Comments on Love & War

Let's start with War first. So our Dear Mr. President gave his speech last night. I sat there just dumbfounded. But there are a lot of choice comments out there:

Andrew's always good: "The premise of the speech, and of the strategy, is that there is a national democratic government in Baghdad, defending itself against Jihadist attacks. The task, in the president's mind, is therefore to send more troops to defend such a government. But the reality facing us each day is a starkly different one from the scenario assumed by the president. The government of which Bush speaks, to put it bluntly, does not exist."

From John Derbyshire: "So-o-o-o:

—-We can't leave Iraq without a victory.

—-Unless Maliki & Co. get their act together, we can't achieve victory.

—-If Maliki & Co. don't get their act together, we'll leave.

It's been a while since I studied classical logic, but it seems to me that this syllogism leaks like a sieve."

Dan Froomkin from the WashPost: "Anonymous White House officials tied themselves into rhetorical pretzels yesterday insisting that the U.S. commitment in Iraq is no longer open-ended -- without giving any indication of how it might close."

Arianna is good too: "Drudge made a lot of the president's admission of mistakes in Iraq -- as if this were major news, which is, no doubt, what the White House wanted. But the president has already admitted mistakes in Iraq. His mistake now is in not changing course (except rhetorically) after the earlier admissions of mistakes. The reason why admitting mistakes is considered a good thing to do is the assumption that you'll stop making them -- or at least stop making the same ones. But Bush is even incompetent at admitting his own incompetence. It's like an alcoholic admitting he's started drinking again, then announcing he plans to get back on the wagon by drinking even more. You should not get credit for admitting mistakes unless the admission is accompanied by an effort to stop making them."

My take? Can you imagine the enormous sh!tstorm that would happen if a Democratic President had gone on national TV to say that after over 3000 soldiers dead, that he was going to send more troops to engage in what is reality "peace making" operations to give some not completely friendly government some "breathing room"? How many lives of US armed forces is that "breathing room" going to cost?

And I hate to leave you with this image, but it's a great line from Bob Cesca: "He reached across (around) the aisle to rim job his ally in the Lieberman for Connecticut Party which means absolutely nothing other than the president is now open to exclusive shout-outs to members of Congress who give it up."

Joe's question for Thursday? How's Your Love Life? And he got the best answers:

- "Good, but it could only be better if I was in a "thruple""

- "Mine hasn't arrived yet. I do have a tracking number though."

- "My husband and I will soon be celebrating our six-month anniversary. We've had some rough times, but we're very happy together and, to quote Lyle Finster from "Will & Grace", we're "shagging like two lieutenants after lights out."

- "It is to laugh."

- "It is to cry."

- "Nonexistent. But happy with that for now...or at least I've done a good job convincing myself."

- "In the early years, we oftened talked about reaching 10 years together and what that might be like. The journey brought change to everything in our lives, cities, jobs, housing, friendships, goals, wants, desires, and expectations. We have each re-invented ourselves numerous times, not only refreashing our individual souls but refreshing our relationship along the way. Well, it's like we just met yet have known each other a lifetime. Every day I learn something new about him and about me. We embrace our idiosyncrasies and accept our foibles. We share and grow. We excel at who we are as individuals while being a couple cements a stronger bond for us in love. I never thought I was worthy, but I am, and so is he."

And my favorite: "Well lets see... I met my partner while I lived at one of the gayest addresses in the one-double-oh-fuckyou zipcode. And, even though we shared some of the same friends, and belonged to some of the same social groups, and had actually been introduced one or two times over the previous decade, it was not until we exchanged vitriol and bitterness via internet ads voicing our mutual disenchantmant with internet dating that we met and fell and in love. "Oh Shit" was what my soul yelped when I first peered downstairs at him after buzzing him in. The kind of 'oh shit' that told my soul 'thats him, I'd recognize him anyware'. It wasn't just the 'Awesome! He's hot!' or pleasant surprise of a cute date. It was the stirring of the soul that screams 'Are ya really ready for what you asked for?' YIKES! In an instant it was happily ever after. Not much has changed except the mortgage payment and a couple of pounds. Each day is just as precious as the first. My Dad used to say 'There is a lid for every pot'. After years of figuring out whether I was a lid or a pot, I found my match. Bitterness and demographics are just callouses on the soul. Love can happen anywhere and usually when you least expect it. But, the best advice I ever got was from a terminally fabulous queen on Christopher Street who told me early on "The object of the game sweetie, is to become the man you always wanted to date".

My love life? Ah, that's a subject for another time!