Three Simple Lessons To Avoid Foreign Policy Problems

Whenever the Iraq War and all of it's bad repercussions are settled, there should be a few important learned lessons that should apply to all foreign policy for all future presidents.

During the Cold War, the U.S. did not like the government of the Soviet Union, yet effectively engaged this government in many ways including diplomatic. When nations at least talk, it tends to often soften hard feelings and may result in better security benefits for the public of both nations, perhaps even a genuine peace dividend at best.

After Iraq illegally invaded Kuwait in 1990, there was near universal world condemnation for this invasion. Countries like Saudi Arabia also even helped to pay the U.S. costs for this war. There needed to be a better peace agreement at the end of this war in 1991 that brought Saddam Hussein to arrest and international trial by world courts for this illegal invasion of Kuwait and other international crimes. His government leadership responsible for this war should also have been brought down at this time as well. This could have been the golden opportunity for the seeds of a new Iraqi Government and society to begin. Instead the second George Bush waits 12 years, with almost no international support this time around, restarts the 12 yearold Gulf War with Saddam Hussein to achieve what the 1991 peace terms did not. And now the country of Iraq is an unstable mess, threatening regional security.

Three lessons for all American presidents to post on the wall: #1.Talk to adversary nations. #2. End all wars with acceptable peace terms. #3.Don't restart old wars if you failed to properly conclude the matter in the first place. There you go, three simple ways to avoid some serious foreign policy problems. Three simple lessons not learned by the current administration.

Bush Still Looking For That Elusive Plan To Win The War In Iraq That Probably Doesn't Exist

One of the last of the "true believers" in the Iraq War has to be the main planner if it, George Bush. By stalling off his planned address to the nation about a change in policy to January gives time for Bush to allow the 8 month long Iraq Study Report recommendations to die a death in the short term memory shortcomings of the American public. It also gives Bush time to propose another unrealistic policy such as increasing troops in Iraq by 30,000 to 100,000 more than the current 140,000 levels in some sort of a desperate last ditch attempt to "win" this unwinnable war.

Besides raising troop levels, which is sure to be very unpopular with the public and fly in the face of the voter's message of the November elections, Bush may seek to replace the main generals involved in the Iraq War effort with some hardliners who believe that the war can still be won. Whether some latter day General Curtis Lemay type military leaders still exist in this day and age, who still believe that you can bomb your way out of any problem is a highly questionable notion. Many generals are more or less reasonable persons and often far more pragmatic about the situation in Iraq than Bush would probably want to hear. At some point even the generals view the situation as hopeless for real world reasons.

In an ideal world, it would certainly have been far better if the people of Iraq would have thrown roses at the feet of invading American and British forces after the 2003 war, as Donald Rumsfeld famously mispredicted. But it was only a matter of time before dead-enders such as Baathists, insurgents such as Al Qaeda agents and others would start a deadly cycle that Sunni and Shiite militia groups would eventually join. It was only a matter of time before the 1,300 year old conflict between the Sunni and Shiite sects would surface in this artificial nation created after WWI by Winston Churchill after oil was discovered in the region. Three Muslim sects with nothing in common were thrown together by Churchill in this new post WWI British occupation state that lasted until the 1958 rebellion in Iraq. This rebellion was inspired by 1956 Gamel Nasser Arab Socialist rebellion related to the Suez Canal rebuff of the British occupation forces in Egypt. After this 1956 rebellion in Egypt, Britain quickly began to lose all colonial occupation control in the MidEast.

In all fairness, Bush may now fear that the consequences of failure in Iraq are so high that no other course but victory is acceptable. Saudi Arabia apparently raised the stakes by threatening to put it's troops into Iraq to fight on behalf of the Sunni forces, which could only encourage Iran to put in it's forces and fight on behalf of the Shiites. The resulting regional war would probably end up with the Saudi oil fields in flames from Iranian missiles before very long, cutting off the MidEast oil supply to the Western world and only inviting Western nation's involvement and a possible world war. Private Saudi support for Sunni militia groups already exists, and Iran is certainly involved with some Shiite militia groups already. Rather than these neighbors of Iraq willing to act as peacekeepers, their role would quickly escalate to direct combatants for the Sunni and Shiite sects of the Muslim faith. Only 15% of the world's Muslims are Shiites, and Iran would have good reason to want to defend one of the only nations in the world, Iraq, with a Shiite majority, besides themselves.

Bush has a personal moltivation to want to see Iraq succeed not only for his place in history, but also because an American withdrawal will likely not result in sectarian peace in Iraq, but instead open up the serious opportunity for a serious regional war. This only illustrates how badly the Bush policy in Iraq has destabilized the region. Bush may be trying to desperately find a way to salvage this disasterous policy in Iraq. But likely too many people are unemployed in Iraq, up to 60%, too many support sectarian militia groups, and no easy way exists to change the minds of a public in Iraq where way too many people support lawlessness and the sectarian violence.

The ideal solution would be for far more persons in Iraq to support civil order, and oppose sectarian violence, and for domestic Iraqi military and police to maintain order, with all outside nations such as the U.S., Britain, Iran and Saudi Arabia out of Iraq. But how we ever get to this point is the vexing question. Bush continues to look for U.S. military solutions to resolve the situation in Iraq that probably don't exist. This is one complex Iraqi society social attitudes problem the U.S. cannot bomb it's way out of like WWII battles planned by General Curtis Lemay. A desire change among those living in Iraq is the key to peace. People in Iraq need to support civil order in their nation and need to be able to honestly and ethicly police their own nation. The U.S. or no other outside nation can really do this for Iraq, despite the political instincts of Bush that still seems to think that the U.S. can fix what we helped to break. Bush continues to look for that military solution that probably doesn't really exist, and will propose more grossly failing policies in January that will only eventually end the region up with the serious regional war that the world does not need.

Conan O'Brien's TV Show Avoids Possible FCC Problems By Creating Absurd Website That Becomes A Smash Hit With Nearly 5 Million Hits In First Week.

I deliberately avoided commentary on this huge story for days because it deals with some mildly offensive themes, which I do not care to glamorize on this Website, which I like to keep grounded in more serious themes, or entertainment news that is significant because it deals with moral or social psychology issues. But this Conan O'Brien story is now simply too big to ignore.

Last week's Monday night, LATE NIGHT WITH CONAN O'BRIEN used another one of their cheap and juvenile costume or character humor bits. This humor program has had a long history of using this cheap stuff for laughs. But sometimes these humor bits including an absurd Frankenstein, a "self pleasuring" bear, or other cheap costume or character bits have proven surprising effective for this program. A few years ago an absurd phenomenon was created when Conan O'Brien created a phony crisis by claiming that the actor that played "Grady" on the 1970's TV Sitcom, SANFORD AND SON was missing. This joke only snowballed and built on itself for days until the actor that played "Grady" was brought on the show as though he was recently rescued from great danger, and given a loud heroes welcome.

Last week, the biggest phenomenon ever for this show was accidently created when a manatee costume was used for a cheap bit that was satire on adult webcams. This silly bit was destined to become a national phenomenon when Conan O'Brien joked about it being from a fictictional website called www.hornymanatee.com which has now received over 4.5 million hits by last night and probably about 5 million hits by today in just one week's time.

The fact of the matter was that www.hornymanatee.com did not really exist when Conan O'Brien first mentioned the site. It turns out that standards and practices at NBC notified Conan O'Brien that any website mentioned on the air must really exist or the rights to the name must be purchased for 10 years according to some obscure FCC rule. For $159, NBC purchased the name of the website www.hornymanatee.com and someone over at the CONAN O'BRIEN show decided to start building the website, which has not only become a PG rated satire on XXX websites on the internet, but has drawn many strange but very talented reader submissions. This website grows bigger by the day, although it includes some outrageous mildly offensive humor that may make some skittish. The website reminds you of a 1970's NATIONAL LAMPOON MAGAZINE gag.

It is interesting that an absurdly silly website like this has really taken off and become probably the biggest phenomenon ever for Conan O'Brien's TV show. It also proves that there is no justice in life, as serious websites like mine and others suffer from far smaller readership of generally less than 250 views a day at the peak of this website when it garnered national publicity for a feature such as an analysis of serious troubles in the MidEast. An absurdly silly escapist website like www.hornymanatee.com has become one of the biggest hits ever on the internet, now attracting decent paid advertising by big companies on a banner, and has become a money maker for NBC, which has started cost cutting measires that will result in more cheaper to produce programming next TV season. Why www.hornymanatee.com has become such a big phenomenon is probably huge surprise to even the producers of LATE NIGHT WITH CONAN O'BRIEN which will probably see a ratings bounce as a result of this silly phenomenon. The next big marketing of this phenomenon should involve selling T-shirts, hats and coffee cups or manatee stuffed toys. NBC may be laughing all the way to the bank with this phenomenon which has turned out to be a huge surprise hit. Strange things happen.

Whirlpool Acquires Maytag, Eliminates Union Jobs That Can Devastate Small Communities

Whirlpool is the world's largest manufacturer of major appliances, and just like the ocean where big fish swallow up the small fish, Whirlpool acquired the much smaller 113 year old Maytag company recently. For the accountants and executives at Whirlpool, costing cutting became a major priority, and eliminating decent family wage union jobs became a high priority for the Christmas Grinches in the executive offices.

1,800 union jobs and 4,500 jobs nationwide will fall under the Whirlpool ax for thr Maytag workers. And small communities such as Newton, Iowa, Herrin, Illinois and Searcy, Arkansas will face closure, devastating the local economy's of these areas.

James Brown, a spokesman for the Machinists Union MidWest Territory summed up the problem with, " Lousy trade policies and a complete lack on enforcement of anti-trust and other measures to protect jobs and consumers leave American communities devastated". "Manufacturing jobs are the key to a strong middle class, stable families and vibrant communities. We cannot afford to lose them".

This is the trend of the last few years; a White House obsessed with one-sided "free trade" legislation that only encourages continued job exports to labor cheap nations. An antiworker and antiunion bias that favors companies that acquire others only to eliminate jobs not to continue to operate the company, but to resell the business for a profit to others including foreign concerns. Whirlpool reportedly sold Hoover Vacuum Cleaner to a Chinese company, Techtronic for $107 million last week, which effectively eliminates the jobs at Hoover and related brands such as Regina and Dirt Devil.

Small communities count on employment opportunities such as a major town supplier of work. When a large corporation pulls out of small communities, social problems such as increased family breakup, divorce, alcoholism, drug use, child or wife abuse, and crime may result. Right wing "family" organizations seem to miss this fact and are absent on economic issues that are really at stake in family and society breakdown issues created by the breakdown of the manufacturing economy. It should become a vital goal of the new Democratic controlled Congress to reverse this decline of the American manufacturing and the exodus of higher paying union jobs that support a middle class. The Bush Administration has unfortunately played the role of Nero all too well in the last few years, only "fiddling around" as the American manufacturing economy burns down and takes decent paying union jobs with it.

Support Family Living Wage Jobs And Buy Union Made Goods For The Holidays

In this holiday season, progressives should vote with their dollars and buy union produced goods that help to support family wage jobs. These products produced by union workers are not only high quality, but they they allow families to live in a decent home, drive a decent car, have enough food on their table, have health insurance and a retirement plan, and safe working conditions, unlike many nonunion companies that operate mainly to only enrich the lives if their corporate heads, sometimes with salary that runs into the millions while nonunion workers often work for the minimum wage around $5.15, have no retirement, and often seek public assistence from food stamps or public health programs. There is such a clear difference in the quality of employment between the union and nonunionized jobs that it should be a moral duty of progressives to spend as much money with union businesses as possible.

Some great union worker gift ideas include high dollar items such as Harley Davidson Motorcycles, produced by members of the Machinists Union and United Steelworkers members. Harleys are expensive, but what a great gift. They're the yardstick that great bikes are measured by.

If you're not into giving bikes as a gift, then maybe chocolates are more to your liking. Union made brands include Hershey's, See's Candies, Ghiardelli, Brown & Hailey, Russell Stover and even Hostess products. All are produced by union workers.

If giving food items is your style, then union workers are employed at Fred Meyer, Safeway, Albertsons, Haggens, QFC and a few other businesses. And some food priducts such as Smuckers, Darigold, Pepsi Cola, Coca Cola and Franz Bakery support union workers. Among department stores, only Fred Meyer is unionized in Oregon and some other states. Most department stores are nonunion.

If you want to give toys, the U.S. made products by Colorforms, Hasbro, Parker Brothers, Golden Books, Fisher Price, Etch-A-Sketch, Radio Flyer Wagon, Lionel Model Trains, Testor Model Paints, and a few other brands are union produced as long as the items are roduced in the U.S. Lionel Train is partially owned by progreesive singer, Neil Young, who is a huge train lover, and extremely good products that are very collectable and make great gifts.

Among fragrances, some brands such as English Leather, British Sterling, Alberto Culver Beyond, Revlon's Charlie, and a few more brands are union produced and you shoild consider purchasing.

If you like to give tools, then consider union made brands such as Sesrs, Craftsmen, Ridgid, Snap-On, Armstrong and Klein Tools, many of which are guaranteed for life and American made by union workers earning a decent wage.

There are many more items that are both American made and union worker produced, so be sure to check for the union label before purchasing. And sending your items consider either the U.S. Postal service or United Parcel Service which are both unionized, unlike FedEx which is nonunion.

Buying American made goods keeps jobs in the U.S. and buying union made goods keeps good family wage jobs alive in the U.S. There is no better way to wisely spent your holiday dollar this season than to by American and buy union made.

Monday Is The Last Mailing Day To Ship Items To Soldiers In Iraq And Afghanistan

If anyone out there has loved ones in Iraq or Afghanistan, or would simply like to send best wishes or gifts to soldiers to life their spirits, then Monday is the last mailing day to get items, postcards, well wishes, etc. to the soldiers by Christmas. Even if one has serious misgivings about the Iraq strategy, the fact of the matter is that these soldiers face serious danger in a attempt to prevent even more sectarian violence. They are saving lives of Iraq civilians by putting their lives in serious danger. Some U.S. military units will face 2% or more deaths, and 10% or more wounded. This is a great sacrifice and deserves the respect and well wishes of every American as a serious debate on Iraq strategy will ultimately decide how the U.S. mission is best achieved.

Every American should join in a chorus of be well, stay safe, and God bless for the U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Mainstream Republican Senator Gordon Smith Offers A Blistering Attack On Bush War Strategy

Mainstream conservative Republican senators such as John Warner and Gordon Smith are becoming the driving effort to convince President Bush to drastically alter the failing war strategy in Iraq. As late as 2004, Smith was even the Oregon head of the 2004 Bush re-election campaign. Yesterday he offered a blistering attack in an deeply heartfelt speech on the Senate floor calling the current strategy of placing American lives in constant danger by having them patrol the same dangerous streets over and over, risking their lives both "absurd" and morally even "criminal". These are strong words for a sentor who noted that he tried to be a "good soldier" in offering support for the Iraq War policy of both Bush and Rumsfeld.

It is also mainstream Republicans who will likely warn the White House when they think this situation in Iraq is beyond redemption, and it's time to pull the plug. Between the possibility of a violent militia group coup in Iraq, and mounting American deaths in the face of a policing of the sectarian violence that clearly is not working, very soon the Iraq War is likely to break open and U.S. troops will likely begin to come home. Even previously unthinkable prospects such as allowing Syria some role in helping with the Sunni problems in Iraq, and Iran to offer some pressure on the Shiite community were given a boost by the Iraq study group this week. While many are right to be wary of giving Iran or Syria any attempt at boosting their regional power by involvement in Iraq, it is nonetheless a sign of how desperate the situation in Iraq has become.

What gives a Senator such as Gordon Smith so much credibility, was not only his previous strong suport for Bush, but also his deeply religious background as a Latter Day Saints Church Elder. Like the former Oregon senators, Wayne Morse who went from a Republican to antiwar Democrat, or very religious Baptist Republican Mark Hatfield, both of whom found deep moral reasons to oppose the continued Vietnam War, when a deeply religious senator such as Smith begins to break on war policy, then it starts to become a moral cause among many religious persons, creating a powerful argument against any failed policy that does little to stabilize Iraq or prevent more deaths and killing.

Just like the Biblically -inspired quotation, that "the hand writing is on the wall", new events and pressures from influential senators and others will soon result in major changs in the Iraq War policy or soon even send our troops home.

Mainstream Conservative Republican Senator, Gordon Smith Delivers A Blistering Attack On Iraq War Strategy(alternate version)

(Often CD boxsets include many alternate unused versions of the songs. Here's a rarity for our readers here, an alternate unused version of the main feature. You can read and digest both and see what you think about both versions.)

More and more mainstream Republicans are beginning to voice deep reservations about the Bush Iraq War strategy. Another huge defection from the Bush policy in the Iraq War was mainstream conservative Senator Gordon Smith of Oregon, who has maintained the Oregon reputation for independence by offering a blistering and heartfelt attack on the present war strategy. In the traditions of other independent thinking statesmen of the past from Oregon such as former Senator Wayne Morse, a Republican turned antiwar Democrat, and Senator Mark Hatfield, a very religious Baptist who had deep moral problems with the continued cycle of death from Vietnam, Smith, a Latter Day Saints Church Elder, has broken from what he called the "good soldier" ranks of supporting the war in Iraq, and now refers to this war as both "absurd" and the contined cycle of American deaths by failure to change direction as morally "criminal". These are strong and heartfelt words from a very religious and decent man, deeply concerned with the continued cycle of failings to secure peace and safety in Iraq that puts American lives in constant danger.

It is important breaks among Republican senators such as Gordon Smith, John Warner and others that are warning President Bush that there has come an end to accepting his failed policies on Iraq. In 2004, Gordon Smith headed the Oregon re-election campaign for George Bush. Today he raises serious moral questions about his war policy that puts the same American soldiers in death's way by putting them patrolling the same dangerous streets in Iraq, only to face danger from the same bombs because the security situation and war strategy has not adjusted or changed. It is important breaks in loyal mainstream Republican senators like Smith and Warner who will likely force a big change in the Iraq War. Something big is likely to break very soon. Too many bad events are jelling together to force a major policy shift much sooner rather than later.

GM and Ford Disclose Talks To Sell Plants To Chinese Automobile And Parts Manufacturers

On Friday, it was disclosed by both Ford and GM, that both companies are in negotiation with Chinese automobile and parts manufacturers to purchase both closing and closed plants owned by the former American automobile giants. This would give Chinese automobile companies a major advantage to leap into competition with what is left of the dying American automobile industry.

There is not a clear guarantee that would keep many jobs in the U.S., as a Chinese company purchased the defunct British company MG, but did move the manufacturing to the U.S. at wages far below the $62 or more that some some highly professional workers at Ford and GM may earn. Workers could earn as little as $5.15 an hour in Chinese owned companies, with no clear retirement or health care benefits offered.

Given this weeks' bad news of the sale of Hoover Vacuum Cleaners to a Chinese company, Techtronic, and the increases in production of Goodyear Tires, it is yet another huge hit to a declining American manufacturing base, and a clear sign of the powerful growth of Chinese industry. It also speaks volumes about union-busting in America as high paying American manufacturing jobs are becoming a relic of the past just like the Model T.

No archaelogist have ever unearthed a society unable to produce it's own pottery that has ever survived. Even the most backward of world civilizations has been able to manufacture the basic goods it needed to survive. The inability of American society to manufacture and produce it's own basic goods is a clear sign of a society undergoing a deep and severe social regression. You might try clicking the U.S. Army ad that often runs over on my ads column for an employment opportunity.

America's Greatest Growth Industry; Prisoners

While American industry and high paying union and manufacturing jobs continue to decline in America's dying manufacturing base, one industry continues to see a great increase; prisoners. During the massive social spending cuts during the Clinton and Bush Administrations the nation has seen the largest increases in the prison population, which is now at nearly 2.2 million persons, with an additional 4.1 million on probation and 800,000 on parole. At 7 million persons at some stage of staus in the criminal justice system, this industry ranks as perhaps the largest pool of persons than work in any industry segment in America except for food services work or government employment.

The U.S. has the largest incareration rate in the world currently. Even the worst of police states in the world don't round-up political opponents in the numbers that Americans have fallen into the criminal justice system. And some in law enforcement such as Multnomah County Sheriff Bernie Guisto, of Portland, Oregon, lament that the criminal justice system has become perhaps the largest provider of mental health services as programs for the mentally ill, drug treatment, and other social programs take huge budget hits from conservative lawmakers. Instead at a cost of about $111,0000 a year per prisoner, Sheriff Guisto finds himself running a system that is neither cost effective, nor providing essential skills such as education programs for prisoners to find work upon release.

Some states have moved to mandatory sentences or to three strikes laws, which only result in a huge prison population, sometimes for persons who are advanced in age and probably harmless for society. With the three strikes laws, this aging population of prisoners requires more health care just like any aging population does, which is a huge cost to the system.

Three strikes laws and mandatory sentences usually force a prisoner to plead guilty, to at least a lengthy plea "bargain" because they cannot afford the $80,000 or more to hire decent private attorney representation. Instead they have to rely on overworked, underpaid, and often with only limited skills, public defenders in which only a very small fee is paid. Sometimes these public defenders hardly ever see their client before a hearing is to be held, and these public defenders have a big interest in moving things along by pressuring their clients into a plea bargain even if innocent of the charges. A serious charge, or mandatory sentences, or three strikes laws almost ensure that a indigent client will plead guilty to a lesser charge even if they are innocent because the public defender has neither the time or is paid enough money to prevent many innocent persons from being convicted.

Serious problems with high numbers of HIV/AIDS infected prisoners exist, along with high numbers of mentally ill persons. And there is a high population that seems to impact minority communities. Among young men just between the ages of 25-29, 8.1% of African Americans are in prison, 2.6% of Hispanics, and 1.1% of Whites. And the largest areas of prison population growth are in rural and poorer communities, and always in larger cities as many assume.

With declining social service budgets, a decaying manufacturing base of declining high paying jobs, the huge prison population problem the U.S. is a direct reflection of a declining society where economic decline is destroying the nation's social fabric. Conservatives want blame social liberalism for society's problems, but it is actually problems like the growtth of dangerous addictive drugs such as meth or alcohol abuse and lack of viable economic opportunity and education that compounds to rob American society of at least $40 billion a year in annual prison costs. Society is seriously misdirected where so little money is put into mental health or drug education or counseling services, and welfare benefits to the poor encourage the breakup of the family and single parent households. Poor families lose public housing assistence if a man is present in the household, encoraging single parent households.

America is a badlybroken society, with little really constructive economic or other socail planning to save the nation. Many conservatives like President Bush think that serving the interests of the manufacturing and major capitalist classes will make America strong. But as this class seeks to maximize profits by sending more and more jobs to labor cheap nations such as China, more and more social problems develop and these wealthy classes demand protection from the poor, maximizing the number of poorer Americans in prison. Certainly no one wants to be a crime victim, but also no one seems to want to begin to repair the social problems that breed crime either. Until society addresses these problems that breed crime, the prisoner population growth trend is only likely to continue.

Hoover Vacuum Cleaner Company Sold To Chinese Company

Hoover vaccum cleaners have existed for nearly 100 yeasrs as a classic American product. Now Whirlpool, the current owner of Hoover products has decided to sell the company to a Chinese company located out of Hong Kong for $107 million dollars. Famous formerly American produced products such as Regina, Dirt Devil and Royal will now likely become Chinese made products, and workers who spent a lifetime producing these products in the U.S. will face unemployment and early retirement.

Whirlppol claims that the decision will allow them to "focus" on appliances. Yet for many American workers it is yet another sign of shrinking opportunity in a shrinking base of American manufacturing. Many workers may end up with far lower paying food industry jobs, as is usual when better paying manufacturing jobs disappear to labor cheap nations such as China. Many manufacturing workers in China earn around 42 cents, although a few automobile workers may earn as high as $1.50 an hour.

The Chinese company, Techtronic mainly sells power tools such as the Milwaukie brand and also AEG Power Tools. It gives the Chinese brand wider market share in the U.S. market by being able to continue selling in an established market and chain of retailers for Hoover products. Whirlpool is also seeking to sell the Amana corporation line of products as well. Amana was originally manufactured by a small religious group the Amanas. Like the Shakers who were known for excellent quality furniture, the Amana religious group produced goods that were known for quality. A vending machine compaby has also been recently sold by Whirlpool, as it rids itself of three companies that were acquired in a Whirlpool deal when they acquired Maytag. This is the current trend of American manufacturing capitalism; buying and selling of other companies for a profit rather than a development of new consumer products. Some companies are even known as "turn around" companies that solely exist by investors to buy and sell other companies for a profit and eliminate jobs in cost cutting efforts and resale the business to someone else. Workers often become an end of the line link in this game of corporate chess, thrown out and disposed of when no longer of use to whoever acquires the business assets of a targeted company.

Iraq Study Report, Well Intentioned, But With Shortcomings

The Iraq Study Report by 10 senior Republican and Democratic statespersons was a well intentioned 150 page reprt intended to find some solutions to one of the worst foreign polocy messes this country has ever become bogged down in, but had some obvious shortcomings.

This study group comprised well intentioned persons such as former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Conner, former Attorney General Edwin Meese, among others, but outside of former Secretary Of State, James Baker, few had much foreign policy experience. But even more lacking was any member with a background in MidEast history, Muslim religion or culture, or military experience. Essentially 10 well intentioned former members of previous administrations and others attempted to offer a bipartisan approach to the Iraq problem, but the lack of essential experience in critical areas only limits the overall usefulness of this report.

The report for example is nesrly naive in calling for some sort of negitiations with Syria and Iran over Iraq without seeking some viable concessions on issues such as seeking both accepting the right of Israel to exist, or placing the future of the Iranian nuclear program on the negotiation table. What putpose does it serve for the U.S. to invest $400 billion in the Iraq War effort, and lose more than 2,900 lives and have another 21,000 wounded only to allow Iran and Syria to reap the spoils of a weakened state that could become a satellite or puppet state of an Iranian-Syrian controlled empore that extends the width of the entire MidEast. A powerful nuclear armed Iranian empire of friendly states only promises to allow for a future security threat to little Israel, only 11 miles wide at it's most narrow point. Israel does have some land that it can return to Syria for a peace agreement, and Iran can only be included in any negotiations if they are willing to bring something worthwhile to the table. But many other states such as Jordan, Eygpt, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain also have a stake in MidEast peace and are far more responsible states. Well these should not the first to be included in any MidEast peace talks is a good question.

Another problem is that while the eventual withdrawal of U.S. troops is the ultimate goal, without American air powewer, satellite and high tech military intelligence and advanced weapons, the government of Iraq would soon fall to any powerful militia organization. In fact even with all of the American help the government of Iraq could fall to a militia group coup anyway. It may alreadt be too late to salvage anything good from the continued mission other than to police the nation enough to prevent even worse sectarian killing.

There appears to be little real solutions to the sectarian violence that has waged for about 1,300 years of Shiite and Sunni sectarian infighting. Or that up to 70% of Iraqi police units are infiltrsted by militia group members, or that both the Iraqi police and military are so poorly equipped that only U.S. and British troops really have the firepower to somewhat police Iraq. Sectsrian violence is now so bad that opposing Sunni and Shiite neighborhoods now fire rockets and mortsars at each others' neighborhoods each night over the Tigres River in Baghdad, with no one including the U.S. effectively stemming this violence. Some American soldiers now tell reporters that either the Sunni or Shiite fighters will eventually win control of Iraq, that sectarian violence will not stop.

So maybe the best feature of the Iraq Study Report is that will President Bush some political cover to change Iraq policy if he is not too stubborn to do so, but for most other Americans it attempts some sort of bipartisan consensus to seek a way out of problem that only worsens by the day, and will unfortunately only end with a greatly strengthened Iran setting up for the next bigger MidEast conflict played out with nuclear weapons. 10 decent former statesmen probably spent their time on a report that will ultimately achieve little for MidEast peace and prevent the slow slide towards regional instability and a huge regional war with Israel and Iranian ally states.

David Letterman Renews CBS Contract Until 2010

David Letterman, who sometimes sends signals that he's bored with his job as host of THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN, has signed a new contract with CBS to remain as host until at least the fall of 2010. With the spat of new programs out about that time, Letterman may be in an excellent position for a further pay increase by using leverage at that time. Reportedly, Letterman will be receiving $35 million a year, $10 million more than that of his NBC rival, Jay Leno. Dave Chappelle actually had the largest known contract at $50 million a year with COMEDY CENTRAL, that included DVD royalties, but walked away from the deal for some sort of unclear personal reasons.

Letterman will be running against Conan O'Brien who takes over THE TONIGHT SHOW for some time when Leno retires. Letterman has warmly encouraged O'Brien, but is still cool to Leno, after NBC executives passed Letterman over as TONIGHT SHOW host when Johnny Carson retired. Letterman was the personal choice of Carson, and Carson continued to quietly help Letterman out at CBS with jokes and advice. While the likable Conan O'Brien has a smaller but strong devoted audience than Leno, the late night ratings leader by a narrow margin over Letterman, it will be interesting to see whether O'Brien can maintain most of Leno's audience strength or lose many viewers to Letterman. Conan O'Brien was surprisingly good as host of the Emmy Awards this year, proving that he is far better talent and showman than many realize. Conan cannot be counted out to not maintain a sizable audience of loyal late night viewers. And with the strength of the best of the current TONIGHT SHOW writers and his own writers, may well prove to to be a major late night draw for viewers. And ABC's Jimmy Kimmel is beginning to gain some audience strength as well. The late night ratings war of the future is beginning to take shape. But it will likely be a more friendly competition than today's icy relationship between Leno and Letterman, with Letterman still reportedly unhappy at NBC executives for passing him over as the heir -apparent for Johnny Carson.

Goodyear Tires Moving More Production To China With 42Cents An Hour Labor

Goodyear Tires, the mainstay of tires for both Nascar and NHRA racing is moving more and more of it's production to China with 42cents an hour labor unfairly competing against American labor union, Steelworkers Union members. Currently many Goodyear union members are on strike, replaced by nonunion workers while more production is being sent to China. It seems to be a major union busting effort.

Goodyear claims this has moved the company towards better profitablity, however it is just another trend more high paying union jobs flowing from the U.S. Yet the all-American reputation of some sports such as NASCAR, seems at stake when so many low wage imports begin to replace former American made goods.

One hand, countries like China have greatly improved their economy by economic coups such as getting big contracts to produce formerly American made goods. On the other hand, it is only another squeeze on America's declining middle class, as the country becomes more polarized into a large pocket of working poor and a small wealthy class.

Hugo Chavez Lacks A Pragmatic Will

Confrontational President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez was unfortunately re-elected this weekend. Rather than being a true reformer for the social and economic inequity in Venezuela, Chavez is likely to maintain the economic status quo where the poor will not fare much better than they have in the past two terms of this leader who is increasingly becoming a new Fidel Castro. Like Castro, little economic gain among the poor comes from this confrontational form of leftism that solves little of the domestic problems at home of poverty and social inequity, but instead relies on blaming the U.S. at every turn.

Leftist governments like the Chinese and Vietnamese Communists are pragmatic by comparison. Cooperation with the U.S. has resulted in large and expanding trade that has dramaticly improved the economy of both states. By comparison , Castro's Cuba has lost out on a huge possible tourist trade with the U.S., and Chavez threatens the status of the state -run Citgo Oil to operate in the U.S. South American leftists don't seem to realize that Asian Communists are still Communists, but want respect in the world community, and want decent relations with large economic markets such as the U.S. to sell goods to improve their own standard of living. The Chinese and Vietnamese Communist Parties have reaped respect for the improving living conditions in their lands. But some like Hugo Chavez promise economic improvement that just never seems to come.

Castro's brother, Raul seems to be opening the door a little bit to better relations with Cuba, although the Bush Administration is unlikely to effectively act on this like President Nixon who sought to open up previously hostile and secretative China to the world. Chavez should look to these Asian examples of leftist governments that are pragmatic and take a clue. With the immense oil wealth of his nation, a product that the U.S. needs, Chavez is missing a major opportunity to improve his nation by better cooperation with the U.S.

Cable TV Offers Some Highlights And Lowlights This Week

Cable TV is offering some real highlights and some real lowpoints this week. One if the best promises to be the 2 hour season opener for THE CLOSER. This excellent police drama is more than well acted and well written. It's cable TV at it's very best. This is a must see event.

A far weaker entry is THE LIBRARIAN: RETURN TO KING SOLOMON'S MINES, an obvious RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK ripoff starring former ER star, Noah Wyle. Wyle is one of few high points in this blatant ripoff, with his usual pleasant and engaging personality caught up in a story not as nearly as good as INDIANIA JONES sagas by any means. Some silly special effects, that seem like childish HARRY POTTER ripoffs like a flying sword and harp only add to the silly nature of this so-so adventure drama that caught me fighting sleep by 45 in. Another computer-generated sequence with ghosts appeared to be the worst cheap re-enactment of another scene from RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK that was memorable by comparison. Why attempt a scene so similiar to another in a far better film with a far smaller budget was only to invite a losing proposition comparison. Watch this if you wish, but be warned. Like the first LIBRARIAN from 2004 this film is disappointing, and only a little better than the first if that's saying much.

Two other cable TV comedies offer a little promise including the cruely funny comedy 10 ITEMS OR LESS, a tasteless grocery store comedy on at 11PM , and MY BOYS, another interesting comedy featuring the great comic Jim Gaffigan. This looks promising enough to watch at least once.

The Muslim World Population Bomb And The Rising Faith And State Issues

Very quietly, the world community has ignored that cultural differences within the Muslim community have encouraged this community to have disportionately large familes if sometimes seven or eight children, while other groups have either nearly replacement or declining birth rares. The steady rise in Muslim populations has eventually increased the populations so much, that traditional religious or ethnic group rule of the past has been gradually challenged.

In countries such as France and Great Britain, not only the increase in immgrants from MidEast Muslim states has created large ethnic Arab communities, but now presents a future wrest for political power in France and parts of Europe. Britain wrestles with a balance between the traditional Protestant dominated culture and a rising population with traditions in Islam.

In Turkey, the increased fundamentalist Muslim population threatens the more secular form of the government of Turkey, as Muslim fundamentalism creeps more into education and impacts what kind of NATO member or EU member Turkey could become. After the postWWI upheaval that eliminated centuries of Ottoman Empire rule that twice attempted to overrun Vienna by the sword to spread the Muslim faith as well as the WWI axis of Turkey with Germany, the more secular government of modern Turkey's declining influence as Muslim fundamentalism rises creates new challenges as how the Western world should view Turkey.

In Israel, the steady increase of the Palestinian population since the 1948 war, not only increased Palestinian political clout, but also evoked an Israeli backlash of fears of becoming a minority of the population of Israel at some point in the future and losing control of Israel to an Arab Muslim majority. This long feared, "Palestinian Population Bomb" by some in Israel only helped to fuel political negotiations on one level, but has also fueled fear and violent confrontation on the other hand.

But the one area in which the Muslim population bomb may have the greatest impact is in Russia. Th ethnic Russians are currently involved in declining birth rate cycle for many reasons, while the Muslim population of Russia is on a sharp increase cycle because of many families with seven or eight children. By the year 2050, some estimates claim that Muslims in Russia may be in the majority. If somewhat free elections still exist in Russia despite the antidemocratic nature of Putin and others, than Russia could become a Muslim dominated government with a vast nuclear weapons inventory by 2050. Depending on the nature of this government, this could mean a dangerous trend towards support for MidEast governments such as Iran or the proliferation of nuclear weapons if not open MidEast war that threatens Israel or beyond.

Cultural differences that have helped to dramaticly increase the Muslim world population is creating new political realities across the globe. Even in the U.S., the first Muslim was elected to Congress, who is now challenging that he be sworn in on a Koran and not the Bible. But then again some very flawed leaders such as Richard Nixon or Tom Delay were sweared in by the Bible, so the lpyalty of anyone to defending the values of this nation cannot be so easily defined by the book that they take the oath on. But the increasing world Muslim populations are creating new political realities the world over, and presenting new questions about the role of some with faith and state.

Britney Spears Turns 25 Today; Nation Braces For More Hard Core Partying

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Right Wing Blogs That Attack The Free Press, Limit Comments And Contrary Opinions On Their Sites

Some far right blogs that have been recently falsely claiming that AP makes up news about Iraq, curiously use various ways to limit comments and contrary statements including facts by others to challenge their outrageous one sided opinions.

One of the worst of these sites, FLOPPING ACES, uses a process where site operator "Curt", personally chooses which comments will appear. Contrary views do not seem to be allowed by him on the main site that challenge his outrageous claims, although on the Blogger operated FLOPPING ACES BACKUP, some contrary opinions seem to have been allowed without removal recently. It is also interesting that "Curt" uses this alais to hide his real identity and does not use his real full name, yet for days has made an issue about the identity of Iraqi police office Captain Jamil Gholaiem Hussein. Hypocrisy seems to show no limits. Other more credible left and right leaning website and blog operators use their real full name because they can stand behind their stories and features, and are more responsible journalists. It is trash journalists like "Curt" that stand behind an alais and print outrageous smear journalism.

Wild eyed journalist, Michelle Malkin, who always seems unduly angry about something, completely limits comments on her site. They simply don't appear. Her word is absolute, no matter how absurd her claims.

Another far right blog, NEWSBUSTERS, which is an antifree press blog solely devoted to attacks on what is claimed to be the "Liberal Media Bias", appears to be a hydralike multiheaded beast of many right wing bloggers who appear to use their real names, but use a registration proces to limit contrary comments. The site claims to oppose "media bias", yet bias is exactly what this site seems to practice, a one-sided biased attack on the free press, raising unfair doubts about mainstream press reporting.

While many other smaller examples of irresponsible right wing blogs exist, these are just three of the worst offenders. These three blogs all seek to "expose" what they claim to be problems in the press, yet limit freedom of speech, or hide behind an alais, or some other antidemocratic or antifree press means. These sites don't want facts posted that debunk their absurd claims against AP or other main media sources. Blogs may allow anyone to publish that wants to. But not everyone is responsible with this freedom it seems.

Some Right Wing Blogs Become Modern Day "Holocaust Denyers"

If anything is upsetting about the outrageous right wing attacks on the press reports of the murder of six Sunni citizens by a Shiite mob during the last few days, it is their unwitting efforts to become modern day Holocaust denyers, whe seem to be defending Shiite violence in Iraq, while denying reports of violence against Sunni Iraqis.

The press reports all examples of violence in Iraq with no political agenda and in a clearly impartial manner. By contrast when about 200 Shiites were killed and another 250 wounded by car bombs in the massive Sadr City slum area last week, the right wing blogs in America had no problem accepting this as probable acts of Sunni violence against Shiites. But when AP reported a mere six Sunni wordshippers were set on fire and the Sunni Mustata Mosque was badly damaged by blast damage, then some right wing blogs such as FLOPPING ACES, MICHELLE MALKIN and others began a concentrated effort to deny this Shiite mob violence against a mere six Sunni citizens, but accepted the killing and wounding of 450 Shiites as fact. Why such a proShiite extremist bias?

And this bizarre proShiite extremist bias by the far right has not abated in several days. The political right seems to be urging on Shiite extremists such the militia group dominated Iraqi Interior Ministry to crack down on press reporting of incidents against Sunni citizens. This same Interior Ministry has been implicated in running a torture chamber, planning crimes and violence against Sunni citizens, and possiby implicated in the planning and execution of the kidnappings and assault on the higher education offices recently. Some elements such as the radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr are hoping to rid Iraq of more secular based education, and turning Iraqi education into a fundamentalist Muslim controlled entity much like the Taliban control of education in Afghanistan. Many professors have fled Iraq or have been murdered, with some of this violence possiby linked to the Iraqi government Interior Ministry, perhaps the most corrupt, violent and Shiite militia group dominated part of the official Iraqi government.

Why are some right wing blogs becoming mouthpices for the Shiite extremists and militias? Any encouragement of the Iraqi Interior Ministry to "crackdown" on press reporting of crimes against Sunni citizens will only encourage Iraq to slip into a worsening state of civil war, genocide and Shiite extremism with close ties to Iran. Why are some right wing bloggers encouraging this Shiite violence and acting like modern day "Holocaust denyers"? Why are some on the political right waging an attack on the media when they impartially report violence in Iraq? This defense of the Shiite violence against Sunni citizens is hardly in the best interests of Iraqi peace and healing. This modern day "Holocaust denial" right wing extremism on some American right wing blogs is both irresponsible and disgusting.