Friday Fumbling

So I get to spend the next week with the Rus, the Slavs, the Byzantines and the Eastern Orthodox Chruch.

I’d be sarcastic and say “Wheeee!” but I actually am interested in this area of the world. The Near East and the region around the Black Seaare the result of the clash of so many cultures, it’s fascinating.

Yes, I know I'm wierd.

Hypocrisy Police Sir, Do You Know Why I Pulled You Over?

Saddam Hussien to Sue over Tighty Whitey Shots

“But President George W Bush said he did not think the photos would encourage insurgents in Iraq.

"I don't think a photo inspires murderers. I think they're inspired by an ideology that's so barbaric and backwards that it's hard for many in the Western world to comprehend how they think."

A. Nice to know that Bush considers independence and self determination to be “backwards”.

and B. Wasn’t this same administration who said a week ago: “It's appalling that this story got out there,” U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said as she travelled home from Iraq.
and

"People lost their lives. People are dead,” U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said. "People need to be very careful about what they say, just as they need to be careful about what they do.”
Granted, the entire thing is utterly silly, I doubt anyone in Iraq is upset about seeing a deposed murderous tyrant humiliated. But the different reactions of the Bush administration to the two analogus freedom of the press situations is very revealing. In short "Please leak only what we want you to leak..."

And BTW- Whole Newsweek Koran scandal? It appears they weren’t that far off the mark.

So what happened is all the real abuses that have been happening at Gitmo (and Abu Gharib) along with America belligerent foreign policy and incompetence, and corruption in Iraq, and to a lesser extent Afghanistan built up resentment in the Muslim population and they start demonstrating which became violent as they clashed with Troops and police. Newsweek prints this dubious tidbit and the Bush administration latches onto this one falsehood in a sea of ugly truths as proof of the liberal media’s bais, the irrationality of the Islamic world and their own innocence, ignoring all the real abuses that happened.

I believe the term is “bait and switch”.

All Star Challenge

NASCAR is off to Charlotte this weekend for hoopla of the non-points, pure purse race of the Nextel All Star Challenge. Enjoy the vacation from points racing guys. Have a great time, be safe and best of luck to the 8, the 38 and the 6 teams!

P.S. Hey Elliott…

(Not to mention several of my friends...)

I found you a T-Shirt.