Month: October 2006

Recently, speaking of his war in Iraq, George Bush put the Vietnam analogy back in the public eye. He was asked by ABC’s George Stephanopoulos if New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman was on the mark in suggesting that what “we might be seeing now is the Iraqi equivalent of the Tet Offensive.” The president’s … Continue reading “The Bush Administration’s
War of the Images”

In the veritable tsunami of recantations and recriminations pouring out of former supporters of the war, from Francis Fukuyama to various Republican members of Congress, there is one constant theme: Don’t blame us! Who knew that Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction? No one could have known about the rise of the insurgency. Nobody … Continue reading “No Excuses”

In his weekly radio address over the weekend, President Bush said, "Our goal in Iraq is clear and unchanging: Our goal is victory. What is changing are the tactics we use to achieve that goal." This statement begs two questions. The first is: What is victory? And secondly: Given the current situation in Iraq – … Continue reading “Fish or Cut Bait in Iraq”

Oil, Nuclear Power, and Iran: A Lesson in Opportunity Cost Good article. When you consider peak oil it is even stronger because Iran’s supply of oil is past peak. As oil production declines Iran will want to sell more – at higher prices as it becomes scarcer on the world market – and use less … Continue reading “Backtalk October 25, 2006”

Updated 10:50 a.m. EDT, Oct. 25, 2006 In Iraq, Eid al-Fitr continued today and so did the attacks. Even though the violence was tempered by the holiday, 54 Iraqis were killed and another 52 were wounded. The U.S. military reported that a Baghdad-based soldier died at 2:15 a.m from an explosive device planted in the … Continue reading “Tuesday: 54 Iraqis Killed, 52 Wounded; 4 Servicemembers Reported Killed”

In the run-up to the Nov. 7 elections, U.S. politicians from both parties are telling Iraqis that they are not doing enough to improve their own security. Democrats are disparaging Iraqi security efforts and criticizing the Bush administration for not pressuring Iraqis to do more. In response, the Bush administration is said to be creating … Continue reading “Imperial Arrogance in Iraq”

With the failure of the Orange Revolution, Ukraine is being drawn back into Moscow’s orbit. Now, Georgia, another former republic of the old Soviet Union, is finding that ex-colonies of the empire pay a price for becoming estranged from Mother Russia. In 2003, Georgia underwent a Rose Revolution that swept Eduard Shevardnadze from power. But … Continue reading “Georgia – on Moscow’s Mind”

Updated at 7:00 p.m. EDT, Oct. 23, 2006 With Ramadan over, Sunni Muslims today began to observe the joyous holiday of Eid al-Fitr. Shi’ite Muslims begin this celebration of the end of Ramadan fasting tomorrow. While some Iraqis have used the holiday as an opportunity to end violence, many others are shunning public activities with … Continue reading “Monday: 83 Iraqis Killed, 42 Wounded; GI Missing”

While it may be in questionable taste to celebrate at this time of national disaster, with Iraq falling to pieces and the security of the United States compromised as never before, one can’t help but savor this delicious moment as the neoconservatives fall from their formerly dizzying heights. Here‘s Matthew Parris, in the London Times, … Continue reading “The Lobby, Unmasked”

Imagine that you have an oil well that contains enough oil to supply annually three times the amount you would ever want to use in a year. Suppose that one of your main current uses of oil is to generate electric power for your ranch. Would you want to buy electric power from someone else, … Continue reading “Oil, Nuclear Power, and Iran:
A Lesson in Opportunity Cost”