The #2 man is stepping aside:
A senior official in the CIA’s espionage branch will leave earlier than announced because of a dispute with CIA Director Porter J. Goss on reforms within the agency’s spying branch, Bush administration officials said yesterday.
Robert Richer, the associate deputy director of operations, the No. 2 official in the CIA’s clandestine service, had planned to retire from the agency effective November, according to a recent announcement to agency employees by Mr. Goss.
However, Mr. Richer now will enter the agency’s retirement transition program within two weeks, said officials, who declined to be named.
A CIA spokesman refused to comment.
Mr. Richer told associates earlier this week that he decided to enter the transition program earlier because of concerns about the CIA leadership.
Has anyone found any thorough discussions about the changes in the intelligence gathering structure? My initial reaction is that any shake-up at CIA is good, given their recent performance. However, that does not mean improvement in capabilities, as it is possibleto go from bad to worse.
Tim F
Classified sources report that Mr. Richer will come out of the program a seventeen-year-old woman named Darleen.
Seriously, this inevitably comes from the politicizing of the CIA that started with appointing Porter Goss as director. CIA is gradually becoming FEMA.
Trent
I’m certain that Bush’s man in the CIA is going to do a bangup job reorganizing the place.
Lee
I hope that the shakeup at the shakeup the CIA turns out better than the DHS and FEMA.
Mr Furious
“…any shake-up at CIA is good, given their recent performance…”
Yeah, filling those slots with more partisan yes-men will do wonders for our future intelligence capabilities. I don’t trust this Administration to “shake up” a bottle of YooHoo, never mind re-organize complex agencies.
Tim F
“Gossie, you’re doing a heck of a job.”
Trent
Can anyone name anything that Bush has done well? Other than shout through a bullhorn and sign hackery bills delivered by his Congressional minions?
circlethewagons
Been a tremendous boon to the comedy industry?
docG
Checked the CIA’s website, and not surprisingly, didn’t find a lot of info on changes in the intelligence community. Did get a good laugh, however, when I saw the George Bush Center for Intelligence. Now, where is that Bill Clinton Center for Integrity?
Trent
So what do people expect from our PResident tonight? More 9/11? Freedom on the march? Turning a corner? Naming Jenna to head up the New Orleans reconstruction? Giving Brownie his medal? Or is Condi up for the medal for getting him his pottie break?
Tim F
That’s named after George H.W. Bush, which makes a certain sense when you consider that poppy is a plank owner at CIA. If a center at CIA is going to be named after any president he’d be the one.
Davebo
“My initial reaction is that any shake-up at CIA is good, given their recent performance.”
What’s wrong with their recent performance? They provided exactly as they were told to.
Trent
And they know exactly where bin Laden is.
It doesn’t get better than that.
Steve
Who does #2 work for, anyway?
srv
No, even sites like inteldump have pretty lame coverage and discussion of agency reforms, or the new domestic agency that they wanted to create earlier this year. There was a bloodletting last November in the DO. I don’t think any of the senior guys are left.
It comes down to this. Either you believe the DO is filled with people who don’t care (note Gertz’s use of the word ‘improve’ everywhere) or Goss and crew are playing with our National Security.
Tim F
Rather than saying, ‘gradually becoming,’ I should have said, ‘CIA is FEMA.’ A partisan patronage mill where the careerists feel unwelcome and leave.
What did CIA get wrong about Iraq? They overruled internal dissent and accepted bogus evidence for WMDs in Iraq under considerable pressure from the administration. Next time there won’t be any dissent.
Defense Guy
Defeat two Democrat contenders in national elections. Remove 2 of the worlds tyrannical governments from power, although sadly there are many more. Drive some people absolutely of their minds.
On matters of policy, I’m a little more stumped. Create another needlessly monstrously large bureaucracy comes to mind though.
DougJ
If Bush can do for the CIA what he did for FEMA, then I think we’re in for a real treat.
Reread the question: it asked what Bush had done well, not what Karl Rove had done well. Unless you’re of the Bill Kristol school: “I believe Karl is Bush. They’re not separate, each of them freestanding, with distinct agendas, as some people say. Karl thinks X. Bush thinks X.”
circlethewagons
Well, sorta.
I think the question was what has he done WELL.
True. Both lefties and righties though, albeit in different ways.
DougJ
There’s got to be a place in the CIA for Brownie. After all, those horses were Arabian .
DougJ
Some of whom we are allowing to acquire nuclear weapons.
Trent
By the skin of his teeth both times.
That’s done, not done WELL.
jg
Isn’t Porter Goss the guy who was for a $6 billion reduction in funding for intelligence? They tried to pin that on Kerry but I’m pretty sure it was Goss. Classic. Kerry can’t be president because he called for a $6 billion dollar reduction but its the guy who really said it who gets put in charge on intelligence. Maybe Bush plans to make the CIA so small you can drown it in a bathtub.
Defense Guy
DougJ
The Reagan is merely a puppet of his staff is no more compelling than the Bush is a puppet of Rove or Cheney. You can believe it if you want. Winning is winning, and therefore is done well by definition. Losing is losing and if done well is equal exactly to that which is done poorly.
Krista
He has done that, but what has been left instead?
As for what he’s done well…in the spirit of fairness, I’m really, really trying to think of something. I’m not being snarky here, I’m really trying to think of something. Can someone help me out here?
KC
I agree with just about everyone here. There’s really no reason to get excited about the intelligence “shakeup” when we’ve witnessed the bangup job that has been done shaking up agencies to make DHS. If anything, I’m concerned about this “shakeup.”
KC
Dougj, way to capture everybody’s fears with comedy.
jg
WTF? Everytime someone won at anything they did well? To win his second election Bush didn’t have to do well and he didn’t. Half the country didn’t vote for him, less in the first election. A main point of conservativism seems to be that the ends justify the means. Saddam is gone, Bush did well, the actual situation doesn’t matter.
Trent
At the very least, he’s the one that said prior to his appointment:
But he has the one qualification that trumps everything else: Bush crony.
Defense Guy
You are putting words in my mouth. I am talking about the election only.
So he didn’t do it as well as he did the first time. Less well does not mean not well. As to the rest, you are trying to build a strawman, which may help you win the ‘argument’, but isn’t honest. Because I didn’t say any of that crap.
DougJ
Defense Guy:
(1) I don’t think Bush is Rove’s puppet exactly. I think he is Rove’s creation, Pinochio to Rove’s Gepeto (no idea how to spell either name and I’m not wasting my time looking)
(2) What does the “Reagan is a puppet” meme have to do with the “Bush is a puppet” meme? Is it some part of Bushie philosophy that if because someone was once falsely accused of something that from then on any accusations of that sort made against anyone are false? Could I argue for O.J.’s innocence by saying “Hurricane Carter was falsely accused of murder, therefore O.J. was falsely accused of murder”? I realize that there’s a boy who cried wolf aspect to things, but this time the wolf is for real, running around destroying previously functioning government agencies, and no matter which “side” you’re on, you shouldn’t be happy to turn a blind eye.
Trent
Are you kidding me? He had to be APPOINTED the first time.
DougJ
Back on Porter Goss: I just hope that he ends the CIA’s ill-considered practice of listing the names of all of its secret operatives in Who’s Who. That could go a long way in improving our human intelligence capabilities.
Defense Guy
DougJ
I see it as part of the pattern of what the ‘left’ uses when a man with an R next to his name is in the oval office. It’s predictable, and old, and untrue.
Trent
As for the wonderful Iraq success:
You can have coffee or you can remove a dictator. You cannot have both. Make your choice.
DougJ
Defense Guy, just remember that just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they’re not out to get you.
Defense Guy
Trent
It says a lot about what you understand about the process that you continue to use this. It simply isn’t true.
Trent
That’s bull. I have never seen anyone claim that Bush Sr was a puppet. Or Nixon for that matter.
Reagan was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and this PResident is just dumb as dirt.
Defense Guy
DougJ
That is precisely why I keep my shades drawn and my windows nailed shut.
Shhh – they are listening.
Trent
But it’s absurd to say he didn’t win the second term as well as the first.
DougJ
Okay, Defense Guy, can you name one thing that Bush did well other than being elected twice?
I’m nixing Afghanistan since Osama got away. I’m not saying that’s his fault, but you can’t take the credit unless you take the blame. (BTW, taking responsibility should not involve qualifiers)
I’m also nixing Iraq since it’s not going that well, despite the successful children’s production of “Fiddler on the Roof” put on by Baghdad High and the fact that the insurgency is in its last throes. (And if your reply to this involves the word “metrics”, I’m going to be disappointed.)
I think there probably is something Busy did well, but nothing is coming to mind. I thought NCLB sounded like it might be a good idea, but now I’m not so sure.
Defense Guy
Trent
I was responding to jg’s assertation that he recieved less votes in the 2nd than the first.
DougJ
Real classy, Trent. (I know, I should talk).
DougJ
Real classy, Trent. (I know, I should talk).
Defense Guy
DougJ
I love the can you name any ____ with the qualifiers that you get to remove things beforehand. No thanks.
Tim F
If a president does a stunning job on the electoral stage and a spectacularly awful job as a president, are we supposed to count that as a good thing?
DougJ
Defense Guy, what’s the alternative? That you’re allowed to declare anything a success that you like. I was trying to be fair.
DougJ
I think I need a bathroom break. I’m off to ask Condi if that’s possible.
Defense Guy
If I promise to say No and mean it, can I bask in the warm glow of your acceptance. Not to just single you out, for I mean the warm glow of all those who are taking issue with my post.
No, I think I’ll stick by my answer.
Davebo
Wow!
I sure am glad Dubya removed that tyranical government from power in Pakistan!
It is a Military Dictatorship
Like all military rulers before him, Gen Musharraf has maintained his grip on power by forming a party that provides a facade of democracy. No amount of rigged referendums and elections can overcome his basic illegitimacy in power.
Our Mullahs are Powerful.
Historically it has always been the military which has repeatedly co-opted Islamist organizations for cover and support. It was only with the Army’s blessing and connivance that the Mullahs won political victories in NWFP and Balochistan in 2002.
In 2005 Musharraf’s regime banned the protest rallies of journalists, feminists and members of the Pakistan People’s Party, while it allowed the Mullahs to hold anti-American “million man marches” throughout the country. Bankrolling these groups serves the useful purpose of making the army internationally preferable by contrast.
Our laws are manifestly unjust
Our Hudood laws ‘allow’ the family of the woman that kills her for the sake of their “family honour” escape justice by paying themselves blood money.
Our Blasphemy law that allows scoundrels to send innocent people to their deaths so that they can occupy their property.
Our military law which can condemn a civilian to death without allowing him recourse to the High or Supreme Courts.
Our Treatment of Women, especially the victims of rape
In January this Dr Shazia Khalid was raped allegedly by an army officer who was publicly declared innocent by Musharraf without any due process of law. As the New York Times reported, she and her husband were then ordered to “leave the country, and warned that if they stayed, they would be killed – by government “agencies” and that no one would even find their bodies. (See my blog on Shazia Khalid).
Then there poor Mukhtaran Mai who was detained in Pakistan and prevented from travelling abroad on the express and regal orders of General Musharraf, whose edicts were in complete contravention of the law of the land. (See my bog on this).
And now we have Sonia Naz who was brutally raped on the orders of a police officer, who in all probability was handpicked for his post by Musharraf’s Punjab political mafia.
Our Protected Madrassahs
After several ostensible crackdowns of Islamic militants, madrassahs in Pakistan are still free to propagate hatred against Christians, Jews and Muslims of other sects quite openly. Not surprisingly one of the London underground suicide bombers was videoed in Pakistan making his ‘death speech before martyrdom’.
And the usual bag of other lovelies
Such as:
The inclusion in the religion column in the Pakistani passport – which other country is blessed which such an inanity?
The police thrashing of women running in mixed marathons.
Beating of journalists on international Press Freedom Day (of all days!).
The regular incarceration of opposition party workers under anti-terrorism and other draconian laws.
http://politicalpakistan.blogspot.com/2005/09/botoxing-millitary-republic-of.html
Defense Guy
Tell her I said Hi, and see if you can get an autograph for me. You know for my wall of Bush fan club part of my tax cut provided, built on the backs of the poor (but only the blacks) mansion.
Anyway, Goss seems like the real deal to me. Old school spook who understands the need for human assets to take primary importance in intel gathering, with technology playing a supporting role.
So I guess appointing him was another thing Bush did well.
KC
Good question, Tim F. I think we’re missing another point in this whole thing too: the weakness of Kerry as a candidate. As I recall, polls before the election showed a lot of people where unhappy with Bush; however, they didn’t really like Kerry that much. Of course, the Bush campaign exploited the fear of terrorism while knocking Kerry’s character to get reelected. It was an obvious strategy and it paid off for them. Thinking about it that way, does the fact that Bush won make him a good president? To me, it just seems like it makes him a good campaigner.
DougJ
Seriously, though, Defense Guy, in all honesty I want to know something this White House (I’m tired of saying “Bush”, not because he’s a puppet but because it’s silly to personalize things that way) has done well that isn’t political? I know there must be something. I’m not kidding.
I’ll give you a start by giving you some stuff from the last few presidents:
Clinton — budget surplus.
Bush I — putting together the coalition for Gulf War I
Reagan — ending the Cold War.
Okay, I can’t think of anything for Carter.
Northman
Upon consideration, he has done wonderful things for the profit margins of the oil industry.
Seriously, the Bush administration has done several things quite well, its just that so few of them are good.
Rick
Excellent news. Based on the “Company’s” track record over the past quarter century, he’s likely deadwood.
Cordially…
Defense Guy
Davebo
I’m not really sure why some of you guys continue to think that this packs the punch you think it does. It’s like turning back a runaway slave because you can’t free them all or not trying to feed the starving Ethiopians due to the starving going on in N. Korea, or not prosecuting a rapist because there are more rapists out there. Hopefully you get the idea.
You do what you can when you can. It doesn’t make it hypocrisy. Also, I get the feeling that if we did go after another tyrant, you would just lose your shit castigating the decision. Am I wrong?
Defense Guy
DougJ
I gave you answers. Don’t go all mother Sheehan on me and pretend I didn’t. If you don’t agree, then you don’t agree, but lets not pretend that I didn’t provide an answer right up front.
It isn’t a coalition unless France or Germany is involved eh?
jg
JG never said that. He said ‘Half the country didn’t vote for him, less in the first election.’.
He obviously was saying that Bush recieved less votes in the first election than in the second.
Now I see why we had to do those tests in school where you read the passage then answer questions about the passage. Some folks didn’t do so well I think.
jg
You wouldn’t? Machismo be damned we don’t have the manpower to go after another enemy. You wouldn’t question the move?
circlethewagons
DougJ:
Carter – making the cardigan sweater wildly popular again.
DougJ
Wasn’t trying to hassle you Defense Guy. Just thought there might be something else that everyone would agree on, the way everyone agrees it was good having a budget surplus and ending the Cold War. I’m assuming everyone agrees those were good things. Maybe I’ve misjudged this crowd.
Defense Guy
I did very well. Everyone, even you, will make mistakes from time to time.
I always question every move the government makes. However, the current ability is not always the deciding factor when war is the question. It wasn’t in WW2, so keep that in mind. I’m usually happy when we can be part of spreading what we hold so dear, to those living under tyranny, even when it is not a smooth process. I am not happy about losing American lives in the process.
TM Lutas
Oh where to start…
Tim F – Porter Goss used to be a CIA agent and was head of the Intelligence Committee. He might be good or bad but it’s unfair to label his appointment anything but merit based.
By all accounts, CIA has been screwed up since the Church committee in the 1970s and it’s just gone downhill since then. Careerists at senior posts today started their careers watching their bosses get gelded by the 1970s Congressional hunts and the geldings didn’t stop until 9/11. Do you really think that the organizational culture at CIA is even possibly healthy?
Mr Furious – Since Porter Goss was doing intelligence work for decades, likely before GWB got serious with his life, I wonder how you credit Bush with such strange Rasputin like powers to turn Goss into a “yes man”.
Trent – Things Bush has done well (an abbreviated list)
1. Health Savings Accounts
2. Created a national yardstick that teachers and schools can’t escape from being evaluated against
3. By all accounts, run the federal portion of disaster relief for every prior hurricane to Katrina in a creditable fashion (I’m waiting for the real after action reports on Katrina before I make final judgments on that one).
4. Reworked the Pentagon quietly in a transformation about as profound as the post-WW II one.
5. Redo every bureaucracy so that they are judged by actual performance metrics that might matter in measuring real service.
6. Appointed a pretty good crop of judges so far.
The list could go on…
As for the crack about Bush not having large margins in his wins, you can always roll up large margins by running a soft content election camaign. The problem is that you have nothing in terms of political capital afterwards when you govern. GWB probably lost a lot of support on the center-left by taking well defined positions. He did not have to talk about reforming Social Security. He did and that’s a credit to him. Such positions eat into margins and the best elections are won by taking an agenda to the public and being able to say to Congressmen that the people support X or Y because you won a campaign on those issues.
Finally, your implied insult that Reagan wasn’t in control of his presidency is just indecent.
Tim F
Not to single me out, but you responded differently to me than everybody else. A little sarcasm helps to dodge a real no-brainer of a question. Of course nobody benefits when a politician excels at getting and stinks at governing. I can assume that you’d agree, so we can safely move past the point about winning elections. Unless of course, you want to praise Clinton to the rafters and back.
The Porter Goss example baffles me. One can argue that Goss has appropriate experience and a rudimentary understanding of how the CIA should operate. I suppose that makes him a not-immediately-awful choice if you want to ignore the nakedly partisan angle, but it hardly counts as another New Deal. Bush appoints a lot of people to a lot of jobs and we’re not all going to have an orgasm every time one of them the appropriate qualifications.
Defense Guy
Carter also raised the awareness of the danger of bunnies.
I agree that those were good things DougJ.
jg
Its a toothless coalition. There are countries that matter and countries that don’t. Our coalition was us, britain, and a ton of countries that don’t matter. ‘He forgot about Poland’ because Poland is not a major player in the world. No one is scared of Poland or waits to hear what they have to say. France and Germany, while not rising to the level of the US in terms of world importance, are nonetheless like minded allies in more ways than not. When like minded allies don’t want to get involved in your endeavor or are trying to talk you out of it maybe you should re-think it (paraphrasing McNamara there ‘Fog of War’, ironically he was talking about Vietnam). Thats why we have friends. So when you’re out at a bar and you say you’re going to hit on the hot chick your friends are there to tell you let it go, you have no shot man.
Tim F
typo in my post: “…excels at getting elected and stinks at governing.”
Defense Guy
Well then you have my apologies. I’m actually in a more collegial, come together type mood today than a damn the lefty one. I really didn’t mean to single you out for derision.
It is always interesting to watch 2 people look at a set of facts and come to entirely different conclusions. What is more surprising is that both people can be well meaning and intelligent.
Trent
1 – Those are a fine option for people, but insofar as they are considered a replacement to regular health insurance, they’re terrible. They work for rich people and do nothing for poor people.
2 – Everyone and their mother hates NCLB. Accountability is great, but it’s forcing teachers to teach to the test and takes money away from schools that need it. It also misclassified reputable schools as “failures.”
3 – This is absurd.
4 – If you mean he’s run the military into the ground, i agree.
5 – He’s filled every bureaucracy with cronies. (I’m open to hearing your proof of your point, but from what i know, this point is drunken pillow talk.)
6 – If you’re a right-winger.
ppGaz
That just may be the absolutely dumbest thing I have ever seen posted on the Internets, anywhere, and that includes Usenet and the alt heirarchies, which is the New York City of utter stupidity.
Are you (I am biting my lip really hard here) suggesting that a “set of facts” can and should lead to only one conclusion?
I’m torn between giving you the opportunity to revise and extend yourself out of that idiotic corner you painted yourself into, or just keeping it as a souvenir and using it against you in the future, which is what you richly deserve. But I’m in a good mood today, so I thought I’d hand you a softball chance to save yourself.
Trent
And it’s been noticed and appreciated.
Tim F
Hell, I’m not fishing for an apology. The only reason I think you used sarcasm at all was to avoid answering a complete no-brainer of a question. By usenet standards we’re having tea with our pinkies up in the air.
It would make an interesting poll to see who here does and does not agree with that statement. I could mark myself down as a ‘yes,’ although on certain issues you’d have to politely remind me of that.
Tim F
I’ll take ppGaz to mean, ‘that is so obvious that I can’t believe anybody would have to say it out loud.’ i.e., ‘water is wet,’ or ‘Pauly Shore is more annoying than a three-year-old with an air horn.’ Yep. It ain’t profound but god knows it sometimes bears repeating.
Defense Guy
ppGaz
It depends on the facts, but yes you are correct. My point, perhaps made badly, was that there are many who do not see it that way. They see it as leading to only one set of conclusions.
I do appreciate your ‘restraint’, such as it was. Then again I should consider the source.
jobiuspublius
And it’s powerless. I’ve never seen such sore winners.
ppGaz
Hahahahahaha! A fine job of daming with faint praise. Touche, sir!
My rant is withdrawn, your explanation is more than satisfactory.
Carry on …
DougJ
TM, thanks for having the guts to list those things. I won’t snark about number three, but your list would be stronger without it. I also have to deduct a few points for using the word “metrics”, as I warned that I would.
I don’t agree with anything on your list, (except possibly the Health Savings Account thing, which I really don’t know that much about), but I credit you for laying this out there.
ImJohnGalt
Did everyone here take a Zoloft today? It’s surprisingly (and enjoyably) civil, wot?
ppGaz
It is rather enjoyable, actually.
I propose that we declare every Thursday to be BJ Civility Day.
I hereby promise on a stack of .. wait, I don’t have any of those … I hereby swear and affirm that if we agree on BJ Civility Thursday, I’ll be the most civil sonofagun in these here parts on Thursdays from here on out. No topics are off the table, either.
Thoughts?
Trent
BJ civility… Sounds a bit gay
ppGaz
Not that there’s anything wrong with that!
jobiuspublius
Fuckoff.
Trent
Atta boy
ppGaz
I’ll put jobius down as “tentative.”
KC
A little off topic, but sort of on too, what do you guys think of this Josh Marshall post?
circlethewagons
Is anything really off topic?
Boronx
The only people in the world who thought Saddam was more of a threat than the CIA did are quite naturally the best people to reform it.
The only people in the government who ignored Osama even more than the CIA are the quite naturally the best people to shake things up.
ppGaz
This topic was raised some days ago when the “3-point plan” was unveiled (spend, move on, blame).
I think that it’s a good plan, and will work over time.
Once it’s in action, then we move to the next phase:
In the next phase, complaints about the Spuds and Katrina are said to be “old news.”
Complainers are said to be “politicizing” the issue while the Spuds will appear to be “solving problems.”
Since all the complainers will have voted for the spending package, it will be pointed out that they “supported” the Spuds’ recovery plan and aren’t in a position to criticize it later.
It’s very similar to the plan for the Iraq war, really, and it’s very effective. You kick the door in, you get people all in a dither, you manipulate quick passage of a bill, and then you are free to do whatever the hell you want and your opponents are stuck.
These guys have basically figured out how to nullify the democracy thing and do whatever they want.
Gotta give ’em their props …. and then get the hell rid of them.
jobiuspublius
SOP for Worst-POTUS-Ever.
Trent
Bush has become the sad desperate celebrity that has lost the spotlight and will do anything to regain it. Unfortunately, the consequences of his blundering is a bit more significant that cheesy People Magazine articles and smarmy talk show spots.
They have completely lost their way. They are having their Boy George heroin meltdown moment. They are ALL so detached from reality, that they don’t know how to cope with it when it comes knocking on their door.
The 9/11, can’t-do-wrong bubble has burst and we’re left with a Michael Jackson-esque executive branch.
Clever
Pre-emptive nuclear strikes
Is this a global scare tactic or are they just crazy enough to actually USE this?
jobiuspublius
Yup, orange jump suits, now thems is props.
Trent
Only a terrorist would have a problem with preemptive US nuclear strikes.
Or are you a communist?
jobiuspublius
On the contrary. They are still spending our money. Soon enough we’ll be seeing the dance of the Golden Parachutes.
ppGaz
Best line of the day, so far.
—/
Ambasssador to Saudi Arabia? What better place for a loyal ass-sucker than Saudi?
Royal Prince: “Brownie Abdul, it is a heck of a job you are doing.”
etc
Davebo
Defense Guy
There’s a difference between allowing a tyrant to exist and propping up a tyrant with billions in aide.
Clever
A bit confused, as the commie would agree with the preemptive doctrine:
Interesting document…things did change [as far as nuclear policy], but the fact remains that preemptive nuclear strikes are pretty hardcore commie.
tBone
So I read the post, see that there’s 96 replies, think to myself “yep, another flame war” – then I come in here and find you all discussing things politely.
You sniveling bunch of sissies.
Defense Guy
Davebo
No argument there. It’s like a new Egypt, only with less pyramids.
ppGaz
To what end? According to Brookings Institute figures I am looking at, the gap between the strategic warhead counts of the US and USSR was huge (the US had several times as many).
How could a Soviet “preemptive” concept have had any validity or relevence with those numbers?
DougJ
That is even more true than you might imagine. Let’s not forget that Richard Perle, Paul Wolfowitz, and Irving Kristoll are all former commies.
Why that doesn’t bother people more, I’ll never know.
KC
Dumb question, I admit it, but do you guys think John will keep blogging? The only reason I ask is because I wonder if he likes all these flame wars?
DougJ
I can’t think of much funny today, so I will instead refer you to the funniest thing I have seen on the internet this year
http://www.negrospaceprogram.com/
Anyone who’s ever hated a Ken Burns documentary should enjoy it. (Don’t worry, it’s not offensive at all, except possibly to white people who wear “Thug Life” tee-shirts).
DougJ
KC, he obviously loves the flame wars. He starts them deliberately by saying crazy things he knows will get people going.
ppGaz
No shit. And then you have the blog’s name, which is a paean to “hot air”.
All of which is fine, fun, and amusing. What gets me, though, are the calls for “calm and rational discussion.”
And then the phony scoldings when things get heated.
Say wha..?
I’ve learned my lesson, I just pay no attention to that stuff any more.
KC
Alright, I feel better now. Sometimes I get worried that John’s just going to give up.
ppGaz
You are now under his complete control.
When you wake up, you will not remember this conversation. You will stand up, and walk directly to the medicine cabinet, and bark like a dog for one minute.
gratefulcub
BJ Civility Thursday is a beautiful thing
KC
I am under John’s complete control. In the morning, I shall wake up, stand up, walk to the medicine cabinet, and bark like a dog for one minute.
DougJ
And this is different from a usual morning how ?
ppGaz
[ sound of fingers snapping ]
DougJ
There was a scene like that in the director’s cut of Apocalypse Now.
KC
Dougj, I dig the director’s cut, but like the originally released version better. Arf!
DougJ
You know, I’ve always thought that West Wing would be a lot more interesting if Jed Bartlett has flashbacks to Vietnam taken out of Apocalypse Now. What if when he was about to face off against the guys on the other side, they flashed back to him doing Tai Chi in front of that mirror bleeding and crying? That would be good television. Man, I liked the young Martin Sheen a lot better than I like the old one.
Krista
That WOULD be interesting. What would be even better would be if Shatner, on Boston Public, had weird dreams about being a starfleet captain, and kept calling James Spader’s character “Spock”
ppGaz
He and Spacek in “Badlands” …. a great masterpiece. Chilling, and pure genius cinema.
Badlands
DougJ
Ppgaz, that is a true classic. They don’t make ’em like that anymore. I don’t know what went wrong, but movies have gone straight down the crapper since about 1980.
DougJ
Ppgaz, that is a true classic. They don’t make ’em like that anymore. I don’t know what went wrong, but movies have gone straight down the crapper since about 1980.
ppGaz
Well you have to look hard for the wheat in the chaff, and be flexible. I love some of the Coen Brothers stuff. “Big Night” (1996) is a masterpiece in its own small way, for example. Nobody saw it, but you can get it on DVD. The appearances of Minnie Driver and Isabella Rosselini are worth the price alone, and there is much more.
You just have to keep your eyes and ears open, catch the small films that only play for a week at some obscure house in your area, that sort of thing.
“Boys Don’t Cry” might be the best movie I’ve ever seen, but it is heartbreakingly hard to watch. I mean, it will make you sick to watch it all the way through, because it just doesn’t pull any punches at all, but it’s a work of great genius.
DougJ
I saw Big Night. Tony Shalhoub is a genius. I didn’t like that timbale they made with all the hard-boiled eggs, though. It didn’t look very tasty to me. I’ve got to mark it down for that.
I think the best movie I’ve seen recently might be “American Splendor”. That has a 70s feel.
ppGaz
Well, it’s Conviviality Thursday, or whatever we called it earlier. We can allow both food and film criticism in the same piece.
jg
Is there any chance we would actually repeal the 17th amendment? I’ve read some good arguments for it but I just can’t see it happening.
ppGaz
No. The people would have to get behind the idea of the election of Senators being taken further away from the people.
To say the least, a hard sell.
Krista
I was quite impressed with “L.A. Confidential”. So much that’s out now is commerical crap, but to see a Raymond Chandler-eque noir film come out of the last 10 years…I thought it was pretty well done.
jg
I bet they once said that about the chances of repealing the Estate and Gift Tax.
All they need is more examples of politicians being useless or dangerous and they’ll have enough to let Rush and Hannity and Savage loose on the listeners. Popular election of senators is not what the Founding Fathers envisioned.
ppGaz
Well, neither is electronic intellectual property. So, whaddya gonna do?
I’m not sure that Rush Limbaugh is what they had in mind, either. The idea that an evil huckster could turn a million heads by clicking his heels together probably never would have been believed by them.
Ancient Purple
I never say it because I thought it was a French film called “La Confidential.” And we are supposed to hate the French. Right?
Excuse me while I walk to the medicine cabinet and bark like a dog.
Defense Guy
DougJ
To pay you back for the earlier funny. Not Safe for Work.
Cyber Link
Another
The 2nd one has links to a bunch more.