Mickey Z
Cool Observer
Monday, November 06, 2006
Botched or not, the joke's on us
Morning all, its a beautiful one here in Blighty,
Was feeling too poorly to chime in this weekend, but here’s a bit of Last Chance To See that the elephant thing reminded me of…“I watched the gorilla’s eyes again, wise and knowing eyes, and wondered about this business of trying to teach apes language. Our language. Why? There are many members of our own species who live in and with the forest and know it and understand it. We don’t listen to them. What is there to suggest that we would listen to anything an ape could tell us? Or that it would be able to tell us of its life in a language that hasn’t been born of that life?”
Posted by Mew on from mew's itscoldoutside-snugglehouse 11/06 at 07:44 AMHola Mew, MZ (and others yet to arrive).
The thing about Kerry’s comment is that it wasn’t about the military or our troops at all--not in the least bit. It was about George W. Bush. It was an insult to Bush, not to the troops. It was a very bad joke, but has been made into something it wasn’t. I’m no fan of Kerry, but he was right when he said his comment was being spun to attack him.
Of course, that’s a minor point. MZ’s is far more important.
Posted by Jeremy on from Taipei 11/06 at 08:34 AMGood morning Mew, Mickey, and Jeremy.
Another good article there, Mickey. You point out that the war has been going on for 15 years. Most ignore that fact and then say that they don’t understand why 9/11 happened. If they understood how long we had been bombing, before 9/11, it would help fill in the gap of their information. Also, the romanticizing of the military in the usa is so bad that the candidates go to Washington, vote for the war, vote for the military budgets, and then come back home and give political speeches claiming to be anti-war. Yesterday was Super Sunday up here, with political debates going on all afternoon, into the night. (Candidates for AG were not included.) All of the Independent and Third Party candidates were very impressive, amazing really. This morning the Benn Banner endorsed only dems and repubs.Posted by RMJ on from Churchill 4 Prez Hdqts 11/06 at 08:48 AMGood morning, one and all, from soon to be sunny Montreal.
I have been verbally attacked by Americans on many occasions over Canada’s lack of military might. Been told that we are damn lucky to be protected by the strongest & bravest country in the world and if they withdrew their support we would be attacked and just be one small and insignificant note in the history books. Been told that America with its armed and ready forces is the world’s only hope for peace.
Posted by Canadian Observer on from 11/06 at 09:07 AMRight on target. The disingenuous mischaracterization of Kerry’s comments is most of all an insult to the people who have had no say and no vote on what has happened to them as a result of the Bush administration’s arrogance.
As a back in your face to the Republicans, I’ve put my own soldier piece together:
Posted by DR X on from USA 11/06 at 09:52 AMHI Every Expendable!
Canadian Observer, It’s usually at that moment the Yankee gets to hear about the war of 1812.
Great post today Mickey! Kerry’s comment even though phrased in a “botched” Anti-Bush joke strikes me as being a not-so-clever way to self-sabotage the democrats. He’s obviously a very accomplished public speaker. He wouldn’t make a mistake like that without meaning too. Not to mention he took a diver in 2004. Anyone remember all the cash he collected to investigate possible voting shenanigans in the election? Funny how he conceded before all the votes were even tallied. Walking away with the money even after numerous incidents of voting machine discrepancies popped up.
He’s just another Neo-Conned Stooge.
Peace and Love everyone!
LunaPosted by Luna_C on from the Delta 11/06 at 11:37 AMHi everyone....a lot of interesting comments here today. About the Kerry comment, assuming that he WAS talking about the troops, it is nothing different from what many others have been saying right along. Micheal Moore made the same point in his film. The newspapers were loaded with a similar theme after the Lyndie England torture was exposed and her background made the news. There is something deeper going on here and that is the taboo against exposing the real facts about what has been happening in Iraq and elsewhere. The Troops can do no wrong and anyone who disagrees with that is in big trouble. I remember what happened to the student who criticized Pat Tillman. He wrote an article and all hell broke loose. There just are some things that cannot be said. The repubs twisted the Kerry statement to make it fit in to that taboo category. Then the dems joined in and denounced Kerry. In the meantime, civilians are still being slaughtered in Iraq and we are a nation that is in denial about what troops do. The military kills and destroys. How smart or well educated does anyone have to be to pull a trigger or drop a bomb? The rule is “lock up any guns in a household” because even a 3 year old can pull a trigger.
Posted by RMJ on from Churchill 4 Prez Hdqts 11/06 at 01:39 PMHello Expendables...from sunny NYC. And welcome Dr. X (interesting baboon video on your site, btw). I’m just making a drive-by visit. Be back soon.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 11/06 at 02:11 PMJohn (F him) Kerry, perhaps the least interesting politician ever, cannot disappoint me. Nor can the people spinning his comment. Nor can the people defending his intentions.
But MZ the last part of that article is some great writing. I quoted it at BagNews today.
On disappointment, has anyone seen Robert Fisk’s latest? (Or am I too uncompromising in my anti-death penalty position?)
Posted by Keir on from The Hague (Jackowski election hdqts) 11/06 at 02:16 PMHi Keir...I’m probably wrong because I read the Fisk article quickly but my take on it is a little different. I thought that the gist of the article was an indictment of the usa and not approval of the death penalty. I share your view about Capital Punishment.
Posted by RMJ on from Churchill 4 Prez Hdqts 11/06 at 02:36 PMHmm, it does seem Fisk is cheering the execution of Hussein.
Thanks for your kind words, Keir...but what is BagNews?
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 11/06 at 03:17 PMHi, Mickey and all you fellow expendables! I am sitting in an Internet cafe in Wellington, NZ and guess what, Mickey: I found a copy of your ‘50 AR’ yesterday - in an independent bookstore here. I thought you might be interested in this tidbit of information as you are obviously becoming a celebrity, even on the other side of the world.
Wellington is a very windy city btw.
Back in Australia on Thursday, so be well until then.
Ciao ..
Posted by Helga Fremlin on from 11/06 at 03:54 PMSo, MZ made it to NZ? Thanks for the good news, Helga...and enjoy your trip.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 11/06 at 04:48 PMI coulda sworn I first clicked a link to BagNews from the Cool Observer, but now I see it’s not among your links. (So where did I see it first . . . ?) More often than not I find it exasperating, but still it’s one of my favorite stops on this here internet.
Rosemarie there’s definitely an indictment of the US/UK (and even Germany) in the Fisk article, but also there seems to be satisfaction that Hussein will be murdered by the new Iraqi state.
Posted by Keir on from The Hague (Jackowski election hdqts) 11/06 at 05:59 PMI’m opposed to the death penalty in practice, but not in theory. For some crimes, death is a just punishment. But let he who is without sin cast the first stone.
Posted by Jeremy on from Taipei 11/06 at 09:18 PMHEY, YOU OUT THERE..."YOU KNOW ‘POTENT DEFOLIANT...TERATOGEN...’DOW’...the ORANGE...AH’LAS, NOW IT IS DU AND CLUSTER...war
gets ever so complex...but I know friends...some
30 year gone...and Dino..2 year gone(defolianted),
in a serious motherfuckin way...30 fucking years,
boy’s and girl’s...hey, no thing...it was just a
last 4 or like 5 real bad gig...that put him down.
...sorry, nothing here...a bit of old rage...you
all carry on...Me, I hike the hills...hope
some daze to find a quite place to lay-done-and
burn burn 10,000 pipes of the best hash...some
kind soul, will send me...AND so...stay save out
there…
senduneditlgPosted by lg on from where I f**kin am...ya got some place your? 11/07 at 01:25 AM
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