http://blogcritics.org/ A sinister cabal of superior bloggers on music, books, film, popular culture, politics, and technology - updated continuously. en Copyright 2005-2007 by the authors Sun, 4 Mar 2007 22:12:55 EST http://backend.userland.com/rss Blogcritics.org custom software http://blogcritics.org/ Phillip WinnSunday, August 26, 2007, marks the switch of all Blogcritics.org article feeds from full-content to short-content. This is the result of several converging factors, and is unfortunately a permanent decision (as permanent as any decision can be on the web, that is). We are aware of all of the reasons that this is a Bad Idea, and we are aware that some of you will be quite upset about having to click on something to read the free content, and we're sorry. Unfortunately, despite great effort, full-content feeds are not currently economically viable. Two other factors are involved: full-content feeds have resulted in an unprecedented level of content theft, with BC content appearing on many websites, usually spam sites, without attribution or permission. This duplicate content causes a cascading set of problems, not the least of which is that search engines generally aren't favorable to duplicate content, and don't always guess correctly. Finally, our RSS advertising partner is strongly in favor of short-content feeds. We hope that you'll continue to subscribe to BC via RSS, and when an article grabs your eye, it's only a click away, still free on the BC website. Thank you for your understanding. Administration0@blogcritics.org Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2007/03/04/221255.php Bird of ParadiseWhile walking my dog Daisy this morning I entertained an unusual fantasy. I considered for a moment the political free-fall of John McCain in his quest for the Republican nomination for the office of President. I considered the political marginalization of Joe Liebermann, a Democrat who ran for the office of Vice President alongside Al Gore in 2000 and who, in 2006, was forced to run as an “Independent” to retain his Senate seat after being tossed aside by members of his own party in favor of someone else.Neither man meets my criteria for a perfect candidate for the Presidency or Vice Presidency of the United States. Yet I admire them both and believe that they have much to offer us as a nation currently more divided than we ought to be . . . at least among our representative leaders in national government.As I pondered this matter I wondered what would happen if these two men joined together in running together as Independents for the office of President (John McCain) and Vice President (Joe Lieberman) of the United States.Would I endorse such a candidacy? No, I don’t think I would.Would I consider such a candidacy to be a good thing for the United States and the upcoming Presidential campaign? Yes . . . most certainly, Yes!To my mind it would force the major candidates towards the middle ground. If done well it could raise the level of conversation to a higher level of respect and substance than we have seen in many years.Could a McCain/Lieberman ticket win? Once again my answer is, No, I don’t think it would even come close. But I believe that they could draw far more votes away from both parties than Ross Perot did in 1992. And certainly more than Nader in 2000.I’d still like to see it happen! What about you?What follows is my fantasy as to what their public announcement to run together might look like. In my fantasy the paragraphs would be spoken responsively between the two men.I invite you to read what I have written and consider whether you can imagine these two men sharing these words together before a national audience.McCain/Lieberman Announce Presidential CampaignLocation: South steps of the U. S. Capitol BuildingWe are two United States Senators, John McCain, a Republican, and Joe Lieberman, a Democrat, who are divided by our party affiliation but united in our love for the United States of America.We believe that the best interests of America have for too long been sacrificed to the agendas of those who represent the far-right and the far-left of our nation’s politics.We believe that the flames of this national division, between progressives and conservatives have been fanned and fueled by those whose personal agendas benefit from keeping Americans as divided and as angry as each other as possible.We believe that this way of doing politics is not in our best interests either as a nation or as individual citizens with a common stake in our common future.While the two of us differ on many issues we find that we are agreed on those issues that are most important to us all.Together we affirm the need for our nation to be safe and secure.Together we affirm the need for our nation to be economically strong.Together we affirm the need for our federal government to be fiscally responsible.Together we affirm the need for our nation to be more selfless in its response to the needs of our weakest and most vulnerable citizens.Together we affirm the need for our nation to rediscover and to reaffirm that we are indeed, “One people, under God, indivisible.” That the high ideals of "freedom and justice for all" transcend any one political party and that it vital that we find common ground and unshakable unity in our support and affirmation of these central truths that lie behind the goodness of our national character.Together we will try to bridge the vast political chasm that has opened up, effectively separating us as individuals and as elected representatives serving in Washington on your behalf.Together we pledge to speak openly and honestly and respectfully with each other concerning the issues that confront us all.Together we pledge to affirm and articulate our common ground on these matters as well as to publicly share our debate on those issues on which we differ.Together we pledge to work with the members of the United States Congress in discovering ways that we can begin to speak with one another across political and party lines.Together we hope to bring our national leaders together in common cause to find solutions to our pressing needs for national security, fiscal responsibility, economic stability and the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable among us.Together we hope to re-instill a common faith in our national virtues of goodness, self-sacrifice, respect and tolerance.Together we believe that we can find a better way to move forward into the future as a great nation and a leader among the nations of the world.Together we believe that we can best do this when we are together and united in the things that matter the most rather than being so divided that we are no longer willing to even talk with each other.(Lieberman) As a Democrat I have often stood with many Republicans in my support of a strong national defense and in a firm and determined stand in support of our troops and their mission in Iraq, Afghanistan and in many other places throughout the world.(McCain) As a Republican I have often reached across the aisle to find common ground with Democrats as we have tried to pursue shared interest in campaign finance reform and to create a less hostile environment in which the legislative process of government can take place.Together, with the wisdom of hindsight, we admit that we have at times erred in both our personal and private lives.But, together, we affirm to you that our efforts have always been motivated by a desire to serve all the people of the United States and not just those of one social or political special interest group.Together we profess to be men who value honor and character.Together we promise to stand before you, the people of the United States, as friends . . . of each other . . . and as friends of yours.Together we will seek out a “middle way” that will bring us closer together as a nation rather than drive us farther apart.We believe that we can achieve all this and more as a nation. But only if we work and stand together.Our national motto, E Pluribus Unum affirms that, “Out of many” we are "One."Or, as Abraham Lincoln once put it, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.”So, today as we announce our candidacy for the offices of President and Vice-President of the United States, we stand together. And we invite you, each of you and all of you, to stand together alongisde us in the coming campaign.God Bless America! Politics60531@blogcritics.org Sun, 4 Mar 2007 22:12:55 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2007/03/04/150220.php Bird of ParadiseFilm director James Cameron made a pretty good movie when he filmed Titanic. He even recreated the interior of that great and tragic ship down to the last authentic detail, giving the movie an eerie authenticity. But even the best of Hollywood craftsmanship and the magic of digital imagery could not fool us into believing that we were watching actual events taking place on the real Titanic. Even the guy falling onto the ship's propeller was a fake. It was all an illusion of reality -- nothing more than an expensive and incredibly profitable piece of historical fiction.Now, James Cameron is trying once again to recreate another time and place for us on film. This time, however, Cameron is not only trying to resurrect that same eerie authenticity but he is trying to really fool us into believing that the fictional and illusory magic of cinematic imagination is more real than the reality it attempts to recreate!Cameron's latest project, titled The Lost Tomb of Jesus, is an attempt to demonstrate and prove that some ossuaries (bone boxes) found over 25 years ago in a tomb outside of Jerusalem contained the remains of Jesus, his mother, Mary, his wife, Mary Magdalene, their son, Judah, and the disciple Matthew.The film's producers have concocted a statistical theory of "coincidence" that they say effectively validates their claims beyond a reasonable doubt.Unfortunately for Cameron (and the Discovery Channel that is planning to air the film) their hyped-up claims have been torpedoed by the top archaeologists in Israel, including the man who did the original excavation back in 1980.William Dever, who the Washington Post describes as one "who has been excavating ancient sites in Israel for 50 years and is widely considered the dean of biblical archaeology among U.S. scholars" has responded to Cameron by saying,"I'm not a Christian. I'm not a believer. I don't have a dog in this fight ... I've known about these ossuaries for many years and so have many other archaeologists, and none of us thought it was much of a story, because these are rather common Jewish names from that period," he said. "It's a publicity stunt, and it will make these guys very rich, and it will upset millions of innocent people because they don't know enough to separate fact from fiction.The Washington Post added that Similar assessments came yesterday from two Israeli scholars, Amos Kloner, who originally excavated the tomb, and Joe Zias, former curator of archaeology at the Israeli Antiquities Authority. Kloner told the Jerusalem Post that the documentary is "nonsense." Zias described it in an e-mail to The Washington Post as a "hyped up film which is intellectually and scientifically dishonest."The Lost Tomb of Jesus comes in the wake of such pseudo-historical projects as The Da Vinci Code, The Gospel of Judas, and The Secret Lives of Jesus. I can only conclude that Cameron (in the tradition of P.T. Barnum) seems to be betting that people are gullible enough to believe anything -- especially something that, in this case, appears to undermine the legitimacy of the world's largest and most historically researched and validated religious faith.Apart from all the archaeological bickering over this matter there is this one, simple, fatal flaw in the whole of Cameron's thesis:How in the name of rational and sane humanity could a contemporary and universal belief in Jesus' death, accompanied by a story of an empty tomb and his resurrection from the dead, have produced thousands of new believers if Jesus was still alive, married, having children, and hanging out with at least one of his disciples (who was running around telling everyone that Jesus had died, risen, and ascended back into heaven as the Son of God)? And then later died and was buried along with everyone else in a local tomb with his bones later placed in an ossuary with his name carved into it! Would no one have noticed this?James Cameron seems to think so.My conclusion to all of this is that either Cameron is doing a very shabby job of deceiving us or he is doing a very good job of deceiving himself.Either way, Jesus and the followers who proclaimed him to be Lord and Savior are, through this production, being publicly accused of being charlatans and frauds and the written records of the New Testament Gospels and Letters to be lies on top of lies.While my Lord and my God can take this foolishness with heavenly laughter, I take this whole affair as just one more personal insult to my own faith, integrity, character, and intelligence.James Cameron is a despicable man and those who are using this inexcusable fabrication to make a profit (including the Discovery Channel) are worth every bit of scorn that honest and decent folks can bring to bear against them.No doubt Cameron already has an advance on his 30 pieces of silver.I suppose someone might ask the question: "Does any of this cast any doubts about the fundamental truth of my Christian faith?"In reply I offer the following headline: "James Cameron and the Discovery Channel Cause the Collapse of Christianity."As they say in Hollywood, "Get real!" Culture60462@blogcritics.org Sun, 4 Mar 2007 15:02:20 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2007/02/26/082912.php Bird of ParadiseAn updated edition of Rich Budnick's Hawaiian Street Names: The Complete Guide to O'ahu Street Names Updated was recently reviewed in the Honolulu Advertiser. On Oahu/Honolulu Country, at least, all new street names must be given Hawaiian names. As a result some otherwise-sounding beautiful names have been found to mean something quite different than was perhaps intended.Take 'Aikanaka Place in 'Ewa Beach. In Hawaiian it means "To eat human flesh!" Perhaps Hannibal Lector is looking for a new neighborhood near to some good local eateries!Or 'Ilipilo Street in Kailua: "Smelly Skin." How about Komai'a Drive in Manoa: "Dragging bananas." Na'ipalaoa Road in Wai'anae? "Whale Genitals" of course!Na'opala Lane in Kalihi? "Rubbish." Popoi'a Road in Kailua? "Fish Rot." Kaluamo'o Street, again in Kailua? "Lizard Pit."Hepa Street in Wipahu means "Idiot, Imbecile or Moron." Nalulu Place in Wai'alae 'Iki means "A Dull Headache" (anyone want to spend their honeymoon on Nalulu Place?).Then again there is always Hanakealoha Place in Palolo Valley: "Lovemaking" or nearby Pa'ale'a Street: "Pleasure-loving" or Ho'oha'i Street in Pearl City: "To Flirt" or Poli'ala Street in Waimanalo: "Fragrant Breast."Then again, almost any of these would be preferred to having to live on Kauhako Street in Hawai'i Kai: "The Dragged Large Intestines." By the way, if the name "Mutilated Lizard" captures your fancy you might just want to move to Kuli'ou'ou. The street you are looking for is called Mo'omuku Place.Some folks have clearly been having a lot of fun at the expense of us non-Hawaiian speakers! But it all goes to show that a good sense of humor can be found everywhere... even hidden in unexpected places.And when I visit San Francisco's Chinatown (where I once worked for two summers in a Christian Daycamping program) I always pause to pay my respect to may favorite street name anywhere: Wong Way! Books60216@blogcritics.org Mon, 26 Feb 2007 08:29:12 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2007/02/26/073708.php Bird of ParadiseWe've all heard the hymn "Amazing Grace." We've heard it in church, or at a Military Tattoo at the Edinburgh Festival or perhaps from Judy Collins (a recording that stayed on the singles charts for an amazing 67 weeks back in 1970-1972).Many of us have heard of John Newton, the former slave-trade ship captain who became a Christian minister and wrote the hymn.But this new movie, Amazing Grace, gives us an insight into how the second half of the 18th century produced a ripple of outrage over the slave trade that, in a span of some 50 years, rose to an overwhelming wave of social disgust over slavery itself, at least in Britain. The movie accomplishes this by telling the story of William Wilberforce, a rising star in British politics who became fixated on the subject of abolishing the slave trade and who refused to be worn down by defeat after defeat in the British Parliament.Slavery did not end with the vote of the British Parliament depicted at the end of this wonderful historical re-creation movie. Only the slave trade was abolished. It took until 1833 for slavery itself to be abolished, a bill that passed the parliament several weeks after Wilberforce died. Before his death he was given notice that the bill had been approved for a third reading by the parliament, virtually assuring its passage. Wilberforce died with the satisfaction of knowing that his life's goal had been achieved, at least in law.Unfortunately, slavery continues to be practiced today, especially in Africa and Asia. History can be changed by articulate, persuasive, gifted respected and imperfect men and women such as Wilberforce, Gandhi, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.In this movie it was a nice bonus to experience Wilberforce's eccentric quirkiness (his love of animals leading to his founding the RSPCA), his personal friendship with William Pitt the Younger (still the youngest Prime Minister in British history), the influence of John Newton (who was a very popular pastor of a large congregation and a well-respected preacher as well as the writer of the hymn) and the interplay of world historical events (the American and French revolutions and their aftermaths).The dirty, smoggy, crowded, and smelly depiction of 18th century London helps to explain why men and women of means chose to spend as much time as possible in their country estates.The close-cropped hair of men (and, less displayed, of women) and the wearing of wigs (due to the infestations of lice, etc) is part of the down-to-earth reality of the times that lifts this movie out of the mere ordinary to the level of worth seeingWhere Spielberg's Amistad graphically depicted the horror of the slave trade, Amazing Grace graphically shows how perseverance, historical timing, moral rightness, and political maneuvering can, on rare occasions, make a world of difference.Wilberforce may have been a moralistic prig, but he was right when the rest of the British Empire -- and the rest of the world along with it -- was wrong.His burial in Westminster Abbey next to William Pitt the Younger was no simple nod to sentimentality, either. It was an intentional mark of the respect and esteem in which he was held by rich and poor alike at the time of his death.The movie is nicely acted, the costuming is occasionally stunning, and the scenery is fittingly wet, rainy, drab, and even dirty. The screenplay bogs down during the lengthy artifice of Wilberforce's narration of events to his future wife and I lost track of whether the scenes were cutting to past or present and what year what was happening. There are no great chase scenes but there is far more action and drama than in anything written by Jane Austen or any given Bronte you might chose.All in all, a decent movie that is far better than its limited distribution might suggest.I encourage everyone to see this movie if for no other reason than to grasp the social and political context of the struggle to end the slave trade and slavery itself. The film quietly and wordlessly presents the reality that the moral foundation for ending slavery came primarily from Christian (including Quaker) leaders. The opposition to abolition by other Christian leaders in high authority, however, is not noted. Knowing that the Bishop of Exeter (for example) received over 1,000 pounds compensation for his slaves when slavery was at last abolished outright in 1833 shows how difficult it was for people like Wilberforce to get such legislation passed.We can all be grateful for the vision and dogged determination of people like William Wilberforce. Slavery was, and still is, a great evil. The fact that more of us know this now than knew it then should make us even more resolute to bring a final and universal end to this brutal assault on our common humanity.A good source for current issues regarding slavery today can be found at the appropriately-named Wilberforce Central. Review the partners and coalition sites. Take anyone you can find to see this movie. Then do something besides hum the hymn.You can also find the full history and evolution of the text of the hymn "Amazing Grace" at Wikipedia. Video60224@blogcritics.org Mon, 26 Feb 2007 07:37:08 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2007/02/25/102822.php Bird of ParadiseMy wonderful wife and I just returned from a concert performance by Thomas Mafumo & the Blacks Unlimited at the local JC.I can’t say that I had heard of Mapfumo before today but I have already come to admire him as a person and as a musicianMapfumo is from Zimbabwe and grew up there when it was still white-ruled Rhodesia. During the ‘60s he began performing in popular music venues imitating the British/American styles of Elvis, etc.By the ‘70s he had created his own musical synthesis combining various musical styles around a form of music indigenous to his Shona tribal culture. Central to this music was the spiritual, circular melodies created by the mdima, more commonly known as a finger harp.The black Marxist rebels seeking the overthrow of the Ian Smith government captured his vision of freedom. The guerrilla forces were called chimurenga (Shona for “struggle”) and Mapfumo began calling his new sound “chimurenga music.”According to notes on his life found at www.afropop.org, "Mapfumo had become a national hero by singing theme songs for a revolution, his deeper message was really about culture, not politics."At tonight’s concert, Mapfumo introduced his music in this way: "My music is about freedom. That is all I have to say about my music. It is about freedom."Having seen the demise of one oppressor and having celebrated the liberation of his country, Mapfumo found himself, by the late 1990s, becoming increasingly critical of the rapidly totalitarian rule of Mugabe. At times his songs were banned outright by the government and, after the opposition party unexpectedly did well in a national election, the government began harassing Mapfumo, including filing false criminal charges against him.In 2000, Mapfumo took his family to Oregon where he now lives in a sort of self-imposed exile. He occasionally returns to Zimbabwe to perform for his many fans. According to Afropop his songs have, "Decried alcoholism, AIDS (several of his original band members died from this), domestic violence, and people’s devotion to foreign things — all prices that Mapfumo felt Zimbabweans had paid for abandoning their ancient culture."Since Mugabe, whose iron-clad rule has completely destroyed Zimbabwe’s economy and social structure, is celebrating his birthday this week with a lavish party tomorrow (Saturday) I was curious what, if anything, Mapfumo might have to say about him.What he said, as an introduction to one of his songs, was this: "This song is about dictators... like Robert Mugabe of my own country, Zimbabwe... when a man like that dies... the world rejoices."He also introduced another song by saying, "This song is about our youth. There are too many wars these days... what if young people refused to go?" (applause)By the end of the evening I had concluded that Mapfumo’s music, with its complex, melodic rhythms (that brought dozens of the audience to the front of the theater dancing) could best be described as “liberation music.”Even more, as I pondered the themes of peace, of justice, of freedom or health and wholeness that transcended the music that tried, futilely, to contain and tame them, I decided that an even better description might be “Kingdom of Heaven” music... music in the footsteps of Isaiah, Amos, and Jesus.I found it easy to relate Mapfumo’s focus on freedom to our own national passion of every possible idealized version of this concept... including the musical voices from our own turmoil of the 1960s freedom marches and anti-war demonstrations.No matter how elusive, impossible or impractical the attainment of this vision of freedom might be there is nonetheless something of God in it: The lion lying down with the lamb; Jesus’ parables of the Kingdom of God; John’s revelation of the New Jerusalem coming down from heaven.I sought in vain to find some parallel with Muslim culture... an expression within Islamic culture in music or poetry or simply a visionary dream of peace, and joy, and freedom for all. I have no doubt that I will be thinking and rethinking this matter in the days to come.As Mapfumo ended the concert he thanked the audience for their enthusiastic support and then added, "God bless you."These simple words, which caught me completely by surprise, seemed to validate my take on his music. True freedom is not provided by ideology or liberation movements. The liberation from one oppressor (White Rhodesia) has turned out to be little more than a slow transition from one form of oppression to another. True freedom will never be attained through the efforts of sinful humanity. Freedom is, above all else, a gift from God that is, as our own nation’s founding documents explain, presented to us all as an endowment... an unalienable right for all.Yes, tonight’s concert was about freedom. And the words, “God bless you,” pointed to the only place we can ultimately turn to find it.Samples of his music can be found here, here and here. Music60181@blogcritics.org Sun, 25 Feb 2007 10:28:22 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2007/02/02/215625.php Bird of ParadiseThe Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change presented its preliminary report today and concluded that global warming is "very likely" (meaning 90% sure) caused by human activity.Here are my thoughts as a lay observer:1. Global warming is real.2. No one really knows whether this is a long-term trend (leading to glacial melt and loss of all ice caps -- which would be catastrophic) or a short-term trend that may slow or reverse itself as a minor variation in global climate stability.3. It is preposterous to say that the earth has a stable climate; research shows that the earth has always fluctuated in surface temperature, weather patterns, etc., sometimes with great variations lasting for many centuries (ice ages, etc.) or smaller variations lasting for shorter periods of time.4. Until recent history (the past 200 years - from the beginning of the industrial revolution) the impact on human activity on climate change would have been zero. Yet climate change occurred even without human interference.5. Are there other natural circumstances besides human activity that could explain the current warming trend? Yes. Sun activity, tectonic plate movement, volcanic activity, shifting of the earth's magnetic poles, etc.6. Do I believe that human activity is responsible for 90% of the worlds temperature increase? No. But I am 100% sure that it is a contributing factor -- perhaps even a significant factor. But nowhere near the 90% factor cited in the report.7. Do I believe that we should attempt to reduce the pollution and atmospheric emissions that contribute to this warming trend? Yes. But not precipitously. As with pollution in the Los Angeles basin, some things take time. Our nation's release of "global warming-related" pollutants has declined as a percentage of our total national energy and industrial production. Auto emissions have also declined per automobile. This is good, but does not remove the problem. It only keeps it from being worse than it already is.8. Rapidly developing nations such as Russia, China, and India account for the largest increase in global-warming emissions. These countries, and others like them, have not yet introduced the high technology and expensive additions to the production output that would in any way reduce the "bad" emissions to anything remotely comparable to that of the United States.9. As one writer to the BBC put it, "Who is going to tell a billion people that they can't have air conditioning or an automobile?"10. Should we, either as Christians or simply as concerned and responsible citizens of the world, do anything in response to this? Yes, of course. The simple acts of recycling, purchasing more fuel-efficient cars, using our air conditioners less frequently and at lower settings, eating foods that require less processing and transportation and the like will collectively help in this problem.11. As Christians, we should be concerned about our stewardship responsibilities in a world of God's own making. After all, we believe that "the earth is the Lord's and all that is therein." In judgment we believe that we will be held accountable for our behavior in this matter as well as in other moral and ethical areas of our lives.12. Is there any scientific model, either supporting the Intergovernmental report or contradicting it, that offers any hope or practical solution to this matter of global warming? None that I have seen. Whether this warming trend is caused by human or natural causes there is little evidence that very much can be done about it in a comprehensive way. The world, the number of human beings and the growth of industrial consumption is simply too vast to bring under any sort of practical control.13. What then, will happen? Who knows. Ocean levels may continue to rise, flooding low-lying coastal areas, islets and atolls. Entire nations may disappear (Micronesia and Kiribas come to mind). The reduction of global ice caps and the glacial ice of Greenland could produce accelerated warming or actually slow it down according to the various models I have seen. Areas currently arable may become deserts and desert areas may become arable. Major cities in certain climes may become too expensive to maintain large populations. Populations may actually shift globally to accommodate the climate changes. Shipping routes may even change if trans-polar shipping become feasible. Some national economies may suffer terribly. Others may actually benefit. The balance of world resources may also shift, affecting national alliances and balances of trade and economic markets. Political power will also shift along with the climate.14. Is all this going to happen in our lifetimes? Some of it, yes. But, if the warming continues at the present pace it will be our children's children's children who will probably have to face the reality of major change in lifestyles and geo-political-economic transitions.15. Is what you are saying true? Or have you just made it all up? Not being an expert I am simply expressing my current understanding of the situation based on what I have read. What this means, of course, is that I have mostly made it all up. On the other hand, for all their intellectual fire-power, so has the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Sci/Tech59102@blogcritics.org Fri, 2 Feb 2007 21:56:25 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2007/01/30/034327.php Bird of ParadiseI just read a wonderful post at Mudville Gazette that gives a blow-by-blow breakdown on what the planned surge in US troops "is" and "isn't."One interesting fact is that no troops are heading to Iraq that were not already scheduled to go there. It's just that some are going a little ahead of time to increase the numbers rather than simply replace them.A second interesting fact is that 70% of the civilian deaths in Iraq in recent months have been Shi'ites . . . giving the lie that al-Sadr's Mahdi Militia is the source of most of the mayhem. Sunni Baathists and al-Qaeda folks seem to be the main murders of late. This makes Iran's "bi-partisan" support of Sunni as well as Shia "insurgents" particularly noteworthy.The only place in Iraq that will experience any sort of significant "surge" is, of course, Baghdad. This increase in American troops in the city was made possible by changes in the political situation in the Iraqi government... especially as regards President al-Maliki.Not only are the additional American troops being allowed into Baghdad but they are being allied with Iraqi security forces that are now fully trained and, in some cases, battle-tested to do most of the dirty work themselves. As President Bush said in his State of the Union Address, the "rules of engagement" have also been changed. Until now, there has been no targeted crackdown on militia members or their leadership permitted by the Iraqi Government.Now, however, it appears that it is the strong desire of both Shia and Sunni leaders to end this inter-sectarian violence once and for all. Each side is particularly concerned about whether they can trust Iraq security forces and police to actually protect them from terrorist attacks and murder squads.With the US forces working alongside the Iraqi forces, the level of confidence in this matter seems to have grown considerably.For an update on the security cooperation being hammered out between Sunni, Shi'ite and Kurdish leaders (a very positive development) read the news here. Politics58922@blogcritics.org Tue, 30 Jan 2007 03:43:27 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2007/01/30/031725.php Bird of ParadiseYou may have heard of terrorist bombing in Eilat, Israel, the other day. (You can view a video of the explosion here) Three Israelis were killed along with the suicide bomber. It was the first successful suicide bombing in Israel in nine months.Several terrorist groups claimed joint credit for the attack, prominant among them was the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade. This group is, of course, the terrorist arm of the Fatah political party that began as Yasser Arafat's PLO and is now headed by the so-called "moderate" President Abbas of the Palestinian Authority. Fatah is the group that, unlike Hamas, we are expected to trust. Israel has recently agreed to release 100 million dollars in tax collections to Fatah and another recent agreement will be providing ammunition, etc. to Fatah as well . . . supposedly to help them counter-balance the military power of Hamas.An internet release from Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade not only claims responsitibility for the attack but imiplies (in translation) that this may be just the first of many such attacks as they seek to "start the implementation of the support of the Palestinian people."Even more important to note is the statement that the attack ". . . also comes in response to Tendes Aqsa Mosque, stressing that continued resistance until the liberation of the entire territory of Palestine, and to repel the occupiers irreversibly." (emphasis added)What this means, of course, is that the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade (and Fatah) plan on keeping up this type of "resistance" until Israel no longer exists at all.Keep this in mind the next time you hear talks of "peace" and "two-state solutions" from representatives of Fatah.Personally, I believe that actions speak louder than words. In this case, at least, the words and the actions mutually support each other in a frightening way. It is, as usual, a way that does not bode well for any prospects of peace in Palestine any time soon. Politics58912@blogcritics.org Tue, 30 Jan 2007 03:17:25 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2007/01/27/163536.php Bird of ParadiseI have had long conversations on BlogCritics lately with Iranians who say there is no evidence that Iran wishes to destablize Iraq. It is, they say, in Iran's best interests to have a secure and stable Iraq as a neighbor. This logic, of course, flies in the face of every objective reality that exisits. I have come to suspect that some of the folks that propogate these "talking points" are trained operatives working on the Iranian government's behalf . . . possibly formally and officially.In any case, the United States has instituted a new set of "rules of engagement" for the agents and military personnel they have been shuffling in and out of Iraq since the coalition invation in 2003. The new policy rejects the old "catch and release" program and replaces it with "kill or capture."There is danger and risk in this approach, of course. The danger is that American troops might kill an Irani civilian with a legitimate reason to be in Iraq. The risk is that Iran could respond by redoubling its mischief inside of Iraq with a more agressive targeting of US troops and personnel for abduction or murder.The capture and murder of four US soldiers in the Shiite city of Karbala on January 20 may, in fact, be related in some way or another. "A senior Iraqi military official said the sophistication of the attack led him to believe it was the work of Iranian intelligence agents in conjunction with Iraq's Shiite Mahdi Army militia, which Iran funds, arms and trains." Iran will not back down without a fight. It will push the level of violence and mayhem to the very limits. Indeed, it is in the interests of the most radical Irani leaders (including President Ahmadinajad) for the United States to attack inside of Iran.Iran's role in Iraq is first and foremost to disrupt and destroy the effectiveness of any peace and security that might arise from the current democratic government; second, to stick its finger in the eye of the United States (which it is doing quite nicely... see the recent Democrat electoral victory as evidence of their success); and, three, to provoke the United States into attacking Iran directly.I am convinced that we must not attack Iran unless provoked beyond anything our national interests can bear. Should Iran choose to flood Iraq and Afghanistan with trained sabateurs, the entire region could crumble very quickly into total chaos... including similar scenarios in Palestine and Lebanon. Response to this would be a difficult assualt on Tehran to cut out the heart of the Iranian revolutionary leadership within Iran itself.I would rather see Iran stuffed into its box and shut tight than to give it an excuse to pour across international borders like a plague in full daylight.This is one time when it would be best not to shout out, "Bring it on!" Politics58789@blogcritics.org Sat, 27 Jan 2007 16:35:36 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2007/01/27/142136.php Bird of ParadiseI had thought that Venus and Serena Williams had gotten tired of tennis and the exhausting and body-breaking discipline that is required to maintain top form. With multiple and recurring injuries, I had expected both of them to sort of hang up their rackets and focus their energy in their multi-million dollar investment portfolios.But Serena proved me wrong today when she completely obliterated the new No. 1 ranked player in women's tennis in the final of the Australian Open Tennis Tournament.Maria Sharapova never had a chance as she wilted before the blazing serves and ground strokes of a resurrected Serena Williams. The final score was 6-1, 6-2. The match took only 1 hour and 3 minutes to complete.Serena spent last season on the sidelines with a serious knee injury and was ranked only No. 81 coming into the Australian Grand Slam event.She proved to the world that her body and mind are still capable of playing tennis at the highest level.When the Williams sisters were at their peak, they were like powerful locomotives crushing everyone else who dared to get in their way.Today, one of those trains came roaring back with a vengeance. Women's tennis will be the better for it. Welcome back, Serena! Sports58790@blogcritics.org Sat, 27 Jan 2007 14:21:36 EST