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Tsunami: Aid Use

June 30th, 2005 | Comments Off

Ian, from Astonished Head calls my attention to the following story. The press release from which some of it is derived is here. SIFY News Some 60 per cent of all announced international aid does not exist, global pressure group ActionAid said on Thursday, singling out the United States and France as the main culprits in “phantom” aid. A “classic example” of real versus phantom aid is money pledged for victims of last year’s Asian tsunami disaster, John Samuel, Asia director of ActionAid International, told a news conference. He cited Australia, which he said had so far only managed to give seven per cent of the money it had pledged. He also named France, Germany, the Netherlands and the United States as among other countries who have not delivered on their tsunami … Read entire article »

Filed under: Charity, Tsunami relief

Iraq: Murray’s Vietnam

June 30th, 2005 | Comments Off

Clear Channel’s powerhouse AM radio station in Rochester sought out Dr. Harry Murray, of blog fame here and here, for comments on President Bush’s speech in Fort Bragg. Guess what? Iraq is Vietnam. D’oh! Why couldn’t I have seen that? It must be his much higher level of education and tenured employment in academia. You know, I get tired of the old media digging up some edumacated dickweed every time they need a ten second opinion. There are lots of well-read, smart folks out there who actually earn a living that they could seek out. Aw, comeon, folks. Do you know how much a tenured professor works? Nine to twelve hours a week for thirty weeks a year. Back to Vietnam. An insurrection supported by a great power, and a country that fell … Read entire article »

Filed under: Commentary, Iraq, Original writing, War on Terror

Military: Recruiting

June 29th, 2005 | Comments Off

DoD News Q Sir, I have a question for either one of you that would like to answer it in regards to the challenges that Recruiting Service and all the services are facing, some services more than others, in today’s environment. What can the Department of Defense do to help us do our job better? GEN. MYERS: I think a lot of it has been — we’re going through a list of good ideas. And let’s talk about recruiting and not retention, because I think as most people know, retention is very good in both active and reserve components. That’s not the issue. The issue is recruiting, and not particularly in your service, but in the Army and in the Army Reserve components. Bonuses. I think enlistment bonuses today, for the Army at … Read entire article »

Filed under: Military

Iraq and September 11 Part 2

June 29th, 2005 | Comments Off

Please note the following, and shut the hell up about Iraq. White House Joint Resolution to Authorize the Use of United States Armed Forces Against Iraq Whereas in 1990 in response to Iraq’s war of aggression against and illegal occupation of Kuwait, the United States forged a coalition of nations to liberate Kuwait and its people in order to defend the national security of the United States and enforce United Nations Security Council resolutions relating to Iraq; Whereas after the liberation of Kuwait in 1991, Iraq entered into a United Nations sponsored cease-fire agreement pursuant to which Iraq unequivocally agreed, among other things, to eliminate its nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons programs and the means to deliver and develop them, and to end its support for international terrorism; Whereas the efforts of international weapons inspectors, … Read entire article »

Filed under: American Politics, Iraq, Politics, War on Terror

Iraq: and September 11

June 29th, 2005 | Comments Off

There are two groups of people scurrying around today, doggedly gnawing at the bones of the “Did Iraq Have Anything to Do With September 11?” issue. One group trumpets the complete lack of definitive proof of a relationship. The other group pulls out tiny threads of intelligence data full of mights and maybes. Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn! Iraq is just another battle in the War on Terror. We have a fight in the Philippines, another in the Sahara, too. Terror has many faces, and Osama is just one of them. Saddam and his thugocracy encouraged and aided terrorists of all stripes. It would not surprise me to learn that he had contacts with bin Laden’s scurvy crew. So what? As we learned in the 1970′s and seem to have … Read entire article »

Filed under: Commentary, Iraq, Original writing, September 11, War on Terror

Iraq: President’s Speech at Ft. Bragg

June 28th, 2005 | Comments Off

Saw about 2/3 of the speech. Wish the military guys had not been told to sit on their hands. UPDATE: Bush’s speechs get a lot of energy from the crowds. Some of his poor performance was directly due to the lack of audience reaction. There was one outbreak of cheering and applause, but, based on prior addresses to our troops, there would have been lots more had they had been permitted. If the White House wanted to emphasize the seriousness of the speech, they should have had him give it in the Oval Office. [end update] I wish someone would write a speech for Bush and use his mannerisms. This was one of his poorer deliveries, mostly due to the speechwriter’s insistence in not use contractions. It would relax Bush, and improve … Read entire article »

Filed under: Commentary, Middle East, Original writing, Politics, War on Terror

Crime: Women Strip, Cops Lose Wood

June 28th, 2005 | Comments Off

Reuters via Yahoo Women in an eastern Indian forest are stripping naked to distract police and to help a criminal gang avoid arrest while illegally chopping down trees, the Hindustan Times reported Tuesday. Some of the women belong to a timber mafia in the heavily-forested state of Jharkhand while others are paid to strip in front of the police, who are too embarrassed to arrest them or too distracted to hunt the gang down, the daily said. “It is proving tough to deal with these women,” Jharkhand forest official B.K. Singh said. “It has almost become a regular practice for them to strip.” India’s forest cover has fallen due to illegal cutting of trees in the past few decades. Anyone felling a tree faces up to a year in prison, a fine … Read entire article »

Filed under: Crime and Punishment

Mail: Anonymous Writes Me

June 28th, 2005 | Comments Off

As I mentioned yesterday, I received an anonymous letter concerning my letter to the editor that was published last week. It was very entertaining. My lovely wife, innocent that she is, did not read me the good parts on the phone. I was left to discover them in a laugh-fest last evening after I returned home. The letter is from Pittsford, oddly enough a postmark that Dr. Harry Murray might have mailed a letter from. The writing is, however, not as academic as his, so I suspect a friend or admirer. Some coed got off her knees long enough to write what she [or he] supposed was a stern rebuke for my presumption in questioning the great man, without a shred of fact behind me. Click on the image to see … Read entire article »

Filed under: Commentary, Iraq, Original writing, Politics, War on Terror

The Fallen: Moving Tribute

June 27th, 2005 | Comments Off

Here is a moving tribute, by a wounded vet, to his friends and fellow soldiers. No political agenda. Just the loss of comrades. a href=”http://www.soldierlife.com/?p=439#comments” target=”blank”>American Soldier I decided to walk to the burial sites of some friends. It was a long walk for me. The last time I saw some of these guys they had either just died or died in my presence. My mind began to replay some of the memories and I took a seat under a tree. I sat there for a moment trying to not be overwhelmed. I had blamed myself at times for their deaths. I have so many times replayed the moments in my head and tried to think what could have of been different. Here I thought that I am walking to my friend’s … Read entire article »

Filed under: Blogging, Military, Other Bloggers

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