government

I saw something about this last night, posted on a few sites.

This is about an Extremely Important Report that will be out tomorrow in the Sunday's issue of the New York Times Magazine.

I just caught it again posted over at After Downing Street where Dave put up the New York Times Magazine link along with posting the article.

I just quickly read through it and am going back for a slower read, but a few pointers, and there are many.

it starts out with this:

Why America went into Iraq is something for the pundits, academics and the politicians to discuss into the next century. What has happened there since our arrival is something I can only hope will be fully realized and understood by the American public and every elected official in our country.

From my personal experiences of living in Iraq for three years, I have concluded America’s leadership is solely responsible for the entire country of Iraq becoming a living hell of suffering, poverty, starvation and depravation, unimaginable to either Iraqi or U.S. citizen just prior to our arrival in Iraq in 2003.
(edited - RP)

Thought you all might be interested in this duo of sites I found. www.SorryAboutOurPresident.com almost has a thousand "apologies" and is full of both American and international opinion, some of which is really well written, some of which is just plain funny. There is a link on that site to www.NotSorryAboutOurPresident.com, the counterpart for those NOT sorry (obviously) and wishing to express that. Both of these are a revealing cross-section of the American state. Check them out if you have a sec, and add to either if you feel so inclined.

NC lawmakers haven't learned from the Vioxx debacle. They have introduced legislation that will lend a great big helping hand to the Merck Pharma giant and encourage parents to let their children be used as guinea pigs.

I'm talking about Senate Bill 260, which is heading for the Senate floor soon. This bill will require schools to more or less advertise the Merck Gardasil vaccine for free, plus tell parents that this vaccine is appropriate for girls as young as 9.

While NC lawmakers fall for Merck's talking points, a lead researcher for the HPV vaccine cries foul:

Researcher blasts HPV marketing BY CINDY BEVINGTON

A Few Things about Iraq You Probably Have Never Been Told (Generally speaking)

By Marshall Adame

1.In the United States Embassy in Iraq there are a couple of hundred Iraqi workers. They are badged and vetted. No hostile incident has ever occurred in the US Embassy executed by an Iraqi employee of the U.S. Embassy. In fact, the Iraqis working for and in the US Embassy have turned out to be great assets to the operation as a whole and have contributed more than expected and have gone the extra mile to help achieve stability in Iraq. Most are risking there very lives every day by working for the US Embassy, but through various forms of cloak and dagger secrecy they are able to make their way to the Green Zone to work on behalf of the Coalition and their country. (Most Iraqis are not the enemy).

Just about anyone who has lived in North Carolina for any length of time is aware of the existence of the Lumbee Indians of North Carolina’s Robeson County . The Lumbee are an indigenous tribe with a centuries long, proud, well documented history in North Carolina. A visit to the Smithsonian Institute will educate any interested party in the Lumbee culture and significance in American history, yet they still await Federal recognition as a legitimate tribe by the Department of Interior.

Under normal circumstances, it does not take an act of congress to recognize an Indian Tribe. The well documented petition to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, an arm of the Department of Interior, is the usual path to recognition and all the rights and privileges that accompany it. Not so for the Lumbee Tribe thanks to the political considerations of North Carolina US Senate and Congressional representatives, specifically Congressman Walter Jones and Senator Elizabeth Dole. The tribe was formally recognized by North Carolina in 1885 and started seeking the benefits that accompany Federal recognition three years later.

[Edited to make the links clickable —Lance]

NC climbs onto the Gardasil bandwagon.

No, its not in the local news yet, but the "bug" has hit North Carolina in the form of S260.

This bill is just propaganda for the Gardasil vaccine. I urge you to contact lawmakers, the email addresses and sample message enclosed.

I discovered that NC lawmakers had been infected by the HPV/Gardasil bug by following references in the latest Washington Post article, and that led to more research:

"Parents Question the HPV Vaccine"
"Although the government approved Gardasil for women up to 26, it recommended routine administration to girls 11 and 12.."

washingtonpost.com link

IRAQ, Not Wanting To Stay, Not Able To Leave

By Marshall Adame

In 2003 the US lead Coalition came into Iraq to liberate the Iraqi people, capture and destroy the confirmed weapons of mass destruction, including possible nuclear capability, and overthrow a brutal tyrant who brutalized his people, led genocide in his own country and invaded his neighbor.

In 2004 we had thrown out the tyrant, who deserved it anyway, and were now battling the pro-Saddam Iraqi insurgency and the followers of the radical Shia cleric Moqtada Al Sadr while trying to establish the legitimate Iraq Government institutions to facilitate the fledgling Democracy.

In 2005 we were battling Al Qaeda in Iraq, led by Abdul Al Zarqawi in an effort to save the Democratic government from the scourge of the world wide terrorist movement led by Osama Bin Laden.

Six Blunders We Made In Iraq We Can Still Fix

By Marshall Adame
August 27, 2006

When I arrived in Iraq in mid 2003 as the newly appointed Coalition Airport Director for Basrah International Airport I was sure that what we, the US led coalition, had just done by invading Iraq, was a good thing. I likened our arrival in Iraq to the rescuing of people in a burning building. It was risky and it brought with it ramifications that no-one could predict. Our arrival in Iraq was a rescue effort of the highest degree, long overdue and welcomed by the Iraqi citizens who had suffered so greatly under the Saddam regime. Our president told the world that we were there to “do the right thing” and I believed him. I also felt an awareness of the incredible commitment we brought with us. We entered Iraq without invitation; consequently our commitment had to be whole and complete. The Iraqi citizens, owed us nothing, we owed them our word of honor that our presence was on their behalf. I mean it. This is how I felt, in fact, I still feel this commitment to these suffering people, who’s daily trials and woes, for many reasons, have increased ten fold since our arrival.

America Can Stand Down in Iraq and Win
January 31, 2007
By Marshall Adame

In a recent water cooler discussion about Iraq, I suggested that America needs to remove the primary combat forces from Iraq and concentrate on training, government capacity building and providing logistical support and material capacity to the Iraqi Provincial Governments and certain commercial enterprises which contribute to the nations commerce and infrastructure i.e., railroads, airports, ports, electricity, etc.

The provincial governments in Iraq, however married to tribal and religious traditions, are the real governments in Iraq. The central government in Baghdad is paralyzed by sectarian bickering, graft, corruption, absence of its elected members (many have left the country), infighting and strife. The welfare of the country, as a whole, is far removed from any real debates occurring at the central government level. My suggestion, that we could remove our troops, was met by what seems the standard reply to remarks like the ones I had just made. “Man, do you have any idea how much blood will be spilled if we pulled out our combat troops?” A legitimate question from anyone who does not understand the Arab mindset. My answer being “Not as much blood as is being spilled today”.