7/27/2008

look, victory

I ran across a rather funny AP article in the Oklahoman. It's called Analysis: US now winning Iraq war that seemed lost.

It essentially argues that we're winning because insurgents "no longer have the clout to threaten the viability of the central government." Heck, if that's the criteria, why'd we invade again? The central government in place at the time proved pretty resilient to internal dissent.

But the real kicker is farther down. Check this out:

Systematic sectarian killings have all but ended in the capital, in large part because of tight security and a strategy of walling off neighborhoods purged of minorities in 2006.

In other words, Iraq is so stable now only martial law keeps it stable. And walling off neighborhoods. After the insurgent groups are done with their ethnic cleansing.

Bravo Bush Administration team! You've successfully gotten rid of minority groups in Baghdad! Whoever said ethnic cleansing is a bad thing?

7/17/2008

front row view

I look out my window, and the Fox 2 news van was sitting there all afternoon. I always knew that view over to Wachovia would reveal something exciting at some point.

I actually feel a little silly. I consider myself pretty well versed on financial events, but I completely missed the investigation that's been under way against Wachovia for the auction rate securities issues. Apparently Carnahan's office spearheaded a multi-state raid today.

The joke around the office is to pick the law that InBev is going to get in trouble over.

7/04/2008

happy fourth of july

I find myself caught today between thoughts of what we have become and what we can become.

How we deal with the people in our government giving terrible, illegal orders will say a lot about whether we're still the revolutionaries, or whether it is we ourselves who are tending toward Despotism and Tyranny, we ourselves who have become the System of Government that must be altered.

What does Independence mean to those who are not free? What does it mean to us as citizens who have a responsibility to ensure their freedom? What does it say about our citizenship if we fail to do so?

Hope is stronger than fear. Tolerance is stronger than hatred. We can make this country better.

Will we?