SOUR GRAPES & BAD WHINE!
February 12, 2004
Ahh, it’s so much fun writing these days. There’s so much material, so little time and space. So, before I waste more, let’s JUST DO IT!
France is the Rodney Dangerfield of the news these days. Congressmen are mad as wet hens, and they’re saying we should boycott Perrier and French wines. Sour grapes? Nope. It’s just that America and Americans are getting fed up with the French whinning. It’s about time! This is a 200+ year old problem. Let me review a 3-punch French history.
First came the Brits who defeated France’s thoughts of grandeur by stopping Napoleon before he could cross the channel. Second, it was the Germans who took down the French ego in a couple of wars. As David Letterman said, “The last time France needed proof before getting involved in war, the proof rolled through Paris with a German flag attached.”
Third, the French were forced to rely upon America during the Cold War to protect them through NATO. The French can’t seemingly do any of the grandiose things they pretend to want to do on their own. I mean they can’t even handle the little Ivory Coast rebellion.
So, joining with Germany and Belgium to block the U.S. and Turkey in NATO, and blocking the U.S. plans regarding Iraq, makes them feel like they have some significance. Charles DeGualle was always angry that the U.S. had so much power (remember he walked out of NATO’s military command in 1956) and Jacques Chirac has his genes.
The French even refuse to believe that the last UBL audio tape connects him to Saddam. What? I mean what would convince the French? A wedding ceremony: a ring exchange between Saddam and UBL? Come on. A poll today says 76% of America sees the connection.
For me, it’s just French sour grapes and bad whine! I have always liked Spanish wine anyway. The Timpranillo grape is so much more smooth. No sour grapes there- or in 16 other European nations.
FROM DESKS TO DUCT TAPE!
February 11, 2004
Ahhh, the more we change the more we remain the same. I have to admit though that for a moment I was confused. I wasn’t sure if I had gone back in time to 1999 or way back to the 50’s.
There was that time back in the 50’s and 60’s when we did those “under your desks children” drills. Remember when we were digging all those bomb shelters? Today, there’s Tom Ridge who wants us to stock up on water, canned goods, batteries, and duct tape. Sounds like 1999 and the Y2K preparation items, minus duct tape. Maybe I just missed the duct tape thing.
Oh yes. If the price of oil keeps rising (up another 96 cents Tuesday to $35.44 a barrel), we’ll visit another time in the last century. Remember the oil embargo lines? If you’ve forgotten, well, just get some recent video of buying gas in Caracas.
Now, in the midst of such chaotic times, you’d think people would sober up but no. We’ve got this double-decker red bus that left England on it’s way to Baghdad. It’s in Turkey now with 50 “human shields”. They should arrive in Baghdad in a week. Help me here.
There are millions of Iraqis wanting out of the country. Saddam just kicked 68 foreign correspondents out Monday. Pakistan and Indonesia told their Iraq-based workers to come home. But, we’ve got a bus-load of “human shields” wanting IN? Go figure!
Ross Perot with his down-home common sense really helped me see things clearly. I’ve pondered what to think about France recently, but Ross had the answer as he said, “Having to go to war without France is sorta like having to go deer hunting without an accordion.” 
FIRST STOP HALABJA, IRAQ?
February 10, 2004
It was a Friday. The skies were clear and few could have expected how the day would end. By the time the sun went down on that Friday, March 17, 1988, some 5,000 people would be dead, another 5,000 badly injured.
There were children laying dead at the threshold of the front door to their home. Other children would be laying beneath a swing set or at the end of a slide in a park. There would be a large van sitting quiet with 20 women and children still in their seats- dead. What happened?
This was just one of the days that Saddam Hussein would send his planes full of chemical bombs to visit his citizens. Twenty waves would pass overhead that Friday. Cyanide gas would drop some people in their steps before they knew what hit them. It’s just one story but it has some connection to last Saturday.
You see Halabja has become a headquarter for many Taleban and al-Qaeda operatives that fled Afghanistan. The Ansar al-Islam enclave is one that Secretary Powell brought to the attention of the U.N. last Wednesday. Three days after that speech, a major Kurdish commander and U.S. ally, was shot and killed along with other top Kurd officials in an ambush in Halabja.
Mullah Krekar leads some 1-2,000 al-Qaeda operatives, under the protection of Saddam Hussein. This radical Islamic group will most probably be one of America’s first visits when the war begins.
Saddam, as usual, promised Hans Blix he’d allow U-2 flights unconditionally, and then one hour later put on conditions. What’s new? Oh yes, he’s going to pass a LAW that it’s illegal to make WMD’s in Iraq. Well, that sure convinces me. But, I don’t think it convinces Bush. No matter where we strike first, Turkey and thousands of Kurdish soldiers will remember Halabja (it’s a symbolic Arabic word much like the Alamo is for us Texans).
DUMB, DUMBER & PLAIN STUPID!
February 9, 2004
Okay so several nations did not buy into Powell’s speech. Let’s see, there was Iraq, Iran, Germany, France, and did I mention Prince Charles and Madonna? God forbid!
Prince Charles (how irrelevant is he) is against the war that his Prime Minister is supporting. There are 37,000 British troops in route to Kuwait and their “Prince” is an embarassment! But in what has to be the biggest blow to world opinion is that Madonna is doing an anti-war commercial. I hope it does better than her last movie. Maybe if she PAYS to play it, it will.
Now on to the more stupid stuff. Yes, it gets more insane. France and friends want to send thousands of inspectors into Iraq (as if Saddam would say yes). After violating seventeen U.N. resolutions over ten years and we’re still babbling over yet another resolution and more time. I’m beginning to think the League of Nations had more guts. At least they weren’t committing such crazy things as the U.N. Check this out.
Iraq is now ready to assume the position at the U.N. as chairman of the Commission On Disarmament. Right, on how not to? Then there’s Libya that will shortly head up the Commission on Human Rights. And if that’s not bad enough, the U.N. (led by the usual suspects: France, and Germany) is going to decide Monday if they want to back and defend fellow NATO member Turkey. Since Turkey has sided with the U.S. over Iraq, they are not so sure.
The European score card of nations is 16 for the U.S. and war, and 3 against. Who cares about France & Friends? I mean, do they still have a military? My definition of what’s going on in world affairs isn’t printed in the title above, but then, I can’t print what I am thinking. Welcome to Monday, February 10th.
FILL ‘ER UP? NO THANKS!
February 8, 2004
Sometimes that which you know isn’t really experienced. Know what I mean? Let’s take the price of oil, crude, gasoline.
I’ve been watching for weeks as the price of a barrel of oil has gone from $25 to $33. I know that Venezuela has a lot to do with the price. Then there’s the potential war with Iraq. So, knowing that crude was going up wasn’t a surprise. Yet today when I pulled up to the pump and started filling up my tank with that 93 octane gas, I suddenly was shocked to see the price being $1.76 a gallon.
I shut down after five gallons worth and took my indignation home where I could buy some cheap Costco gas. Just one problem. Like water raising all boats, everywhere I went, it was the same. You see the price of a gallon of gas has gone up 7-10 cents a gallon in just the lst two weeks!
Yes, regular unleaded is only about a buck-fifty six in Houston. In San Francisco, you’ll pay a dollar eighty plus. And, this spring you could be paying something over $2.00 a gallon for regular unleaded. Call it a surtax. Call it a rip-off. Call it whatever you want, but before you fill up that tank, check the prices because we’re in a time where pump prices can vary as much as fifteen cents a gallon from station to station (pre-war).
TGIF? WELL- MAYBE!
February 7, 2004
We lived through another week, unless your week ends on a Saturday. The markets end on Friday and so after four losing days in a row, the Dow, Nasdaq, and S&P are celebrating TGIF! Okay, so they’re not happy, but they’re relieved. So far this year the Dow is down nearly 500, settling in the weekend at 7,864. My 2003 number for a 6,600 Dow is looking not so bad right now. Of course the pros are saying 10,000 Dow.
Then I have to ask myself. How can I TGIF when just a few hours earlier today the nation got put on a heightened alert. It’s ORANGE now, not YELLOW! Tom Ridge came out today and told us to go home and explain it to the kids, and stock up some some foodstuffs, etc. But whatever you do, don’t panic. What?
Okay, I’m letting this TGIF feeling slip away, so let me give you some pro-active advice. My bookmarks or “favorite” list is pretty long. I write this commentary every day after scouring over dozens of sites and then drawing my conclusions. You might say I am the antithesis to Fox News. I am most often “Balanced & Unfair”. Who said life was fair?
Anyway, back to being proactive. The focus of our attention is Iraq. Right? There are four countries right there in Saddam’s back yard, like next door. So, I get my news from his neighbors and you can too. Just put a www. in front of these four web sites and you’ll not only be proactive but you’ll know what “others” outside the U.S. think. Those sites are Syriadaily.com/ Turkey-News.com/ Kuwaitdaily.com/ and Jordandaily.com.
Over there it’s no longer Friday so forgetdabout dat TGIF thingy!
A VALENTINE’S DAY WISH
February 6, 2004
I know it’s early, but I think I can speak for a lot of people who would like nothing better for Valentine’s Day than to hear that Saddam Hussein has decided to save tens of thousands of lives by DISARMING!
Right now, I have a son going through the last stages of “readiness” at Ft. Hood. He’s probably going to be shipped out to Kuwait, where his equipment was sent a week ago, somewhere around Valentine’s day.
The “reformed” Hans Blix is now on his way back to Baghdad where he’s to give Saddam one last chance. Is there any doubt that Saddam will make another promise, otherwise known as a ruse, and try and put off the inevitable? In the meantime, he’s moving his troops back from the borders, closer to Baghdad. He’s preparing for war. After all, it’s not his life that’s on the line. And those weapons of mass descrution he does not have, he’s told his officers to use them against our military when they attack.
When someone has gotten away with as much as he has for two decades now, one starts to think that they are invincible. He has no one who will tell him the truth. The last person to do that was walked to the next room and shot in the face, ruining not only a fine palace rug, but wiping out his life as well.
We can and should always hope for the best; however, knowing Saddam, I’m afraid that there will be no “heart-change” from Baghdad this year. After all, his actions for twenty plus years have shown that he’s HEARTLESS!
So much for a Valentine Day’s wish.
WHAT IS THAT SMELL?
February 5, 2004
Guess what! Colin Powell made his presentation on Iraq today and Germany isn’t convinced. Russia wants the inspectors to verify what Powell said. France wants us to triple the number of inspectors. Maybe they think we can win by an “occupation” process. I mean if we keep tripling the inspectors every month or so, soon we could take over!
Oh yes, and then there’s this from Iraq, “the presentation was done with stunts and special effects.” You know how hi-tech America is. We just fabricated all those pictures, radio transmissions, and drawings.
But, let’s get to the point. Those six or so nations who will not be pursuaded under any circumstances kept going back to the NEED for a smoking gun. Yes, that’s it, that’s what I am SMELLING- SMOKE!
Let me review. A smoking gun means the bullet has already been fired. Do we want to wait to be shot before we act? And, wasn’t the Twin Towers in NY enough smoke? Weren’t the 200+ oil fires in Kuwait enough smoke? How about the smoke that comes off the skin of Iraqis when Saddam drops acid on them as he tortures and kills them. I could go on but I’m getting depressed.
Let me quote George Bush who has often said, “We’re going to track ‘em down and SMOKE ‘em out”. That’s the smoke I’m talking about!
FIVE MINUTES TO………HELL, OR?
February 4, 2004
In what has to be a “Kodak moment”, Hans Blix came out of his CIA briefing Tuesday and announced to the world that the Iraq situation was very serious. He said more than the fact that time was running out. He said, “It’s five minutes to midnight”.
Okay, so what do we do with that bit of information? Well, Moammar Kadhafi, the dictator of Libyia, says that if Bush and Saddam would come together, that he’d mediate and save the world. Okay, but are there any sane ideas? Is there anything that might remotely work? Does anyone think that Saddam is going into exile, walking away from his Utopia, leaving the land where he plays god, or suddenly finding the benevolent heart that we all know he has? Not!
Tomorrow when Powell goes before the U.N., another minute will tick off the clock. Saddam is lining up all of his forces. He’s willing to waste tens, if not hundreds of thousands of lives, to defend his. Uday is going to send his FEDAYEEN (Saddam’s martyrs) to blow up the world outside of the Mideast (exempting Israel of course).
And can you believe this. Richard Perle, chairman of the Pentagon’s Policy Advisory Board, declared today that FRANCE IS NOT AN ALLY! He even went further and said that NATO might have to be reformulated: obviously leaving France out. Wow, break my heart.
Five minutes to midnight? We have no clue what events will be unleashed if war against Iraq comes. We do know what will happen down the road if war does NOT come soon. It seems to me that the former could be called HELL and the latter PURGATORY (which preceeds hell). But then, I could be wrong. It just might be midnight, as Hans declared.
A TWO-HEADED MONSTER
February 3, 2004
As my internal radar sweeps back and forth seeing what it might pick up, and what is significant amongst all the background clutter, two things stand out. Of course you could guess what they are. One is history (Shuttle disaster) and one is futuristic (war with Iraq).
I have come to the conclusion (beyond the tragedy for the family and nation) that we need to revamp the entire approach to space exploration. Yes, go ahead and use Discovery, Atlantis, and Endeavor, but we need to bring our Nasa operations into the digital age.
It is shocking to read how out-dated the equipment is (Discovery is 20 years old), how old the computerization is, and how manually mechanical the operations are. There’s too much to go into in this short space; however, suffice it to say that I believe we need more than to throw a few billion more at the program. We need an entirely revamped paradigm: some fresh thinking. More on this in the future.
Then there’s Iraq. Boy oh boy. Saddam and all his merry men are threatening America with the “father of all dooms” (since the mother of all wars didn’t work) if we attack. Hundreds of thousands will die and that scares the pee-waddin out of the “peaceniks”.
Wednesday, Powell lays it out before the U.N. and world. The lies, the schemes, maybe the evidence! Maybe. Blix made his “no cooperation” speech last week and today his counter part, ElBaradei, said he was sick and tired of being sick and tired. And of course Saddam is claiming that the U.S. is “planting” evidence in Iraq. Right!
To sum up though, it seems as if we’re a boxer in the 8th round taking one body shot after another. Can we make it to the tenth round? Can we muster what it takes as a nation to finish the fight- a winner? I believe we can!
A HIGH-NOON PR SHOW DOWN
February 2, 2004
In the midst of America’s mourning for the shuttle disaster, something even larger looms over the horizon: WAR!
It’s been known for five days now that Colin Powell will stage an OK Corral position on Wednesday before the U.N. He’s not facing a puny gunslinger for Arizona, but a powerful PR sharpshooter from Baghdad. Saddam Hussein is smarter than most people give him credit. He’s no dummy and his life is at stake so he’s going to give it all he has.
To offset the Wednesday gun battle at the U.N., he’s supposedly given the old man from the Labor party in England a live T.V. interview. I am talking about Tony Benn. The first ever interview in a decade.
It’s expected that the Benn interview will be released on Tuesday- twenty four hours before Powell hauls out his firepower. But, in this time of intrigue and high-stakes gambling, there’s rumors that one of the “inner circle” of Saddam’s bodyguards has defected and that he’s spewing his guts before Ariel Sharon as I write.
Abu Hambi Mahmoud has been telling Israeli intelligence where all the secret sites are. My guess is that whatever he has told the press, is now already in the process of being moved.
Anyway, when we have a week like last week (Super Bowl week), and it seems as though it can’t be topped, here comes this week in a more spectacular way! This post super bowl week may turn out to the the most critical yet. So, as we mourn (and we must) keep an eye on the OK Corral. It’s not Tombstone, Arizona, but it could mean a lot more tombstones. It’s a High-Noon show down!
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