND more importantly ANTI-protestor, but certainly not an imbecile. Does this still mean this open letter is for me and others like me? To be clear, I’m also pro-American, pro-freedom of choice, and pro liberation for Iraq. I wonder how many Iraqis are able to say what they believe without having Saddam kill and torture them?

And, for the record, as much of an expert that you may be through you own personal experience in understanding a true imbecile, these special credentials of yours do not qualify you to call others imbeciles.

>>> I hope you're happy because there are millions across the globe who aren't. In fact, they're downright pissed off and disappointed, and they're not afraid to show it.
>>>

To paraphrase Abraham Lincoln, you can please some of the people some of the time and all the people some of the time, but not all of the people all of the time. Considering there are a few billion people on this earth, I’m not sure your numbers generate any credibility. I could probably find a few million in favor of pedophilia and certainly many more millions in favor of the Jewish Holocaust. Judging from what I’ve seen of your few million they’re all probably included in your number.

Plus, I’m not sure too many people are happy with war. Unfortunately, war is a necessary evil when one side becomes so self-righteous they no longer can listen to reason (sound familiar?). Slavery, fascism, communism, and Nazism were all ended by war—not protests or sanctions (Cuba). Armed conflicts in which people were freed from tyranny and despair was the answer. Unfortunately, many of my ancestor's lives were ended at a young age by war. But fortunately their sacrifices have allowed me to live in this great nation, free today. Let’s hear it for my brave and heroic forefathers who believed in the United States and what it stands for.

>>>I'm talking about the hundreds in East Lansing and Lansing who have been marching and protesting; the thousands in San Francisco and Chicago who refuse to roll over and play dead; the hundreds of thousands in Athens, Greece, who will not remain quiet; and countless others in all corners of the world who will not stop showing their resolve against this fascist war. How can the rest of you ignore such numbers? How can you not see what kind of damage this war has already done and will continue doing for years and decades to come?>>>

Aren’t there millions of people who live in San Francisco, Chicago, and Athens (!)? I’m not sure you’re aware of what a majority or even a plurality is. Not that this would be useful to your “argument” either, but certainly a major problem nonetheless.

And, I must take issue with your claim of “fascist war.” A bit of hyperbole, wouldn’t you say? By using this term you spit in the face of all those millions who died and suffered under true fascist regimes and didn’t have the “right” to live in freedom like we do. Too bad for these millions, war didn’t start sooner to save their lives.

>>>On March 12, a week before the declaration of war, several members of various anti-war groups blocked the entrances to the Frandor Shell station on East Saginaw Street. The protesters were desperately trying to get the powers that be to pay attention to them, and once again they were ignored.>>>

Ever see “Fatal Attraction with Glenn Close and Michael Douglas? “You will not be ignored?” I’m starting to get a bit scared.

>>>You didn't like this one bit. In fact you tried running over them a few times, shouted obscenities and told them to go home.>>>

Sounds like a “peaceful” protest to me.

>>>Someone yelled, "This is the U.S. We have the right to get gas." You definitely do, and that's exactly why all those troops are in Iraq: to get gas.>>>

I’m sure there’s a Taco Bell joke here somewhere. But I guess you aren’t aware of September 11, 2001 and how this so drastically changed our treatment of rogue regimes with weapons of mass destruction who have openly tried to assassinate our former president and have not lived up to agreements ending a previous war.

>>>You think you were inconvenienced?

I wonder how much this war has inconvenienced the family and friends of the Jordanian taxi driver, the first casualty of war, according to The Associated Press.>>>

As Stalin would say, “the death of one person was a tragedy, the death of a million a statistic.” I’m sure you and he would have a lot in common. Too bad the many thousands (millions?) killed by Saddam’s regime don’t seem to even be a concern to you.

>>>On Thursday, a few hours after the attacks began, close to 100 of us took to the streets in East Lansing, marching from the Marriott at University Place on M.A.C. Avenue through campus all the way to the Capitol. >>>

“Close to 100?” I’m not aware of the high standards to get into a public university like Michigan State, but can you at least tell us what this means? I don’t know much about Michigan State, but it’s no Michigan University, am I correct? Did you count this yourself, round, estimate, throw a dart on a dartboard? We need to know.

>>>We made a pit stop at Demonstration Hall where ROTC cadets are trained to demonstrate our support for the troops. Some protesters, including an army veteran, stepped up to voice their condemnation of a system that forces college students to resort to joining the army just so they can pay their tuition, while these same programs are increasing in middle schools and high schools nationally.

They called for higher education to be fiscally accessible for everyone who wants it and is willing to learn.>>>

How do you force a volunteer? And what do you mean by veteran?

>>>So when you condemn protesters for not supporting those who are fighting this bloody war by showing us pictures of your family members and friends, I tell you to listen closer to our message. We do support the troops. We want them all to return home, unharmed and safe, which will not happen for some.>>>

I guess you didn’t have pictures of the Taxi driver then? And are you sure you want them ALL to return home? Don’t you want just a few of them to die so you can lump them alongside your beloved Taxi driver and make your anti-war argument a bit spicier? I truly regret imagining the smile on your face when you fist saw our dead soldiers paraded on TV.

>>>The march continued on Michigan Avenue where we took over three lanes of traffic all the way to the Capitol. If it took you a little longer to get to your destination, either because you had to find an alternate route or trail behind us, then I have no sympathy for your so-called pain. What about those in Iraq who can't get to their destinations because those destinations don't exist anymore? Do you have any sympathy for them?>>>

Sympathy? Are you speaking of Uday and Saddam? No, no sympathy here. And remember your motto, “fiscally accessible for everyone?” Why don’t you find a “willingness to learn” and figure out how state schools can be paid for when people are unable to get to work because a few self-righteous, protesters are preventing them from earning excess profits to fund schools.

>>>Then the next day, realizing that our voices continued to not be heard, we took our actions a step further. At 7:45 a.m. a group of protesters assembled ready to take over a small part of Grand River Avenue. >>>

Still being ignored? I feel for the Michigan State area rabbits.

>>>Traffic was blocked from 9-11 a.m. [9-11? Coincidence?] using a car that had anti-war slogans spray-painted and people chained in and around it. Others linked arms surrounding it while the rest of us carried signs, chanted and marched across the crosswalks.>>>

Maybe if you had something intelligent to say people would notice without having to assault the public. You see, sometimes your argument isn’t valid and it’s time to shut up and move along. Only the disturbed and deranged continue on for a fight in which they have no legitimacy.

>>>Watching the news that evening, I heard your complaints. Some of you didn't like being woken up at 8:30 a.m.

Boo hoo!

What about those who were woken up at 5:30 a.m. when the first air raid sirens went off this past Thursday? What about those who have no homes to sleep in, who can't sleep anymore or who will never wake up again?

Yet again, you complained of being inconvenienced. >>>

Remember, many of these "inconvenienced" people subsidize your college education. I pray that it is Saddam that will never wake up again. Do you?

>>>I wonder how much more inconvenienced you would be if instead of a group of 100 peaceful protesters, you were faced with a bomb that was dropped in the middle of the street.>>>

Did we agree on the 100 number? I wasn’t aware that you supported your position to use this number. Anyway, I guess I’m a bit more worried that in your zeal that you will “not be ignored” you are now bringing up the use of bombs to have your message heard.

>>>You informed us that the war had already begun. Gee, good thing you drove by, otherwise we would have never known. We were too busy being an inconvenience to realize that.>>>

Obviously.

>>>You talked about inappropriate actions. Oh, so exercising our First Amendment rights is inappropriate? But I thought that was the whole premise of this war: freeing the Iraqis so they have the so-called freedoms that Americans take for granted every day.>>>

I’ve read the First Amendment of our great American Constitution and did not read anything in it about the right to harass, prevent people from getting to work or play, tie-up highways, and keep the police occupied and preventing them from solving other crimes.

>>>Fourteen people were arrested for exercising those freedoms. One of those arrests involved a female protester who was standing on the sidewalk. She was thrown to the ground, cuffed and then yelled at to get up even though she had a broken foot. >>>

Before we assume your credibility (in addition to the 100 verification) can we get the woman’s name and a doctor’s note?

>>> Serve and protect the people?
More like serve and protect the White House.

For those of you too busy flipping us off and yelling obscenities to listen to our messages, here they are, for your reading pleasure:

"Drop Bush, not bombs!"

"Stop the war, feed the hungry."

"Bush, you liar! Your cowboy ass is fired!"

"Whose streets? Our streets!"

"What do we want? Peace! When do we want it? Now!"

"Hell no, we won't go. We won't die for Texaco."

"2, 4, 6, 8. Stop the violence; stop the hate.">>>

Now, what’s a bad argument without the use of bad clichés? Bravo, I’m beginning to understand the typical Michigan State University student. Thank you.

posted by Happy at 5:44 PM

 
Sometimes the best thoughts can be found in the comments section from Little Green Footballs.

FICTITIOUS
We live in a world of fictitious documentaries
We live in a world where a stupid white man writes
About stupid white men with no sense of irony

We live in a fictitious world where the rich pretend to be poor
By donning a baseball cap and shunning showers
By sporting three-day growths and eschewing workouts and haircuts

We live in a world where people claim fictitious things about America
While they claim with a straight face that they love America

We live in a world where the fictitious BBC and CBC report on a rant
While they somehow omit mention of the ensuing booing

We live in a fictitious world where Bush is evil and Gore won the election
We live in a world where words have meaning, especially ‘fictition’

But I live in a world where even Hollywood leftists have the sense to boo the fictitious Michael Boore.

posted by Happy at 3:49 PM

 
Michael Moore, idiot of the century. The academy got what it deserved. He didn't win on his merits, it was his politics. Now he's emarrassed Hollywood and it hopefully will hurt them in the pocketbook. It's obvious why he's against the legitimate use of force. He was picked on as a kid and lashes out at the successful. As it is elegantly put here, "You're sort of the ugly, left wing, poor man's version of Rush. In case you miss my meaning, you're a sort of the Bizarro world's Limbaugh."

I wonder how Moore and the other peaceniks would feel (and no doubt say) if devout Christians used the Oscar stage to state their beliefs and state all non-believers are going to hell? It's no wonder Moore didn't graduate from college, the coward probably quit before he flunked out.

Plus, from what I've read Moore never should have been nominated for Best Documentary. Information on that can be found here.
posted by Happy at 7:43 PM

 
APB, Saddam Hussein where are you? Has anyone seen him? Was the tape of his speech really him on live tv? Do "great" leaders such as Saddam suddenly go missing during war? No propaganda speeches? Doesn't seem to be Saddam's same MO from Desert Storm. It would seem that Saddam would at least show his face like Tariq Aziz did when rumors were floating that he was dead or had defected. I have to say that Saddam being dead is a bit too optimistic at this point. Can war really be this easy? For the troops' sake as well as the Iraqi people, I sure hope so.
posted by Happy at 1:52 PM

 
My favorite new saying, "Stupidity is not a crime, but it rarely goes unpunished."
posted by Happy at 3:09 PM

 
New musings from Dennis Miller. I have to admit that I've been a bit biased against Dennis Miller. In the past he seemed a bit too arrogant and a bit too scripted in his repartee. However, my conversion to a Dennis Millerist has been swift (I perhaps should have converted earlier since I remember hearing Cory Feldman on Howard Stern's radio show blast Miller. Talk about idiots! That's Cory, "I don't eat meat for moral reasons but my leather shoes are ok because they were given as a gift.")

Anyway, on the way home from work listening to local station KLSX, Conway and Steckler aired Dennis Miller's performance on Donahue. I was amazed, surprised, whatever the right word is, at his outstanding performance. The fact that I agreed with him was a HUGE plus, but he seemed to be so anti-Hollywood cliche' while talking with Phil Donahue that I was converted quickly. He clanged the death knell for Donahue's demise at MSNBC (he was cancelled soon after). I think it was fitting that Rosie O'Donnell was Donahue's last guest. You can read about the Dennis Miller show here.

TRYING TO HELP

BY DENNIS MILLER

ALL THE RHETORIC ON WHETHER OR NOT WE SHOULD GO TO WAR AGAINST IRAQ, HAS GOT MY INSANE LITTLE BRAIN SPINNING LIKE A ROULETTE WHEEL. I ENJOY READING OPINIONS FROM BOTH SIDES BUT I HAVE DETECTED A HINT OF CONFUSION FROM SOME OF YOU.

AS I WAS READING THE PAPER RECENTLY, I WAS REMINDED OF THE BEST ADVICE SOMEONE EVER GAVE ME. HE TOLD ME ABOUT THE KISS METHOD ("KEEP IT SIMPLE, STUPID!") SO, WITH THIS AS A THEME, I'D LIKE TO APPLY THIS THEORY FOR THOSE WHO DON'T QUITE GET IT.

MY HOPE IS THAT WE CAN SIMPLIFY THINGS A BIT AND RECOGNIZE A FEW IMPORTANT FACTS.

HERE ARE 10 THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN VOICING AN OPINION ON THIS IMPORTANT ISSUE:

1) OUT OF PRESIDENT BUSH AND SADDAM HUSSEIN ... HUSSEIN IS THE BAD GUY.

2) IF YOU HAVE FAITH IN THE UNITED NATIONS TO DO THE RIGHT THING - KEEP THIS IN MIND, THEY HAVE LIBYA HEADING THE COMMITTEE ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND IRAQ HEADING THE GLOBAL DISARMAMENT COMMITTEE. DO YOUR OWN MATH HERE.

3) IF YOU USE GOOGLE SEARCH AND TYPE IN "FRENCH MILITARY VICTORIES,"

YOUR REPLY WILL BE "DID YOU MEAN FRENCH MILITARY DEFEATS?"

4) IF YOUR ONLY ANTI-WAR SLOGAN IS "NO WAR FOR OIL,"

SUE YOUR SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR ALLOWING YOU TO SLIP THROUGH THE CRACKS AND ROBBING YOU OF THE EDUCATION YOU DESERVE.

5) SADDAM AND BIN LADEN WILL NOT SEEK UNITED NATIONS APPROVAL BEFORE THEY TRY TO KILL US.

6) DESPITE COMMON BELIEF, MARTIN SHEEN IS NOT THE PRESIDENT. HE PLAYS ONE ON T.V.

7) EVEN IF YOU ARE ANTI-WAR, YOU ARE STILL AN "INFIDEL!" AND BIN LADEN WANTS YOU DEAD, TOO

8) IF YOU BELIEVE IN A "VAST RIGHT-WING CONSPIRACY"

BUT NOT IN THE DANGER THAT HUSSEIN POSES, QUIT HANGING OUT WITH THE DELL COMPUTER DUDE.

9) WE ARE NOT TRYING TO LIBERATE THEM.

10) WHETHER YOU ARE FOR MILITARY ACTION OR AGAINST IT, OUR YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN OVERSEAS ARE FIGHTING FOR US TO DEFEND OUR RIGHT TO SPEAK OUT. WE ALL NEED TO SUPPORT THEM WITHOUT RESERVATION.

I HOPE THIS HELPS!

posted by Happy at 2:59 PM

 



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posted by Happy at 2:15 PM

 
A great site Hollywood Halfwits debunking probably an ungly halfwit from the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Laura Billings. Here's her editorial.
posted by Happy at 1:53 PM