dire consequences for innocent bystanders

* krugman (thnx jen): "

There are two ways to describe the confrontation between Congress and the Bush administration over funding for the Iraq surge. You can pretend that it’s a normal political dispute. Or you can see it for what it really is: a hostage situation, in which a beleaguered President Bush, barricaded in the White House, is threatening dire consequences for innocent bystanders — the troops — if his demands aren’t met.
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Actually, it’s even worse than that. According to reports, the final version of the funding bill Congress will send won’t even set a hard deadline for withdrawal. It will include only an “advisory,” nonbinding date. Yet Mr. Bush plans to veto the bill all the same — and will then accuse Congress of failing to support the troops.
[]
The fact is that Mr. Bush’s refusal to face up to the failure of his Iraq adventure, his apparent determination to spend the rest of his term in denial, has become a clear and present danger to national security. Thanks to the demands of the Iraq war, we’re already a superpower without a strategic reserve, unable to respond to crises that might erupt elsewhere in the world. And more and more military experts warn that repeated deployments in Iraq — now extended to 15 months — are breaking the back of our volunteer military.

If nothing is done to wind down this war during the 21 months — 21 months! — Mr. Bush has left, the damage may be irreparable."

shrill

* GapingVoid:

every day is henry day

I suppose when the only celebrity you really like these days is Henry Rollins, you have reason to be cheerful. Here's some good Henry clips I found on YouTube. Enjoy:

1. "Liar". A deliciously dark and disturbing music video from the early 'nineties.

2. A Love Letter to Anne Coulter. Hilarious.

3. Henry Rollins rants on dating. Wonderful.

4. Dutch interview of Rollins circa 1995. Rollins at his most distilled.

What makes Rollins interesting to me is that he's such a complex and unlikely mash-up of various personae: weightlifter, punk rocker, writer, performance artist, TV presenter, book publisher etc. And at the not-so-tender age of 46, he's till pushing himself. Gives people like me hope. Rock on, Henry.

indeed.