Victory in Iraq

Today, we declare Victory.

Victory over the forces of Muqtada Al-Sadr and his Mahdi army.
Victory over Al-Qaeda in Iraq.

Since September, Iraq has been safer for US Servicemen and Women than it was during the No Fly Zone enforcement.

Since May, the average number of deaths per day has been .67 casualties/day. This includes deaths outside of the Theatre of Action, outside of Iraq, and deaths from accidents and mechanical failures.

In fact, it is safer to live in Baghdad right now, than it is lo live in Chicago.

Will there still be deaths? Yes, and some of them will come in combat. Remember, that some members of the Japanese Imperial Army and Navy where still fighting WWII into their old age.

While the deaths of US Soldiers is a tragedy, the more so after the war is actually over, the continued presence of Soldiers in Iraq means one very simple thing.

We learned from our failure at the end of Charlie Wilson's War, and we are not going to fuck up this end game.

Thank you to all those who have served, and my prayers for all who have died. You have done your job, it's our turn now.

Putin Kills and Beijing Cracks heads

Well, yet ANOTHER reporter is dead in Russia today. And yes, he does fit the profile we have seen so far. He spoke out against Putin. It is kinda scary to watch the KGB thug kill people who stand in his way. The KGB is kinda like Eagle Scouts or the Marine Corps in one very important respect, once a member ALWAYS a member.

On the Chinese Front. Woo Hoo for Freedom of Speech violations. It would seem that China is going to war with Internet News. That's right, the Propaganda Ministry is hatching a plan to combat Internet News. But they are doing it in a strange method. Instead of HIDING the news until they feel that it is time to report on it and spinning it the way they want, they will report it as it happens, and then revising the coverage to as the events un fold and pretend it has always been the way they report it.

Propaganda Chief Li Changchun, in fear that the Ministry will lose control over Information in China stated, "Let us use the method of providing news as the way to control news." Wow, they are controlling the news!? Shocking. *rolls eyes* The faces change, but the facts seem to stay the same.

The Times Online quoted an unamed source (smart man, not giving his name in Bloody China) had this to say on the matter.

The new approach is aimed at ensuring that ultimate control of at least the most sensitive information remains in party hands. The source told The Times: “The principle is to report an incident as soon as possible without the need to inform the leaders in advance.”

Already this has streamlined official reporting of some events.

In the past, major news would be allowed into the public eye only after careful vetting by senior officials. The source said: “In the past, when something happened the usual practice was that a senior person would hold off and say he would report to the leadership. And once something was reported to the leadership then they would issue an order for a media blackout.”

They also said that they withold information that might prove incindiary. Really? They are afraid of Unrest? Well, that doesn't make any sense. After all, the people of China love the government right?

Yeah, they do. As much as the people of Iraq loved Saddam Hussein or the people of Russia loved Stalin. Love him or have your arms sawed off. [/hyperoble]

China is sitting atop a powder keg. It is why their military Districts are all internal, and up until recently, most of their personell have been trained in how to put down uprisings and peaceful protests (emphasis on the Protests if Tianmen Square is any indication).

The Times online had a list of soem of the best (read worst) violations of trust by the official media.

— It took China 18 years before it broke its silence to reveal that 694 people – including 597 children – had died in a Chinese New Year’s Day inferno in a crowded cinema in 1977. There was no explanation for the delay in the news

— In 1975, 62 dams in central Henan province crumbled over the course of three days or were intentionally destroyed amid record rainfall, killing at least 175,000 people in the worst such recorded disaster in history. Government figures were declassified only in 2005

— The extent of the 2003 outbreak of Sars, right, was originally underreported. The Chinese Government was eventually forced to release accurate figures only after a Chinese doctor blew the whistle

— Chinese officials paid high sums in compensation to families of workers who died during the building of the Bird’s Nest Stadium to ensure their silence. China admitted the deaths of two workers only after a report by The Sunday Times in January of this year

— The Government was slow to respond to contamination of milk that led to the deaths of at least four infants and the hospitalisation of 12,892. It admitted partial guilt in October and arrested 36 manufacturers

More on these can be found ont he Times Online story here.

Also, there was a riot in Northwest China. Not much ont he story, but I bet they will be crackign down even more. This is China after all. The circumstances that sparked it kind of reminds me of Eminent Domain for some reason...

Oh, and Breitbart had this choice piece of information on a story about an Activist who is having her residence demolished out from under her. Makes my comments about Property Rights being the most neccessary and basic of all Individual Rights more relevant eh?

As all land belongs to the state in China, local officials enjoy immense powers to determine land-use rights, and critics say residents and farmers are often forcefully evicted in shady deals between the government and developers

The KGB is Back in town, and just as bad as ever

Well folks, if you are in Russia, say goodbye to any liberties you MIGHT have had. Medvedev, acting on the orders of Putin no doubt, has ordered their internal police to strike down dissent.

Citing the economic crisis, he has stated that his law enforcement should strike down on any group that protests publicly against the government. I expect that the Ultranationalists and the Communist Diehards will not be struck down there, as Putin seems to want to brign back their ideals.

Time will tell, but one thing is for sure.

The KGB is back, baby, and the reporters need to head for the doors. Those who remain will not live long.

Say goodbye to Lebanon

Hezbollah is actign the part of Fifth column right now. And Syria couldn't be happier. If you are wondering what I am talking about, read on.

I have a soft spot in my heart for Lebanon. Not as soft as Israel when it comes to the Middle East, but it is still a soft spot. Why such a soft spot? Because until we kicked out Saddam Hussein and gave Iraq a real democracy, the only other Arab Democracy in the Middle East was Egypt, and Egypt had a habit of kicking their Christians when they where down.

Lebanon on the other hand, had a 40% Christian Population and a 2% Jewish Population, and treated them well. Freedom of religion was very important to them. In fact, they where behind only Israel in terms of numbers of Foreign Inhabitants.

They have had their problems, with Muslim on Christian civil wars, sparked by refugees fleeing the Jordanian Occupation of the West Bank after the Seven Days War. The PLO set down roots in Lebanon during this time, and used it as a launching point to attack Israeli forces in the Golan Heights, and eventually led to the creation of the Pro-Syrian Terrorist Organization, Hezbollah.

For a long time now, Lebanon has been a vassal. A virtual slave state of Syria. However, that began to change with the Cedar Revolution. Following the assassination of Rafiq Bahaa El Deen Al-Hariri, an anti-Syrian leader in Lebanon, the people of Lebanon began to do everythign they could to throw off the bonds of Syrian Control and gain their freedom.

Now, Syria is massing troops on the border with Lebanon, and war seems imminent. I urge Israel to stand with Lebanon, and call on Egypt to stand beside both of them. Syria is a threat to peace, and has been funelling funds and weapons to Hezbollah. The best thing that could happen to the Middle East right now would be to see Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, and Egypt to become true Democracies and to stand beside Israel in times of conflict and across the table in opposition in times of peace.

I can hope and dream for this day of peace. I understand it is a logn way from coming true, but it is on the horizon, and the first steps will be for Israel and Egypt to stand with Lebanon, and create a union of Democracies in the Middle East.

Only time will tell.