An Actual Urban Hellhole

The situation in Ciudad Juarez is not good. In the 90s it was known for the mysterious murders of women who worked at the maquiladoras, and now it is known for truly epic levels of violence by drug cartels fueled by American firearms and demand for drugs.

In a rational world this is something it might make sense for the United States to intervene in and help to remedy, since it's happening a few miles away, but no. Our very serious foreign policy establishment has spoken and it is our job to attend to the problems of Afghanistan and Pakistan, not Mexico.

Uganda. Gays. Blacks. Evangelicals.

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The concept of "big" government is disgusting when it comes to healthcare, corporate regulation, taxes, etc. But it looks like some are perfectly okay with government in their bedrooms. The message: Stay out of our boardrooms, but come regulate what goes on in our bedrooms. We like this idea so much it's now in Uganda. Because Africa needs Jesus. And the gay cure. And if they're lucky, they may even get democracy too!

Teabagging: A History

This is the funniest thing I've read all week.

Just when you think it's died out, a gem like this comes along to rekindle that old spark.

The Twilight Saga: New Moon

As performed by LOLcats.

30,000

The Daily Show on President Obama's Afghanistan speech:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
30,000
www.thedailyshow.com
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My own reaction to the speech was similar. Much of it was very Dubya-ish, but throughout the campaign Obama said that he would devote significantly more resources to the Afghanistan war, so any liberals out there who expected him to pull out were engaging in some wishful thinking.

There are no good options, and upon some reflection I think Obama is probably taking the least bad course. It's worthwhile to devote resources to try to improve the situation in Afghanistan, but it will never be ideal and what Obama acknowledges, which Bush never did in Iraq, is that our large-scale involvement will have to come to an end. Critics argue that by setting the flexible 2011 withdrawal date the Taliban will just be able to wait us out. Things don't work that way and here's a good explanation why.

Yesterday General McChrystal quoted Winston Churchill and said that in Afghanistan we are at "the end of the beginning." I see the utility in saying that to prepare the military for a difficult road ahead, but this strategy is really the beginning of the end, as it should be.

Feel the Boyle-mentum!

I fear Susan Boyle may have forever tainted the song "Wild Horses." Shame, because I really dig that tune, especially the mid-nineties cover by The Sundays. Oh well. Such disappointments are the fabric of life.

EDIT: The worst part of it all...the Susan Boyle version is kinda sorta achingly beautiful.

Presidential Address On Afghanistan Drinking Game

We all know by now what the President's new plan is for the War in Afghanistan, so we need something to keep the speech tonight interesting.

Drink when you hear these words and phrases:

troops

benchmark

finish the job

safe-haven

Taliban

al-qeada

hope

Pakistan

change

bless

God

America

deficit

daffodil

9/11

That should get you started.

War Bonds

Moderate senators haven't really taken to the "war tax" idea that was floated last week, but now some say we should have "war bonds" instead, like in World War II.

I suppose that would be preferable to the status quo, but this depends on people actually buying the bonds. Also, is this really any different than the bonds the Chinese buy all the time?

Why is actually raising the revenue through a modest tax increase on the wealthy such a crazy idea?

Politico Is Awful

Since President Obama is going to announce tonight on the teevee that he will send 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan, Politico decided it was very important to interview Dick Cheney and get his super serial analysis about how much of a faggot Obama is. What Cheney had to say was stupid enough, the but the village "journalists" at Politico don't seem to understand the concept of a follow-up question.

CLEARLY, the administration that started and mismanaged the war for eight years is not to blame for its present state.

The fact that Dick Cheney has seemingly learned nothing from his own failures is upsetting, but I shouldn't be surprised since no one who interviews him ever asks him about them.

Ooops

Looks like the alleged cop killer in Washington state was at one point granted clemency by a one Governor Mike Huckabee of Arkansas. Of course, when conservatives do things like this it's because they are great Americans who believe in the healing power of Jesus Christ. When liberals do this sort of thing it's because they are dirty fucking hippies who love criminals and secretly loath the victims. Makes sense to me!