The Week in Review

Thanks to the chaos that is my usual life coming up against the chaos that is preparing for BayCon, my updates have been even spottier and more irregular than usual. I will, however, attempt to catch up to this week's events, thanks to a fortuitous bout of insomnia.

Let's see, first up we have the president of Iran's reasoned, sober response to the incentives that the European Community offered:

"Do you think you are dealing with a 4-year-old child to whom you can give some walnuts and chocolates and get gold from him?" President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad asked derisively.

No, that's the other power-mad dictator-wannabe of a rogue nation, shunned as a pariah. At least it works for Halliburton and the oil companies. More pretzels, Mr. President?

Yeah, at this point it looks like ol' Mahm0ud is spoiling for World War III just as much as ol' Chimpy McFlightsuit is. Good thing neither of these guys is actually in control of their militaries or has access to nukes or anything.

Oh, wait.

Next on the list, looks like Chimpy's little Vietnam has struck My Lai. Here's a quote from the story:

The video, obtained by Time magazine, was broadcast a day after town residents told The Associated Press that American troops entered homes on Nov. 19 and shot dead 15 members of two families, including a 3-year-old girl, after a roadside bomb killed a U.S. Marine.

Let's look at that closely. An IED goes off, so as I understand the normal response everybody shoots at everything surrounding the stricken vehicle, because they don't know where the attackers are. I don't like it, because it smacks of targeting civilians for reprisal, but what can you do when you can't tell the insurgents from the civilians?

But these guys go into homes, find unarmed civilians, and shoot them. They shot a three-year-old girl. Look at that again. They shot a three-year-old girl.

There is no way in hell I can support that, and no rational, right-thinking human being should. This is where all those excuses about how much pressure those soldiers were under and how chaotic Iraq is begin to look like just that - excuses.

Also, Bush promises more of the same from Republicans for the mid-terms. More invocations of 9/11, more accusations that anybody that disagrees with Dear Leader is a member of al-Qaida, more gloating about what a fine job they did to the economy and Medicare, oh and look - they'll accuse Democrats of only wanting to impeach Bush.

Got news for you, Republicans - that last one's a selling point.

Let's say hi to Fae, whose blog, Faerielicious, is occupying my thumbnail space up there this week - due to the insistence of my lovely wife and adorable daughter. Look, faeries! Go show Fae some Electronic Darwinism love, well, casual affection at least.