On The Third Hand

Wednesday, 23 Jan 2002

Recursions

• The Wednesday Pundit Watch has been posted.
• Will at Quasipundit suggests I have the Brigade of Bellicose Women send an "email deluge of support" to Command Master Chief Ellen Mustain (AW/SW) of Gauntanamo Bay. Since one of her duties is to "maintain a close rapport with the troops", I must admit that I also hope she is going to the cell areas quite often to communicate with the guards. I hope she brings some female soldiers with her too. I'd rather not deluge the military with e-mail, they've got better things to do. Perhaps instead we could all chip in and send a strip-o-gram to the prisoners at Gitmo, with the stripper (female of course) singing "Osama Yo Mama" (in English and Arabic)?
• Suman Palit thinks (as do I) the terrorist attack in Calcutta is important. It is very important. Ladies and gentleman, a number of Indians died or were wounded protecting an American center that was being attacked by terrorists. The US media have basically ignored the attack, as well as the bomb outside the American Embassy in Kabul. We have, in the past several days, been the focus of two attacks. The fact that these attacks were not on American soil does not negate the fact that they were attacks. PAY ATTENTION! And if any Americans live in a city where there is an Indian Embassy, it would be nice if you would march over to their Embassy with an armful of flowers for those who died defending our interests there. It's the least we can do.

Short Stuff

• Bellicose Women They seem to think it's about the burqas. The treatment of the Afghan women didn't hurt our support -- and a few of us would have been quite happy to see the US kick Taliban butt a couple of years ago -- but it's not about that. It's about the fact that they killed thousands of civilians. There is not a one of us who cannot look at our children, (even adult children) and imagine them being killed. We want the monsters who would do such things stopped. Now. By Any Means Necessary. As long as the government is perceived to be doing that, they will have our support.
• Anyone know some really rich venture capitalists who would like to fund a truly 'fair and balanced' news service? Admitted that no one can be truly 'non partisan'... but would it not be refreshing to have a station that states each newsreader's/reporter's bias? "Conservative News Hour", "Liberal News Hour", maybe even "Libertarian News Hour" or "America-haters News Hour" (we could have Ted Rall reporting).
• Liar liar... Seems the guy who called from Afghanistan to say he'd been kidnapped was actually in Pakistan when he called. I think he was just jealous of the publicity Heather and Dayna got.
• The latest issue of The Onion is out.
• Victims fund demands spur backlash. There is no possible "fair compensation" for loss of a loved one. No matter how that fund is set up, people would be unhappy. The government should not be in the business of compensating victims of attacks anyway. Did they compensate the victims of the bomb in Oklahoma City?