What Do I Know?

Armageddon. Next Door to Waterloo?

I fell asleep as history was being made last night. Literally, on the sofa, while watching the debate on Sky TV's live streaming of CSPAN on one of their alternate channels. 

It's a little anti-climactic, waking up this morning to read the results on Twitter, on blogs, on news sites I've clicked on, month after month, during this long slog to the history books.

Congratulations, America. The rest of the world isn't sure why you're so excited—after all, they've had universal health care for decades. And, in the case of many countries like Britain, it was the generosity of the US after World War II that made their own universal health care system possible. Even Iraq has benefited from US funds designated for their health care system.

So finally, America gets what even emerging eastern European countries take for granted: access to health care for all. No longer will Americans have the unique fear of losing their home when they get sick. Or losing the ability to go to the doctor for a cough when they lose their job. Or losing a baby when prenatal care isn't available.

But through it all I've lost a lot of respect for my fellow Americans. The rhetoric coming from Republican leaders yesterday was bombastic—Armageddon! Baby killers!—and downright stupid. Do they even know the definition of socialism? Totalitarianism? Deficit spending? Okay, that one they're familiar with, since they drove the deficit up to record levels with, among other things, their own attempts at health care reform—namely, the unfunded and donut-hole-ridden Medicare Part D.

I don't know if John Boehner and Eric Cantor and all the other Republicans who are now leading their party really believe the nonsense they're spouting, or if they're simply shouting out to the gullible tea party element of their party. Watching them come out on the House balcony yesterday with photos of Nancy Pelosi in hand and thumbs pointed down put me in mind of Evita Peron trying to sell snake oil. There were plenty of buyers among the tea party crowd, who seem to hate grandmothers as much as they hate niggers and faggots, because they went wild with anger. 

Frankly, the lack of decorum in the debate left me disgusted. Imagine if a Democratic congressman had shouted "Baby killer!" to a Republican colleague who spoke in favor of the Iraq war. David Frum, a Republican speech writer who's become disenchanted with the conservative outrage, calls this the Republican Waterloo. And that was before Baby Killer (the shouter of which has yet to come forward, probably because even he's ashamed). 

The "conservative entertainment industry"—the Rush Limbaughs, the Fox "News" anchors—have succeeded in making Americans angry enough to tune in, but in the process they've destroyed something precious. The reasoned arguments our founders envisioned have been replaced by ignorant rants. Decorum has been replaced by disgrace.

Americans were never blindly loyal to their leaders, not since George Washington turned down the opportunity to be called "King". But now they openly hate them, coyly wish them dead, and believe the government is ushering in Armageddon by offering health insurance to their neighbors. 

Something right happened in America yesterday, but something very, very wrong is thriving. Congratulations, Fox News. May your days be numbered, as they say.

Protests

Protesters at the Israeli embassy in London today.

Daughter Number One took this photo today in Kensington, where the Israeli embassy is located. Today is the second day of protests, which are going on across Britain.

Can't say I blame them. There's something about children being killed in their beds that makes people angry.

Coincidentally—or not, Israel is having elections in a few weeks. I guess the one who kills the most Palestinians will win.

Like the Israeli ambassador said on the radio tonight, it's up to the people of Palestine to insist that Hamas stop firing the rockets (and if they don't, he implied, they deserve to die).

Likewise, I guess, it's up to the Israelis to vote to stop the cycle of violence.

Don't hold your breath.

Corruption

Last night TypePad was having some issues. It wouldn't let me log in to my other account. (I maintain another website using TypePad.) I've had the problem before, and by clearing my cookies it usually allows me to log in, but this time my cookies were just too corrupt.

Imagine that.

Anyway, I posted on Twitter about it, and this morning I had an email from someone from TypePad, offering some suggestions. She'd seen my tweet and tried to head the problem off. I had no idea such prompt customer service existed.

Today I've been updating my other website, and taking a little jaunt over to Wiltshire, and cleaning the house for my party, so that's why I haven't been blogging. In fact, expect light blogging throughout the weekend.

I don't imagine that's a problem for most of you, who are coming here to read about this, so carry on, my corrupt little cookies.

A Seriously Fluffy First Family Post

To hell with transition; let's talk fashion.

So, what did ya'll think about the Dress? I didn't like it, but I'm much more conservative in my tastes when it comes to clothing. Nor would I decorate my home with lava lamps, so that tells you something right there.

I did love the dresses the future First Daughters wore. Especially the black one. More children should wear black; it sombers them up a bit. Can't have cheerful looking children, can we?

Check out this gallery of Michelle fashion pics. I really like this H&M number (8). And the Amish look (13) would be exactly what I'd go for. On the other hand, the fist bump dress (2), which looked great on her, is problematic for us redheads, for whom fuchsia is much more suited to the garden, not the closet.

My favorite ensemble, though, was the one she wore for the acceptance speech at the Democratic convention, with the girls in matching shades. Wonder how long those girls will let their mom dress them in matching family outfits?

UPDATE: the individual links in the gallery don't work, you'll have to look at the whole thing.

Water: Not Just for Swimming Anymore

I once met Michelle Obama, so I can verify that this line in New York magazine's feature on her is totally true:

Her eyes are grottoes of compassion.

Actually, I think they were more like ponds, perhaps "brown ponds of compassion." Although I would have gone with "brown ponds of empathy." Or maybe "small lakes of sludge-like melodrama." Or "vast ditches of desperate commiseration."

See? Writing is hard work.

Note that this rhetorical formulation can also be applied to Cindy McCain's eyes: "Blue grottoes of liquidity" works, on several levels.

Punctuating Zimbabwe

As someone who takes an inordinate interest in punctuation, not to mention world affairs, I should feel compelled to opine on this article in The Independent on such grammar devices and the French/English conflict. But I think I'll just let you read it instead.

I actually went there looking for news about Zimbabwe's elections. If you live anywhere other than the United States, you are probably aware that Zimbabwe held an election over the weekend, and results are due to be released today. If you live in the U.S., carry on; you're having your own election crises, which are surely less fraught with danger and intrigue than those in Zimbabwe, where Mugabe has had a 28-year grip on power.

(How's that for some punctuation maneuvering?)

The Guardian indicates Mugabe may be ready to give up power. Good news indeed, though a full stop (period) is not called for—he wants immunity from prosecution in exchange for stepping aside. And there's an £8 million villa involved. [insert cynical comment here] The Times calls this an "African solution to an African problem."
Developing...

For background on Zimbabwe's elections: Q&A: Zimbabwe elections.

There! I think I've taken care of all the major punctuation marks in one post.

If It Quacks Like A Duck, It Just Might Be A Duck

A duck, which can be identified by its quack.

I just talked to someone from BBC radio, and they want to call me in the morning and interview me. It's for a human interest piece, how Americans feel about flying to the States now that cross-Atlantic flights have been targeted.

They also want to talk to Daughter Number One, who is apparently on her way to Chicago. Her flight left a little over an hour ago.  still sitting on the runway. She called from the plane phone. While she was talking the pilot explained that they were checking every name against a list of suspects; that's why they may be a few more hours getting cleared to fly.

Honestly, I'm flat-out terrified to fly under the best of circumstances. Knowing how easy it is to bring down a plane mid-flight only makes me more convinced I've got no business being 30,000 feet in the air.

I weigh that with the need I have to see my mom one more time before she is gone. I suspect I'll choose to fly over in a few months. The rest of my family probably won't be fazed by this either. Long haul air travel is just a fact of life for us now. Approximately once a month one of us is flying to or from the States.

My mood today has alternated from sheer terror to absolute confidence that there was no danger in flying today, at least. I have that sick adrenaline-overload feeling that makes me want to fight or flee, preferably to a warm spot under the bed. And I was prepared today to be sad and mopey, composing a post about how my daughter had grown up and flown the coop (to stick with avian analogies) and about how a parent's love is unrequited.

Instead I've been glued to the TV and the internet, waiting for a phone call from the daughter who's treated the whole disruption like a lark.

And I'm really pissed at 21 people who may have been plotting to blow me and my loved ones out of the sky. (I'm taking this rather personally, as one does.)

I've read with dismay all the various conspiracy theories, all based on the cry-wolf theory: the Bush and Blair governments have tried to scare us too many times for crass political gain.

Well, they have, but I've never been affected by their convenient bogeymen. I know all too well that terrorists are real—I saw the Edgware station days after it was bombed. I saw the WTC fall, on live TV. I've seen the hatred in the gaze of the odd extremist. 

Sometimes that quacking sound you hear comes from an actual duck.

If these are would-be terrorists, intent on harm, then we need to do more to stop them. Better police work, yes. Better security measures.

Better yet, stop feeding them the fodder for their hatred.

Bombs on Planes II

What I know:

•Police "disrupted" a plot to bomb as many as 10 airplanes, making arrests last night.

•21 people have now been arrested. Earlier this morning it was announced that 18 had been arrested. (This is worrisome, as my daughter pointed out on the way to the airport.) They are reported to be "young British Muslims".

•The arrests were made throughout London and the Thames Valley, specifically High Wycombe (where Daughter Number Two attends school) and Birmingham. "Items of interest" were found.

•The thinking is that the bombs were to be made of liquid, possibly liquids that would be combined to make an explosive. This technology has been around since WWII.

•Scotland Yard says the plot was designed to result in loss of life on an "unimaginable scale". (Do the math; 10 x 400+ = massive.)

•There is no indication that bombs were planned for today specifically, but after the arrests were made the decision was to heighten the alert, as the arrests themselves could have motivated others to activate their plans.

•The UK is under the highest threat level, "critical", having just implemented U.S.-style threat levels a week or so ago.

•All flights into Heathrow have been canceled, with those already in the air allowed to land.

•Absolutely no hand luggage is allowed on any flight leaving the U.K., except for essential travel documents, medicine, unboxed tissues and sanitary items, in a plastic bag. Baby milk will be allowed only if a parent is willing to taste it first. No liquids, including hair gels and contact solution.

•People flying out of Heathrow are asked to cancel all non-essential flights. (My daughter decided to go anyway.)

•Tony Blair is on vacation. No word if "My Pet Goat" is on his reading list.

Despite some false alarms in the past few weeks, this has the ring of the real thing. If so, thank the gods they were caught first. Hopefully.

Daughter Number One is on her way to Heathrow. I put her on a train instead of dealing with the reported massive queues on the M25. She's to call when she arrives, and again from a pay phone after she gets through security, if she does. I silently begged her not to go, but I know she is anxious to get back home.

As I reminded her on the way, there is still a much higher chance we'd be hit by a lorry on the way to the airport than anything will happen mid-air. Just yesterday we saw a deadly crash on the M25.

If I find out more I will update.

UPDATE:

•American, United and Continental were targeted. (Shit.)

•BA (British Airways) has canceled all short haul flights leaving Heathrow. Good for them, working to cut carbon emissions. (Daughter is almost to the check-in desk, after having been moved to a shorter line. After that she won't be able to phone except from a pay phone.)

UPDATE:

•This is interesting: Pakistani officials claim they alerted authorities to the plot. This group may be the same one responsible for last month's Mumbai train bombing. Remember the bombs that killed 200 and were almost ignored by the U.S. media?

•But this is just sheer frightening: Liquid bombs are easy to make. I could probably make one, and I didn't even take chemistry. I'm no chicken little, but I'm seriously considering if I ever want to get on a flight to the U.S.

World News: Crawl Back Under the Bed Edition

The Guardian says the word is a dangerous place. Actually, independent defence experts said this:

Launching the International Institute for Strategic Studies' (IISS) annual assessment of global security threats, John Chipman, its director general, said: "Many parts of the world are engaged in brutal combat ... Overall, the dangerous triptych of Iraq, Afghanistan and Iran continues to dominate the security agenda as do the wider, iconic problems of terrorism and proliferation."

Well, that gets your attention, doesn't it?

If not, try this from Moscow: Russia Has “Asymmetric Response” to U.S. Missile Defense Plans. Is it just me, or does this sound like the Cold War is just around the corner? (Or possibly already here: we spend as much now on defence as we did during the height of the Cold War, fyi.)

Our team in the next Cold War will be a different lineup: Poland is poised to allow (defective) U.S. missile shield interceptors in its borders.

And then there's bird flu.

All this bad news have you reaching for your Xanax? Never fear, our leaders have a plan. "The axis of feeble" will not let world events sway them from their goal: building their legacy.

Undercover at the Estate Agents

Exposed! Agents' dirty tricks!

I've known a few real estate agents in the States, and for the most part they are honest, if sometimes overly aggressive, professionals. Estate agents in Britain, however, have a reputation for being sleazy, and it turns out that reputation is deserved:

My boss congratulates me on getting an offer on a flat that has been overvalued by £60,000. The newly-wed young couple viewing the property are stretched to their financial limit. But my manager is happy.

He takes me aside and explains how to convince a surveyor that the flat in London's fashionable Notting Hill is worth more than it is. He calls it "slightly simmering" - I call it cooking the books.

...

Faking documents is something of a habit in the St John's Wood office, where Emma Clarke worked undercover in the lettings department.

I was shocked when she played me her secret footage which showed staff cutting, pasting and gluing signatures onto contracts. They call it "chop chop".

A BBC reporter went undercover, and what she found out is shocking, but not unexpected. There is no regulation of estate agents here like there is in the U.S., and it shows. When we were looking for a house in London, a slick guy named Roger from Foxtons, the same office mentioned in the investigation, sped us around in his Mini, rogering us in more ways than one.

I found out he was lying to me about the availability of a house, and promptly soured on the idea of living in London proper. All the London agents I talked to were stressed out and scarily aggressive: I saw one a few months later on the street and I ducked inside a doorway to avoid him. By contrast, agents outside the M25 seemed a little less caffeinated, a little more cozy. They drove slower too.

So beware if you're planning to buy or rent in London. And if you run into Roger, don't believe a word he says.

Happy "International Day of Anger"

Today has been declared an "International Day of Anger," I learned as the news came on this morning. That's right, Muslims all over the world are to celebrate anger. Over their mistreatment at the hands of Jews? Over their abuse at the hands of the US military, who capture their wives and kill their innocent children?

No. It's all over a couple of cartoons. That's right. Cartoons.

The Danish newspaper that first published the cartoons depicting Mohammed with a fuse for a turban has apologized. The French editor who published them has been sacked. Yet still European embassies are targets of the "international day of anger".

This is the same religion that brought you a death sentence for Salmon Rushdie for dissing the Koran. The same religion that compelled a follower to kill a Danish filmmaker who made disrespectful films about the repression of Muslim women. The same religion that had one local man call for a "jihad" against the burger monarch BK when they sold ice cream in a container with an offensive swirly design.

I question why anyone would want to belong to a religion that can't abide laughter at its expense, but that's just me. Apparently 1.5 billion people don't feel the same way.*

Which I suspect is the root of all the problems in today's world.

Lighten up, people. Issuing warnings about a"clash of civilizations" is a bit over the top, don't you think?

In response I'm calling for an International Day of Laughter. Please post disrespectful, yet funny, cartoons or jokes in comments.

*I will also point out the God some worship in the other side of the world is also humor challenged. Anyone who uses language like "Thou shalt not" needs to spend time with that Dave Barry book with the toilet on the cover.

Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous

Looks like I got some of what I wanted at Davos:

UN unveils plan to release untapped wealth of...$7 trillion (and solve the world's problems at a stroke)

Richard Gere came through!

In other news, my daughter visited the ICC at The Hague and saw Slobodan Milošević, an old guy with white hair who happens to be on trial for genocide. The International Criminal Court would be the best place to try Saddam Hussein, a guest on the Today program was saying, but neither the U.S. or Iraq belong, since the ICC make a habit of trying dictators.

In other Davos news, my friend is recovering from a ski accident. No word on if Brad Pitt was nearby to lend assistance.

Media: Zero Tolerance!

I'm wondering just what Democrats have to do to be exonerated of any involvement with Republican bad boy Jack Abramoff. The media has repeatedly tried to implicate Democrats in his dirty deals, though now some are reluctantly (!!!) admitting he never gave any money directly to Democrats. This is true. Anyone can check those facts.

But now the Talking Point du Jour is that Indian tribes, after hiring Abramoff to represent them, gave money to Democrats. Which they did. But they gave less after hiring Abramoff than they did before. Again, anyone can check these facts.

But they still gave some. Russert on Meet the Press thoughtfully provided a pie chart, which exposed the shocking truth that Democrats received about one third of the Indian money. Well, that's pretty bad, isn't is, ask Mom and Pop American. Not as bad, true, but still...a pox on both their houses!

I guess in order for the media—and then Mom and Pop—to conclude this is indeed a Republican scandal the Indian tribes would have had to have given nothing—zero—to Democrats in Congress. Even when those tribes are represented by Democrats such as Harry Reid of Nevada. In other words, if you're a Democrat, you can't accept any money from your constituents in case they may be looking for favors. Even cheap "Now 2/3 Off!" favors.

Is this the new Zero Tolerance standard the media is holding Washington to these days?

Do They Know It's Thanksgiving in Africa?

Link: U.N.: More Hungry in Africa Than in '90s

ROME     (AP) -- Hunger and malnutrition kill nearly 6 million children a year, and more people are malnourished in sub-Saharan Africa this decade than in the 1990s, according to a U.N. report released Tuesday.

Many of the children die from diseases that are treatable, including diarrhea, pneumonia, malaria and measles, said the report by the Rome-based U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization.

In sub-Saharan Africa, the number of malnourished people grew to 203.5 million people in 2000-02 from 170.4 million 10 years earlier, the report states, noting that hunger and malnutrition are among the main causes of poverty, illiteracy, disease and deaths in developing countries.

The answer, I think, is no.

A Dog Fight with Downing Street?

The Daily Mirror often prints rubbish, particularly on page three, but this is nuts:

PRESIDENT Bush planned to bomb Arab TV station al-Jazeera in friendly Qatar, a "Top Secret" No 10 memo reveals.

But he was talked out of it at a White House summit by Tony Blair, who said it would provoke a worldwide backlash.

The only explanation I can come up with is that Rupert Murdoch decided to do his friend Tony a favor and expose how he manhandled an out-of-control George Bush.

Or maybe this was a plot sketch for a remake of "Yes, Prime Minister."

If not we're all in very deep trouble. Three more years...

What Congressman Murtha Reads at the Dentist's Office

While my daughter got her braces off today I read my copy of The Atlantic. An article by Nir Rosen was particularly enlightening, considering the current debate on leave now vs. leave later with our tail between our legs.

I suspect Congressman Murtha read the same article before he proposed that the U.S. exit Iraq now rather than later.

Rosen lays out the arguments for leaving ASAP, and they're pretty convincing. Conventional wisdom has it that chaos will erupt as soon as the U.S. pulls out, leaving Iraq in the midst of a civil war.

Yet as Rosen points out, Iraq already is in the midst of a civil war, and "The mere announcement of an intended U.S. withdrawal would allow Sunnis to come to the table and participate in defining the new Iraq."

The new Iraq, it turns out, will be a nation minus the Kurds. They'll secede as soon as we leave, but that's a good thing, argues Rosen. No one more deserves their own nation than the Kurds, plus:

They also happen to be the most America-loving people I have ever met; their leaders openly seek to become, like Israel, a proxy for American interests. If what the United States wants is long-term bases in the region, the Kurds are its partners.

Won't we be leaving the nation to the likes of al-Zarqawi if we pull out? No, according to Rosen, Zarqawi is hardly representative of the typical Iraqi resistance fighter:

The foreign jihadi element—commanded by the likes of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi—is numerically insignificant; the bulk of the resistance has no connection to al-Qaeda or its offshoots. (Zarqawi and his followers have benefited greatly from U.S. propaganda blaming him for all attacks in Iraq, because he is now seen by Arabs around the world as more powerful than he is; we have been his best recruiting tool.)

One by one, Rosen, a long time Iraqi correspondent, shoots down the objections cautious liberals like me have about leaving Iraq: the mother-instinct says "you made that mess, now you clean it up," yet a more apt analogy would be the elephant in the china shop: there's no way a two ton elephant can possibly clean up all the broken china that is modern Iraq.

And as Rosen asks, "who would the insurgents fight if the enemy left?"

More reading in this month's Atlantic: Why Iraq Has No Army. It's worth picking up a copy at your newsstand, and taking it to your next dentist appointment.

BREAKING: Bus Strikes Continue

I reported yesterday the Plame investigation was taking a serious turn, as rumors of bus throwing (and variations thereof including wolf throwing) have permeated the blogosphere, which, let's face it, is where real crimes are reported these days.

Today I read Scooter Libby is on crutches. Obviously he survived his turn under the bus, which is really no surprise considering Dick Cheney, the man who in a fit of vice presidential pique reportedly threw him under the bus, walks with a cane. (Not to mention, has survived about a dozen heart attacks.) Really, this man should be in a convalescent home instead of an undisclosed location. Has he resigned yet?

And more disturbing, bloggers are now being tossed under moving vehicles! Steve Clemons, who does some fine reporting at The Washington Note, was—get this—hit by a car yesterday. (Someone reported seeing Cheny on a Vespa nearby, but that's probably just waspish rumor. Has he resigned yet?)

Steve reports he is well, and already is back to reporting all the news in the Plame investigation. Way to climb out from under the bus, Steve! (Cute photo, too. Neck braces are all the rage these days, aren't they?)

I have decided to take precautions myself, as there are rumors of bus throwing spreading to this side of the Atlantic. (Dave reports on what sounds like a near miss.) I would hate to see the dark nether regions of a double decker, you know what I mean?

So I'm taking the train today, and veering away from any packs of wolves I happen to come across.

(Note: I was tempted to flag this story "DEVELOPING HARD" but Blogenlust tells us that's banned from the lexicon. What phrase will they ban next?!)

Lessons From the 'Hood

Watching the response, or lack of it, during Hurricane Katrina's disastrous aftermath, I couldn't help but remember the response to one of the deadliest hurricanes ever, Hurricane Mitch in Central America. Mitch killed thousands, not by the force of its winds but by its deadly rains which triggered mudslides in the mountainous regions. (Yes, Larry King, mountains "stop hurricanes." But at a cost.) The U.S. was quick to send aid that time to its neighbor down south.

Now there's a heartbreaking piece in the New York Times about the devastation caused by Hurricane Stan, but I was struck by this paragraph:

The rain that wreaked havoc from southern Mexico to El Salvador this week continued falling in Guatemala's highlands on Saturday. Still, the government had begun to bulldoze its way through mud-covered highways to reach stranded communities to deliver food, water and medicine; to rescue survivors from dozens of villages that had disappeared beneath the mud; and then to begin the dreadful search for the dead.

It sounds like the response of a third world country has been faster than that of its superpower neighbor, the U.S., whose National Guard couldn't manage to get a convoy through highways that remained free of debris for almost a week.

I think we should all ask, what's Guatemala doing right that the U.S. could learn from?

70% Say Bush Incompetent

In Britain, anyway. The latest YouGov poll has the scary news:

The overwhelming majority of respondents thought that President Bush had handled the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina very badly (60%) or quite badly (26%), and 63% thought that his response would have been greater and faster if New Orleans had been a city full of white, middle-class people. 48% thought that the deployment of US troops in Iraq has made the crisis worse. 57% of people thought that the handling of Hurricane Katrina, in combination with Iraq, showed that President Bush was “one of the worst presidents America has ever had.”

Asking about George Bush in general, the strength of negative opinion was overwhelming - 70% thought Bush was incompetent, 60% thought he was stupid, 68% thought he wasn’t concerned about ordinary people, 66% thought he was untrustworthy. There was an obvious correlation between British party support and opinions on President Bush. Liberal Democrat voters were even more united in their negative attitudes towards Bush than the population as a whole (84% thought he was incompetent, 73% thought him stupid), Labour voters were somewhere inbetween while Conservative voters had the least negative opinion of the US President, though even then their opinion was negative.

Of course it doesn't matter what citizens of other countries think about the U.S. president. More relevant is the fact only 36% of those polled thought America was a force for good in the world.

(Hat tip Perfect.co.uk.)

This Just In: America Sucks

America has officially lost the world's popularity contest. No, really. The Anholt-GMI Nations Brand Index, after surveying 10,000 people across the world, ranked America 11th, behind Australia, Canada, Switzerland, Great Britain, Germany, France, and some other countries.

Not only that, but the US ranked 19th in terms of how they were governed, and dead last for its heritage.

The survey's founder, Simon Anholt, said:

"For the first time, areas of most unpopularity in different parts of the American brand seem to coalesce into one negative brand. People seem to be coming to the conclusion that America is not a very nice place."

Meanwhile, McDonalds continues to thrive, even in France where they disdain anything with American overtones. But that's probably because the bathrooms are cleaned every now and then. ("American overtones" includes disinfectant.)