Don’t be confused..just accept the fact that the rulers are apparently all stark raving fucking insane!

Somebody help me understand please. I’m getting diplomatic whiplash.

I think you have to ’splain it because Mr. W will do anything he can to improve his legacy…..So, does anyone think it will help?

This insanity is almost over, thank God.

From the “axis of evil” to “diplomatic relations” With all of the inflammatory rhetoric that Kristol, Ledeen, Bolton, Cheney, Reuel Marc Gerecht and the leaders of Israel could think of in between.

It’s only just begun. If you think these right wing idiots are going to go away you are dreaming.

egregious, I’m as confused as youse is

Before the election, I’m sure George Bush will declare that Ohio, Pennsylvania, Colorado and any other state he deems as a block in keeping a right winger in the White House as terrorist states and will declare voting in these states are illegal.

Speaks well for your mental health that you don’t understand.

Raven gets the “BINGO” on this thread!!!

;~D

Lemme see if I got this right:

North Korea – off the bad list

Iran – coming off the bad list

Iraq – still fucked up

Iceland – going onto the bad list

Isn’t Iceland part of NATO?

You got that right. It’s gonna be fun to watch them, though. Bunch o’ clowns lookin’ for their clown car.

Iceland’s broke. No longer of use to us?

What about Alaska? It wants to secede.

I dunno. “I’ll Ask Her”

Egreg — Brown found out about a secret plot to make everyone wear wool sweaters. Murder by itching to death. Think of all the starlets in Hollywood that he saved from heat rash!

If credit default swaps are outlawed,
only outlaws will have credit default swaps.

EPUd from Ian’s Iceland thread: Iceland’s banks definitely had problems, but there has been bad blood with the UK before:

I suspect that some of the “terrorist” designation was a legacy of the Cod Wars between Iceland and the UK from the 50s to the 70s, when Iceland declared an exclusive economic zone off its shores, resulting in the devastation of the already reeling British fishing industry. The Icelanders stood very hard against British pressure, engaged British naval vessels, and threatened to close a NATO naval base at the height of the Cold War. The fishery was the base of Iceland’s economy before the banking expansion and I suspect that British thought that the Icelanders were very capable of playing hardball again in the event of a standoff.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/new…..risis.html

The Iceland banks also had a significant presence and expertise in financing fishing enterprises, and the collapse has placed some strain on some Canadian fishing companies, who are looking for other sources of trade financing.

Bring it!

Sounds like the whole deal is contingent on Iran accepting a U.S. interests post in Tehran. I can’t think of any reason they would trust the U.S., given our history of fomenting mischief in their country.

Sorry to go OT but Raven’s Pass wins the 5 mill Breeder’s Cup Classic. Made me think of a certain old hippie.

Mr. Cbl

Of course, Dubai, where all the terrorist money goes through, is not on the terror list, because it’s the country where the terrorists (think Bush Family & Friends, Inc.) go to vacation!

Sounds like the whole deal is contingent on Iran accepting a U.S. interests post CIA station in Tehran.

Fixed it for you. Good evening, all.

Heya, SD!

Good to see you, had some thoughts you might be ‘detained’, um … ‘elsewhere’.

No War, But Class War, NOW! (keep changin’ it, I do ;~D)

Oh boy, lot’s of opportunities here but I ain’t goin’ there.

I wonder how much Bush charged the Iranians for some “help” to expedite this deal?

beware nefarious Bjorkistan

OT—–Have you guys seen the voting lines today??!! In WL, Indiana I waited over 45 minutes in Payless after the game and my daughter and her husband waited over an hour in Zonsville, IN!! (My kids brought toys for my grandsons to play with while they waited.) One of my tenants saw me with my “I Voted!” sticky and my Obama button and hugged me after I voted… a man from Morocco, who believes the entire world wants Obama to win. This thing is great!!!

Get everyone you know to vote early!!!

“Tax the poor; feed the rich! Feed the terrorists; shun dissent!” ~ Karl Rove said as he shoved republic bananas down his throat.

You got it. Of course, calling it a U.S. interests section is more diplomatic.

Check Oxdown. Now I’ve used up the alloted one blog whoring per day.

Sounds like the whole deal is contingent on Iran accepting a U.S. interests post in Tehran.

So – a “U.S. interests post” happens to involve having as many CIA agents in place as is humanly possible.

How could Iran have a problem with that?

One diplomat, 300 spooks.

dammit – that’ll learn me to try to talk on the phone and type at the same time.

I believe I owe you a beverage?

Let’s just be clear. The UK did NOT put Iceland on a terror list. What was done was to use a power in an Act called and Anti-Terrorism Act which allowed freezing of assets of a Government which had itself done an action contrary to the economic interests of the UK. Iceland had discriminated against UK customers by freezing their accounts without notice in a UK subsidiary of an Icelandic bank, while not freezing domestic accounts.

No terrorism, no Cod War, just a bit of panic because of the World financial crisis triggered by (though not of course only caused by) the US sub-prime failure.

I have no view on the reopening of US diplomatic relations with Iran save to welcome it. It’s always better to talk.

George Bush talking to Iran:

“We’ll give you $2 trillion dollars if you attack America before the election so I and my friends can stay in power. And by the way, we’ll supply the nukes for ya”

Now we know where the $2 trillion went, you know, the $2 trillion missing from the Pentagon Donald Rumsfeld told us after our country invaded Iraq in March of 2003.

Simple. It’s a brand new foreign policy (since the old one worked so well). Make friends with your enemies and go to war against your friends.

I owe ya a drink.

“this is, uh, his stork moment…”

Will do, SD.

What sort of profit opportunities in Iraq might this make available for preznit’s friends?

Can we help it if our “interests” all pertain to spying?

cool, I’ll pass it up to RonD

oops, not Iraq, Iran.

That was SO cool. Wouldn’t look good on me, though.

Iran’s oil infratructure has been vastly degraded by sanctions. Halliburton to the rescue.

Coca-Cola with Crown Royal will do nicely-as long as you join me. (bowing)

Yeah, they were so good at it the Shah had been deposed before the spooks knew about a plot. Cowboys. Had ‘em crawling all over the place in Nam too. Some real winners.

I can’t believe the Russians haven’t been filling that void.

I probably have no right to condemn foreign heads of state, since ours have been less than, uh, stellar but I hope this action helps cook Brown’s political goose.

the Shah had been deposed before the spooks knew about a plot.

Dude, I saw that video again, not long ago, and I tell you what-when they had those guys all lined up-I still can’t believe they didn’t just hose them all.

(((St. Pete for Peace)))

Simple. It’s a brand new foreign policy (since the old one worked so well). Make friends with your enemies and go to war against your friends.

More like make friends with the countries that have been, or will be, kicking your ass and find somebody *really* defenseless to hate.

I hear Luxembourg has been acting up….

Europe thought we were nuts to elect Shrub (d’oh, they were right) but I find it hard to believe the British couldn’t come up with something better than Brown.

Don’t know the details as I haven’t been paying attention, but it’s possible that the Russians have been busy with their own industry, since it had gone to hell in earlier days.

Are we moving closer to getting our country back? I had a hint of that hope while I was listening to Moyers last night. Yep, I have voted.

Unless you are of a different persuasion from most at the Lake, you’ll really hate the alternative.Sadly, very sadly, there ain’t anyone to the left of Brown.

Don’t forget training mujahideen in Afghanistan in the ’80s and right-wing death squads deployed in Central America. Our best and brightest, fer sure, fer sure.

Luxembourg: finally a country the U.S. might be able to win a war against.

That is unfortunate. Hopefully there will be.

An important distinction, thanks for the clarification.

Most excellent!

I’ll be watchin’ for your moniker on Oxdown (and, hopefully other ‘places’ as well, SD).

DW

Don’t bank on it.

Which video?

This was in response to chetnolian at 35.

I said “might.”

Phoenix came out of CIA Saigon and I knew a lot of those dudes.

The taking of the US Embassy in Tehran, ‘79.

other ‘places’ as well

“Those arrested were…”

That’s what I thought. I am surprised they didn’t end up against the wall like so many Iranians. Maybe the Iranians figured they were so inept why bother.

Don’t forget ‘The Mouse that Roared’.

;~D

Before he had even set foot in office, I predicted that within two years Dubya would have the military invade some underdeveloped nation to prove he had big cojones like his old man. It would have been (more than) sufficiently tragic if that had been the case. Unfortunately, he turned out to be overambitious and under informed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Or9C-gt4TpA

If ya can’t bomb em, buy em. A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds

Ahem!

That, SD, was emphatically NOT what I had in mind.

;~D

W hit it on all 8 cylinders before he stalled out.

Not that can get elected. There may be a lesson for the US left here. You’ll need to keep an eye on the Obama administration when it comes.

Actually Brown was Chancellor of the Exchequer (Finance Minister) in a party elected by the left. Though he lacks charisma, there is a strong case developing that, almost without Tony Blair noticing, Brown assured a gentle transfer of resources to the poorer folks, financed the National Health Service better than for years and spent a great deal on schools. He didn’t crow too about it because the Conservatives would then complain it was being done with the taxes from the better off, which it was.

And yet, if you temporarily set aside his record, he actually compares favorably with his would-be Republican successor. Probably owing in part to the waning of Cheney’s influence and last ditch attempts to salvage a legacy (good luck with that).

I can’t think about Phoenix without looking at domestic law enforcement, and what much of it has become. Phoenix is the model: networks of confidential informants, computerized blacklists, and SpecOps teams to kill or capture the suspects. “Enhanced interrogation”, secret prisons or rendition if not execution…

Sounds like Phoenix to me.

Damn, you is quick, eCAHN!

Just realized that I got me gen-yu-whine ‘experience’.

I acted the role of Sec. of State in that play, during my last year of High School (we did ok, took state-level awards), so I guess that ole Condi ain’t got nuthin’ on me but a perverse interest in shoes ‘n’ shit, as well as overweening stupidity.

Oh yes, and an oil tanker with her name on it.

Big deal.

;~D

Americans should always hold their elected officials accountable. One of the great failings of our political system is that many citizens only pay attention near the end of election cycles, then prefer to forget about government until the next go-round. I suspect (hope) Obama has good intentions but will have to attempt to implement his agenda with MAJOR constraints, economic and otherwise. Like trying to walk upside down inside handcuffs, to paraphrase Bob Dylan.

Let’s hope we don’t get a chance to find out who’s worse.

great failings of our political system is that many citizens only pay attention near the end of election cycles

Leading W to declare that they had their accountability moment and it was the 04 election.

Here’s the trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7L7WLFBYR4

As for high school plays, we did one my senior year that was a musical comedy of Oedipus Rex, featuring songs such as I Want a Girl, Just Like the Girl who Married Dear Old Dad.

Dugg!

I can just tell you went to a more ‘progressive’ school than I, eCAHN.

;~D

BTW, thanks for those ‘clips’.

I’ve said many times Phoenix never went anywhere. The program just ditched the name and became ever more sophisticated. We see it in Irak with the US paid manhunters. SOP.

LOL. Pretty risque for high school.

Too true.

This nation has much to answer for.

Looks as if the serious questions have begun.

I suspect such ’scrutiny’ may become more intense, internationally.

At least one may hope.

The “old guard” in government needs to go. We need a different world view, a new vision. We must learn to co-exist with the other peoples of the world rather than view them as obstacles to the resources we wish to exploit. It is in all of our best interests. The ideology of the neoconservative and neoliberals needs to be relegated to the dust bin of history.

Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.

I couldn’t agree more, SD.

Oh, and Yes.

Five yeses!!!!!

Another reason to shake the old guard: idealogy and pov aside, it’s safe to assume each one has long been compromised and owned. We need people starting on a level playing field.

We need the second American Revolution. Now.

And we need to leave instructions for future generations of ‘the people’ to change the damn thing when it, once again, becomes corrupted.

it’s possible that the Russians have been busy with their own industry, since it had gone to hell in earlier days.

There is no industry, still only government=military. What concerns me is that we seem to be falling off that same cliff. The military industrial media complex was close to winning everything a few years ago, and it’s not over yet. The Permanent Campaign. Spying on Americans in the US. Oh you know the drill.

I can undrstand your confusion but stop and think. Hoping for any rationality from Bush or his dream team is dreaming. After eight years we still keep hoping for something good from him but we get Henry Paulsen who has our 700 billion dollars but doesn’t know what to do with it. We and Congress were told they had to act now and they did but still nothing is being done, or firmly decided. Who are thye fools them or us. Iran has oil and Iceland has ice and valcanos who is more important.

Wrong kind of red

Maybe Dubya heard that Iceland was settled by Eric the Red, and figured that means he was a Marxist or something. The Iranians, on the other hand, have a lot of oil, which does wonders for your moral stature.

Who is next on the terror watch list? Imagine if every nation afraid of not making payments in the future removes their assets from the market before they become the next Iceland.

If no one answered this, and I didn’t read through all the comments, the answer is simple. The UK used terror legislation to freeze Iceland’s assets. It doesn’t consider Iceland to be a terrorist state and it has nothing to do with the Cod War.

and dude, removing your assets from the market doesn’t make much sense for anyone who runs a deficit. Or, like, trades.

Hell some of them have all ready been embedded with the Obama team (Dennis Ross) and Adelman, Hitchens etc have just recently jumped on.

I would still like to witness ACCOUNTABILITY for the false pre-war intelligence.