Iraq War

Darren Manzella, a homosexual Army Sergeant, was discharged from duty due to his sexual orientation/lifestlye. Last December, “60 Minutes” featured Manzella in one of their stories pertaining the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy.

This Army medic was deployed to Iraq twice and earned a combat medal for rendering treatment under fire. He was open about his sexual orientation and introduced his partner to his Army  friend. He did not hide his lifestyle when his battalion commander initiated an investigation into Manzella’s private life. The investigation’s report claimed that there was no evidence of homosexuality and he was sent back to work. This happened even after Manzella provided photographs and testimony of his relationship with his boyfriend.

Cholene Espinoza, an Air Force Captain who flew combat missions, explained, “Darren is in a critical field. He’s a medic. His commander needs him. He’s a known quantity. He gets along with others. He does what he’s supposed to. He goes above and beyond. Why do I want to lose Darren?”
John McCain recently said gay people in the military represent an “intolerable risk” to unit morale, cohesion, and discipline.

As Steve Benen notes, “Which poses the great risk, Manzella being deployed and serving honorably, or Manzella not being deployed? Which is better for the troops? Which does more to help those in uniform? Which leaves the military stronger, and which leaves it weaker?”

I agree with Benen. This policy is flawed but more importantly it inherently undermines the military. If a qualified individual that is willing to scarify their life in order to defend this country . . . isn’t the bare minimum for the military leave these troops’s personal life alone. Do we discharge individuals for their religious views or their infidelities in their marriage? Is it really supporting the troops when you take away talented services members due to their sexual orientation? No, it weakens our military and sends the wrong message about the “freedom” we promote.

The National Priorities Project has released this years breakdown of how American tax payer money is allocated. Not surprising, the Military took the biggest chunk out of the fund. What is more surprising though is just how much more the U.S. has spent on the Military compared to, I don't know let's say Health Care or Education. I am an advocate for graphs and visual presentations because they deliver the message quickly and more effectively then words. Check out the break down. I have provided both a U.S. and a Texas graph. Feel free to share this information with friends and family because for some reason, and I will go out on a limb on this, I surmise the media may not really mention this type of exciting news tonight.

Republicans are concerned about McCain's claim stated multiple times about a U.S. troop presence in Iraq for 100 years. The National Republican Congressional Committee have issued a press release claiming that Democrats are "falsely accusing Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) of “promising” 100 years of war in Iraq." The NRCC justifies the claim as a desperate attack to capture the November election.

There is no secret that McCain stated that if required the U.S. should remain in Iraq if needed another 100 years, in fact he added 1000 years and 10,000. One only needs to do a quick YouTube search and they will find videos containing the clip.

These comments should enlighten the general voting population of McCain's distorted view of the Iraq War. It should frankly scare those that hear his comments into registering to vote in order to demonstrate their opposition to McCain's flawed opinion and perspective. Josh Marshall of Talking Points Memo adds, "McCain stipulates to the fantasy that Iraqis will be happy having us occupy their country forever and that the place will become like Finland. And none of our soldiers will ever get killed there and it won't cost any money. If that's the explanation for why we shouldn't be concerned that he's happy to stay in Iraq for a century, that just tells people that McCain is living in a fantasy world."

Joe Klein of the Time Magazine Blog claims that the issue at hand with McCain's point of view is that, "he thinks you can have a long-term basing arrangement in Iraq similar to those we have in Germany or Korea. That betrays a fairly acute lack of knowledge about both Iraq and Islam." I concur with Klein's assessment of McCain's distorted view of Iraq. Unlike Germany or Korea, the reason why we are in this mess is the reason why we are in this mess. Our presence in Muslim nations is not appreciated by those that attack us. Until we understand that, their attacks will not cease. Iraq as nation has not been stable like Germany or Korea either. The Saddam Hussein rein was the longest time period in recent history in which the region was stable.

Steve Benen theorizes that this, "is a coordinated, carefully-orchestrated campaign to get people — everyone, really — to stop using the words “McCain,” “Iraq,” and “100 years” in the same sentence. No one can do push-back as well as the Republican Machine, and these guys are intent on making it impossible to hit McCain where it hurts." That explains why the GOP is pro-active about the issue.

But, what is the true significance of 100 years? Just to put it into perspective . . . in the last 100 years:

• Women gained the right to vote in the U.S.
• Segregation in the U.S. was outlawed.
• Cars, Radio, Television and Airplanes just to name a few were invented.
• The World Community participated in 2 World Wars.
• The U.S. has seen 18 different Presidents in office and prior to that 25 had served (almost half).

This list can go on and on about what 100 years truly mean. The U.S. has only been around since 1776, that just 232 years. The way McCain intends to scare us into accepting this scenario is by claiming that Muslim extremist will attack us at home. They love to use the recycled Domino Effect Theory (once applied to Communism) about terrorists and the reason why we should remain in Iraq. McCain apparently believes that if we depart from Iraq, the country will become a terrorist haven and then the whole middle east will fall prey to the ideology. According to McCain and the GOP, we should dedicate the next 100 years to Iraq, 1/3 of the U.S. lifetime, to combat such scenario. Don't get me started on his statements of a presence of 1,000 or 10,000 years . . . Jesus died just over 2000 years ago.

American Cancels 850 More Flights - American Airlines canceled 850 flights Wednesday — more than a third of its total — as its efforts to inspect and in some cases reattach wiring bundles in the wheel wells of its 300-plane fleet of MD-80s dragged on. The total could climb above 850, a spokesman said, as only 30 of the 300 single-aisle planes were so far cleared of the inspection process and operating.

IMF slashes world growth forecast - The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said that the world economy will grow much more slowly in the next two years as a result of the credit crunch. In its latest economic forecast, the IMF says that world economic growth will slow to 3.7% in 2008 and 2009, 1.25% lower than growth in 2007. The downturn will be led by the US, which the IMF believes will go into a "mild recession" this year.

New downtown park's a beauty, but is it money spent in the right place? - Twelve acres in front of the George R. Brown Convention Center have been transformed into Discovery Green, adding green space, restaurants, an interactive fountain, model boats, a jogging path and a small library to the downtown landscape. The new park --downtown's largest-- opens this weekend, almost four years after a massive fundraising campaign that kicked off in October 2004. In total the park cost $122 million, of which the city paid $41 million. The rest came from donors.

Oil jumps to near record on weak supply - Oil prices surged to near record levels Wednesday after a government report showed an unexpected decline in crude supplies. Light, sweet crude for May delivery rose $2.40 to $110.90 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract traded as high as $111.43, within 40 cents of the all-time intraday mark of $111.80 set March 17. Oil prices had risen to $109.31 immediately before the report's release.

Petraeus: Another troop buildup in Iraq unlikely - The top U.S. military commander in Iraq said today that he is unlikely to call for another troop buildup in Iraq, even if security deteriorates after the extra American soldiers return home this summer. Gen. David Petraeus told a House panel that such a move would be considered the last resort, in part because of the strain it would place on the Army. First, the military could try to reallocate existing troops to respond to any hotspots. It also would rely more on Iraqi forces, which are improving in capability, he said.

The Public Broadcasting Service in cooperation with Frontline have developed a two part documentary that outlines the Iraq War called Bush's War. There were over 400 hours of footage shot to produce the account of fabrication, escalation, invasion and subsequent aftermath of the United States occupation of Iraq. The best thing is that you do not have to set your DVR or take time out of your schedule to view this masterpiece. It will provided online for free via the Frontline webpage on the PBS website. It is a media rich content that is dynamic and is controlled by the end user. As you watch the film, you are given option to explore more in-depth analysis of particular clips and additional information that may not have fit into the original film but did not deserved to be cut. I recommend spending a lazy Sunday tomorrow checking out the film. Plan on spending anywhere from 2 hours to 5, depending on how much you wish to learn.

Army Worried by Rising Stress of Return Tours to Iraq - Army leaders are expressing increased alarm about the mental health of soldiers who would be sent back to the front again and again under plans that call for troop numbers to be sustained at high levels in Iraq for this year and beyond. Among combat troops sent to Iraq for the third or fourth time, more than one in four show signs of anxiety, depression or acute stress, according to an official Army survey of soldiers’ mental health.

Administrative problems fuel drop in U.S. legal immigration - The number of people who legally immigrated to the U.S. dropped 17 percent last year, largely because of administrative problems, according to a Homeland Security Department report. Citizenship and Immigration Services has been under fire after processing times grew because immigrants flooded the agency with applications filed last year in advance of dramatic increases in filing fees. The delays will keep some people from becoming citizens in time to vote in November.

Skybus becomes third airline this week to close - Skybus Airlines announced Friday it is shutting down its passenger flights -- becoming the third airline this week to cease operations. The low-cost carrier couldn't overcome "the combination of rising jet fuel costs and a slowing economic environment," the company said Friday.

Mugabe 'preparing for poll war' - Zimbabwe's main opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, has accused President Robert Mugabe of preparing to go to war against the country's people. He said Mr Mugabe was deploying troops and armed militias to intimidate voters ahead of a possible run-off poll. Mr Tsvangirai insisted he had won last weekend's presidential vote, the result of which has yet to be announced.

More experts now warn U.S. already in grip of recession - It's no longer a question of recession or not. Now it's how deep and how long. Workers' pink slips stacked ever higher in March as jittery employers slashed 80,000 jobs, the most in five years, and the national unemployment rate climbed to 5.1 percent. Job losses are nearing the staggering level of a quarter-million this year in just three months. For the third month in a row, total U.S. employment rolls shrank — often a telltale sign that the economy has jolted dangerously into reverse.

Gasoline, oil futures jump on tight supply report - Gasoline and oil futures rose sharply today after the Energy Department reported an unexpected jump in gasoline demand and a big drop in supplies. Prices at the pump returned to record levels, and appeared poised to extend their march higher.

Bernanke Nods at Possibility of a Recession - In his bleakest economic assessment to date, the Federal Reserve chairman, Ben S. Bernanke, said Wednesday that the American economy could contract in the first half of 2008, meeting the technical definition of a recession, and he encouraged Congress to help homeowners caught up in the mortgage crisis.

U.S. and Britain at Odds Over Guantánamo Inmate - The Bush administration and the British government are at odds over how to treat one of the last two British residents held at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, officials from the countries involved in the case and his lawyer say.

Mugabe's Zanu-PF loses majority - Robert Mugabe's party has lost its majority in parliament for the first time since Zimbabwean independence in 1980, official results show. President Mugabe's Zanu-PF party has taken 97 of the 210 seats, while opposition parties have won 109, the Zimbabwe Election Commission says.

Cubans on new freedoms: 'We'll see how far we go - In the past week, President Raúl Castro has legalized cell phone use for ordinary Cubans; granted Cubans access to previously off-limits tourist hotels; and legalized the sale within Cuba of microwaves, DVD players and personal computers. Cubans are welcoming the change, even if the costs are out of their reach.

Obama gains more ground in Texas conventions - As the smoke cleared from this weekend's regional Democratic conventions, Barack Obama emerged with a majority of the state's at-large presidential nominating delegates and possibly a majority of all Texas delegates.

Justices Let Stand Ruling on Illegal F.B.I. Search - The Supreme Court on Monday let stand a lower court ruling that the F.B.I. went too far in searching the office of Representative William J. Jefferson, a Louisiana Democrat accused of using his position to promote business deals in Africa.

Sources: Iran helped prod al-Sadr cease-fire - Iran was integral in persuading Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr to halt attacks by his militia on Iraqi security forces, an Iraqi lawmaker said Monday. Haidar al-Abadi, who is with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's Dawa Party, said Iraqi Shiite lawmakers traveled Friday to Iran to meet with al-Sadr. They returned Sunday, the day al-Sadr told his Mehdi Army fighters to stand down.

US plans finance system overhaul - The US Treasury has revealed its blueprint for the biggest overhaul of regulation of the financial sector since the 1930s. Critics have said that the credit crunch and resultant market turmoil made a strong case for change. But Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson rejected claims that existing regulations have led to the turmoil. And he said the plan should not be implemented until current difficulties roiling financial markets are resolved.

Cubans can now stay in hotels for foreigners - New President Raúl Castro's government has lifted a ban on Cubans staying at hotels previously reserved for foreigners, ending another restriction that had been especially irksome to ordinary citizens. Some hotels scheduled meetings with all staff members to discuss the changes, and officials said new rules also will allow Cubans to rent cars at state-run agencies for the first time.

I have to give credit to President Bush and Company on how well they have branded and marketed this war to the American public. Perhaps, they learned a few lessons from the past few wars that did not sell to well. Nonetheless, 5 years later and 4,000+ deaths due to a War in Iraq we are no where closer to our goal. As I pointed out earlier, the trouble is that there is no clear defintion of "win" so the administration can tout to chase after a goal that is not forseable.

But . . . just because we are in a war that can not be won . . . Bush has to present it as something that can be and will be if we only do the things he recommends. Any other strategy is doomed for failure. Steve Benen does a great job of pointing out how it becomes a catch 22 for the public when Bush states that there is progress and success in Iraq.

Benen notes, "When conditions in Iraq deteriorate, the Bush administration says, “We can’t withdraw U.S. troops now; this is when they’re needed most.” When violence wanes, those same officials say, “We can’t withdraw U.S. troops now; their presence is helping bring some stability to Iraq.” We should stay the course if Iraq improves, and stay the course if Iraq worsens. Either way, we have to stay the course."

I agree! This is a splendid marketing strategy that most have not caught onto. Success is thus not achievable because like I said . . . how can we win something that can not be won? After all . . . if we leave and Iraq goes to hell, Bush wins, and if we stay to quell the unrest before hell breaks . . . Bush wins. 

Clinton, Obama offer economic recovery plans - Democrat Barack Obama said today tougher government regulations that reflect the realities of modern finance are needed to get a grip on the economy before it gets even worse. Rival Hillary Rodham Clinton said Republican nominee-in-waiting John McCain isn't prepared to handle a call about an economic emergency.

Thousands in Baghdad Protest Basra Assault - In direct confrontation with the American-backed government in Iraq, thousands of supporters of the powerful Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sadr and his Mahdi Army militia took to the streets of Baghdad on Thursday to protest the Iraqi Army’s assault on the southern port city of Basra, as intense fighting continued there for a third day.

Dollar gains on weak economic growth - The dollar gained against the euro on Thursday as data confirmed that the United States economy was still growing in the fourth quarter, albeit weakly. The euro bought $1.5784 in afternoon European trading, down from $1.5815 in New York late Wednesday.

Oil hits $107 on pipeline blast - Oil prices touched $107 a barrel after one of Iraq's main export pipelines was blown up. The rise extended Wednesday's gains of $4 a barrel after a US report showed lower-than-expected petrol stocks.

YouTube Feature Tells Video Creators When and Where a Clip Is Being Watched - In a move to provide better data to its users, YouTube formally announced late Wednesday that it had added a free feature that will show video creators when and where viewers are watching their videos. With this, the company hopes to turn YouTube from an online video site into a place where marketers can test their messages, Tracy Chan, YouTube product manager, said.