Just a Thought: Taliban

ORIGINAL CAPTIONED PHOTO REMOVED

The quote attributed to Reagan was in fact, true: "These Gentlemen are the moral equivalent of the founding fathers."   It's just wasn't made about the Taliban.

Sorry for the misinformation.  Thanks to Buckeyein Richmond for setting me straight. When I checked this out I didn't go deep enough and for that I am sorry. Close, but no cigar.

Here is the best explanation I could find to bring it all together. from Business Insider:

As the public debates some of the more controversial ways the US deals with foreign policy and safety, it's prudent to remember some of the less than fruitful foreign policy items where America invested its time and money. 

This photograph is from 1983, when Reagan and the CIA were dancing around the idea of arming Mujahadin fighters in order to fight back against Soviet incursion in Afghanistan. The result was a well-armed, well-trained group of jihadis who resisted (some say defeated) the onslaught of superior Soviet weaponry. 

Once the Soviets retreated, the U.S. lost interest and pulled the funding. Osama bin Laden took interest, and filled the vacuum, later fathering the Taliban. 

The rest, as they say, is history. 

Often erroneously paired with this photo is a Reagan quote, "These gentlemen are the moral equivalent of the founding fathers." 

Reagan was in fact referring to Nicaraguan fighters and another initiative to arm them, this time against the U.S.'s own treaties. 

We all know how that worked out as well.

Whomever Ronnie was referring to were certainly not at all like the founding fathers of these United States.

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Attack of Vacuum-sealed Vintage Fashions

 (There's a movie title in there somewhere.)

The vacuum-released sweaters kept expanding overnight until I thought I was surrounded by Tribbles. Lest I be smothered by old fashion statements, I began unfolding them, laying them flat wherever I found a clear, flat spot to let them continue to air - - and continue to grow. And they have...FREE AT LAST!!!

To be honest, I don’t remember any of these. The box may have been sealed when (in my previous life) we were moving into the new townhouse back in 1997. Crew necks never go out of style, but where in Hell did the Boat necks come from? The cardigans are kind of iffy, and the turtlenecks are colorful, indeed. There is no odor that I can detect. 

I’m sure the contents were cleaned before being packed and sucked down to the thickness of a paperback book, but I’ll either throw them in the dryer with a fabric sheet, or take them to the cleaners, just to be safe.  Then they’re off to the thrift store just in time for the cold weather. And from what I’m reading lately, there will be much need for these this year.

Stopped at the deli for a sandwich - it’s been months since I’ve had one - a real, honest to goodness deli sandwich - and it was delicious. TV was on in the

background. I noticed that it wasn’t tuned to FOX, thank the goddess.

CNN Television news played on the wall and it was all so confusing; something about concentration camps, boxcars full of Xristian Xrazies being transported to Auschwitz, ‘er Detroit, or some equally dreadful place. 

They did a 12 minute segment on sales of the Apple iPhone 6 - as the lede - while the Scotland vote received short shrift and less than 5 minutes. And not one word about the Russian planes buzzing the air space of other countries.  Well, I guess they know more about what we’re interested in than we do…

Child beater Adrian Peterson said he’s not a bad parent…well of course he did.  Maybe I’ll share one of my own “bad parent” stories with you sometime. It’s not for today and it’s not pretty.

Senatorette Lindsey Graham (I do declare!) is having an attack of the vapors because something called ISIS is going to come here and kill us ALL as we sleep.  While the kids on the other side of the street, calling themselves the NOTNOT say otherwise. But does any of that amount to “Breaking News”?  I suppose it's "breaking news" if you're hearing it for the first time, but...I recall having read these stories a couple of days ago - in the real media. Oh, I guess I forgot about the spoon-feeding thing we do here with our newscasts toward the dumbing down of America.

I may have mentioned this before but it bears repeating: the talking heads of the news organizations in TV land are in serious need of the proper makeup for HD broadcasts. They all look like Tammy Faye Bakker, or better yet, were made up by an undertaker.  When the viewer can see the rocks of caked mascara or the flakes of pancake on the chin, you know you’ve got trouble. I’m just sayin’. 

All in all, I have to say that I am happy to be reminded of a few of the reasons I choose not have television service in my home.  It’s overwhelmingly filled with ‘the stoopid’ and little else.

I’m going to prepare curried pork chops smothered in onions and red cabbage for supper tonight. I’ll probably eat only one, but these are even better as leftovers.  

I am also going to indulge in another Sazerac cocktail before the cooking begins - sipping throughout the cooking process.  Sounds good to me.

And so it goes.

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Throwback Thursday: A Two-fer

Shot in the same hotel room 10 years apart. How strange is that?

1992: Washington, DC October weekend.  March on Washington for Equal Rights and the last display of the entire Names Project AIDS Memorial Quilt. It just got too big and fragile after so many years. Spent more time at the Quilt than in the march because that's where I was needed.

2002: Washington, DC October weekend. March on Washington against the War in Iraq. Dressed for the ordination of a friend which happened to be the same weekend. I offered the Prayers of the People during the ceremony.

Yep!  Same room, same hotel.  I never noticed it before now. What are the odds?

And so it goes.
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Just a Thought: Gaza

Does anyone know when they will begin construction on

the Gaza Wing of the Holocaust Museum in Washington?

h/t Fearguth

Just a Thought: United!

Once upon a time.

More later.
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Just a Thought: Stop!

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Lawsuit Against Bush Administration Moves Forward

Wow!  Just, WOW! I’ve heard rumors about this story for a while, but this is

the first I’ve seen it in print and that it appears to be of substance.  I can only say - “IF ONLY” this were to come to pass, at least some vindication for others around the globe who’ve been discussing these events and dates for years. The story:

Earlier this year, the Department of Justice, who is defending the six Bush Administration officials, responded to the lawsuit by requesting that the case be dismissed. The Bush tribe is claiming that the planning of the war occurred within the scope of their employment and therefore they have immunity.
Rather than dismissing the case, the Judge asked for additional information. So Mr. Comar filed a 2nd amended complaint back in June. The amended complaint provides more details about the planning of the Iraq war and when it started.
Comar essentially made two points to the court.
The first argument he made was something called judicial estoppel. It prevents a party from taking a position in a case which is contrary to a position they have taken in earlier legal proceedings. In this case, Comar used the Nuremburg Trials as an example.
The Nuremburg Trials, which the United States views as legitimate, held Nazi leaders accountable for their acts of aggression. Comar held that judicial estoppel dictates the Bush Administration and DOJ can’t argue that leaders aren’t accountable for acts of aggression because it runs contrary to the US’s position at Nuremburg.
The second point that was made referred to the Augusto Pinochet trial. In 1999, British Lawyers determined that Pinochet did not have immunity for certain acts he committed while in office such as torture and other violations of international law. These Brits held that Pinochet was not immune because Chile had signed the convention against torture.
Comar’s evidence, shows the Bush/Cheney team started planning the invasion of Iraq as far back as 1997. The amended complaint also explains that the war was motivated by personal enrichment and the war was a “crime of aggression.” and - In light of the treaties and charters that the United States has signed, Comar stated that the defence can’t now claim that acts of aggression are above a leader’s authority. In this case, the Bush Administration.

Read the rest HERE.

Could there finally be justice done in this case? Or, will whoever is president when the case is decided pardon the lot of them.

So far, this story has been successfully swept under the collective media’s rug. Let’s see what happens from here.

No pictures of the vermin until they're in Orange Jumpsuits, sitting in the dock at the Hague.

And so it goes.

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"Win, We Must…"

"For Our Cause Is Just…."    Stupid!

Have a look at this new poll, please:

37% of Mississippi GOPers Would Back Confederates in New Civil War.

A new Public Policy Polling survey found that 37 percent of Republicans who voted in the Mississippi primary runoff election between incumbent Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS) and state Sen. Chris McDaniel (R) said they would back the Confederate side if there was another Civil War.

Let me hear it once more about the “new” South. Just as lost in the past as the Old South.

The rest is HERE.

And so it goes.

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Back to Iraq?

Yes.  The neo-cons and war mongers are sure there’s more money to be made by wreaking more destruction of lives and land.  So, they’ll provoke - or create - a scenario whereby the USA must send more of our already exhausted young men and women to save face for said imaginary incident.

I am reading the same disturbing lies comments and phrases that filled the media 12 years ago, just like it was yesterday. Even those already discredited “journalists” who shilled for the war in the first place are back in the public eye. Doesn’t anyone else remember?

Grandpa Walnuts can’t keep his stories straight, pointing fingers at everyone but himself, and I swear, if they drag out supreme asshole Doug Feith, I’m moving to Narnia

Besides, there’s no need to bother with expensive drones when human cannon fodder is all around us? 

We will send our young’s to die to make the rich even richer. We will never learn.  We never seem to learn from the past. We’ll be lied into another war and only years from now realize that we were duped yet again.

And so it goes.

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