Posts by Russell Brown
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Related to this is the question of whether any occupation force could ever have restored order (say, by adopting Shinseki's troop estimate or by operating under the auspices of the UN) or whether this fiasco was a product of the Bush Administration's incompetence. I tend to think it probably could have been done by a competently led multi-national force.
That's an interesting question. The conception and the execution of the Iraq plan have been so bad that you have to wonder how things might have gone if someone had had a more sensible plan and actually carried it out competently. Then again, a clear-eyed analysis might simply have said "don't bother".
It is worth noting that the only major project in the new Iraq that did exceed expectations was the elections, which were run by the UN.
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Yeah. I'm sure they're overjoyed to see their despised Shia enemies seize power and start ethnically cleansing Iraq of their Sunni brethren.
Well, quite. If anything, al-Qaeda has lost in Iraq.
And now you have the bizarro-world scenario of the White House trying to build a conservative Sunni coalition in the region to push back against the Shia beast its other hand is helping to create. If Cohen and Kamm spent more time pondering that instead of questioning the moral fitness of "liberal" I might be more inclined to listen.
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As for your characterisation of “smug little lectures”, well, come now. This is a polemicist who begs to differ, which means there's a debate to be had. Why forego that so you can stand in line to help with the whipping?
It's just that I object to someone who not so long ago was preaching anti-Americanism as a virtue making sweeping characterisations about liberals "losing their way". I just don't buy the narrative, and I don't believe that the majority of left-liberal opposition to the war in Iraq, or to American foreign policy, is predicated on an endorsement of Islamist bigotry.
Oliver Kamm and his "Left-wing Case for a Neoconservative Foreign Policy" annoys me even more, if for similar reasons. I don't think the bulk of liberal opinion shifted: these people did. Kamm urged the re-election of Bush, even as it became clear that both the execution and the underpinning of Bush foreign policy was a disaster.
Their basic point that Islamists are (far) right-wingers is quite correct. But they keep some pretty shabby company when they make it, and they have eagerly perpetuated myths about the Islamisation of Europe.
To be honest, I think my secular modernism is under more direct threat from the religious fundamentalists of America than it is from Islamists. The Islamists' derangement might be considerably greater, but I don't think they have the power to change the society with which I identify. The other lot just might.
Anyway, my post was something of a polemic in itself, intended to provoke discussion. But I was quite pleased with "Solipsistic Left" ...
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Well, thanks for the link but am I the only person who questions the value of 'lobbying' by spam-generating websites? I wasn't really impressed when the Maxim Institute was pulling this kind of crap in opposition to the Civil Unions bill, and it doesn't really impress me any more when I'm (more) sympathetic to the cause.
And here's another observation: MP's staffers aren't stupid. They can tell when they're being spammed by lobbyists, and they will give such communication their proper weight. A polite but passionate letter or e-mail that's obviously been generated by a human being is more effective.
It's not quite what Maxim was doing (which was dishonestly sending the same letter to dozens of publications), and it does encourage the users to target the message to specific MPs or groups of MPs. I suspect the people behind it realised that the opponents of the bill were already deluging MPs with their views and decided that at least some kind of voice from the other side of the argument should reach MPs.
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Good thread.
But I'm surprised no one's mentioned that the person who lost the most from Mark Burton's terrible actions, his father, was highly supportive of his employment now. He's also a policeman, so you'd expect him to have views on public safety.
It's also important to note that when he killed his mother, Mark Burton didn't suddenly snap. His condition had deteriorated over weeks, he was unmonitored and using drugs, he lived in an unsafe house and then eventually couldn't be located at all, and he acted on very specific paranoid beliefs about a loved one.
The situation now is completely different - apart from anything else, Burton is reported to be taking his meds and committed to rehabilitation, which he wasn't at the time he killed his mother. I find it really hard to believe that any deterioration in his condition wouldn't be picked up by all the people monitoring him.
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It was a superb night. I hope the pineapples get a mention on the radio show...
Duh! I clean forgot to mention Imbibe, where the pineapples were indeed quite lovely. It was all brilliantly organised, even if I did feel really quite shabby the next day.
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Had a wee issue with eMusic and Rhapsody this week over pirated music on their servers....coming out of Australia, ripped off vinyl without my knowledge. EMusic were proactive and fantastic..it came straight off as soon as there was a sniff of a problem.
Rhapsody (Real) (who use DRM) showed little interest and the pirated, DRM protected, product remains on their sites. I know who I would rather deal with.
That's very interesting - I'll follow it up with you offline, Simon.
Your experience isn't surprising though: emusic has a good rep, Rhapsody doesn't. I can give you a contact for one of the good people there though.
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In Love With These Times is such a cool song.
In fact, if there are any F Nun people reading this is there any chance of the Nelsh Bailter Space ep being released on cd or such like?
I know Matador released it a long time ago with Tanker as a States only release, but they dropped the band and as such it's disappeared.
It's there on eMusic - but not for we New Zealanders ...
http://www.emusic.com/album/10591/10591212.html
It doesn't seem to be available in any other form. I really hope Warners can get over the non-DRM thing and get this kind of catalogue to the place it belongs.
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After working all day in my 70acre farm working me fingers to the bone planting brussels sprouts, your blog is something I look forward to. I agree with Doris that that guy Robin brings some welcome relief.
Ah, the scene-setting first sentence from a first-time poster. Hi Robin.
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Oh gross! Ridley's colourful balancing act has exhausted the very last of my goodwill towards Mr. Walker.
Mr. Brown, r u going to blackball him? Hope not, coz I still have faith in fairplay!
You ironically reframe Robyn G's comment. You, too, have a yahoo.com email address. Hi Robin.
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