Silflay Hraka

A Terrible and Overlooked Anniversary

Today is an anniversary, which I have not seen mentioned elsewhere.

The anniversary of a shattering moment in which the United States misstepped so badly, we are paying for it this very day.

On February 27th, 1991, the order was sent out to halt all U.S. and allied forces in Iraq. The Iraqi army in shards. . . .the ‘vaunted’ Republican Guard fleeing like frightened children. . . .the most powerful army in the world 24 hours from Baghdad and an end to one of the most miserably cruel despots of our time – of any time.

24 hours from the ‘Mother’ of all victories. A 5-day war!

Instead, we stepped away from this victory and all that it would have meant. To the entire world.

If we had continued, I suggest that Iraq would today be a prosperous nation, with a thriving free market economy giving others a run for their money – literally – just as resulted from our occupation and restructuring of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan.

Other thugs would be much more hesitant to challenge the peace – I rather think this strange Kim Jung-IL would be quietly listening to his single radio station, instead of waving in the air history’s most dangerous kinds of weapon, like an infantile bully raging at those who would dare ignore him. He would welcome being overlooked.

And I also opine that September 11th would not have happened, not with a U.S. standard in the center of the Middle East. From that standard, I suggest, would have flowed more power for freedom and good that can be imagined. The cowards would hesitate, the oppressed would come out into the sunlight. And the world would be a far better place.

Not perfect – for we are far from perfect – but a better place for all but the malevolent.

We were told that the reasons given for halting the advance were several – one of them is that to continue would “destabilize the region”.

Well, we can all see that it certainly became a much more stable part of the world.

So now we must not hesitate. Or another moment is gone. Perhaps forever, this time. Who will believe us, in the future? Why should they? Uncle Sam with a big mouth and a paper hat.

And our allies? Ah, France and Germany don’t want this venture, because they know how it would increase the influence of the United States, and cause a proportional decrease in theirs — and their vanity. We can certainly understand why the princes and the dictators of the Middle East don’t want us there. What gang wants a police station in their neighborhood?

There is a tremendous jealousy of this country – it is only natural. We can understand it, be mindful of it, and always, always try to never misuse this incredible power. But we cannot let this international petulance dissuade us from clear and crucial opportunities to make the world a better place. For there is no other country that can. Or will.

Those who scoff at this hubris? Let them look at the world in 1940 and then again in 1946. Let them look at Bosnia before and after, Panama, Grenada. Indeed, let them look at what used to be the USSR and the Warsaw Pact nations in 1990, and today.

Let them especially look at Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, the before and would-be after – the first would be a province of Iraq, the second an eviscerated vassal. The tortures, the maiming, the executions would be uncountable.

And why would the victorious Saddam have stopped there? Did Hitler stop with rearming the Rhineland? Or taking Austria? Or Czechoslovakia? Did Imperial Japan stop with Korea, Borneo, the East Indies, Burma, Indo-China?

We must do this thing, ladies and gentlemen – we must do it for the future of millions upon millions who will be free, who shouldn’t have to fear that a son of Saddam will want to video tape their torture, or that a son-in-law will want his wife or children for sex, or that Saddam himself will settle a regional problem with poison gas or loathsome biology.

We must do this.

And, then, folks, we must turn to North Korea. . . .

–Joe McCain

Editor’s Note: Joe McCain is the brother of Arizona Senator John McCain, and resides in Washington. I got the essay above from an e-mail he sent to the parents of his godson yesterday, whom the Sainted Wife and I have been friends with for years.

Needless to say, I agree with every word.

Ask and Ye Shall Receive

For Omnibus Bill of Crimen Falsi, a North Carolina style barbecue restaurant near D.C. There’s also Rocklands, which looks pretty good, but doesn’t claim to be N.C. style in the least.

Previously in Ask and Ye Shall Receive, we found Expat Egghead Dribbling a place to drink a decent beer in Tel Aviv. We never heard back from him, so possibly the beer wasn’t that great after all.

But still, we soldier on.

The fervent hopes and desires of literally ones of people have been answered. The bird misidentified by Reuters as a “Blue Hummingbird” has been identified, thanks to Sumit of BirdsofKolkata.com. It is a Purple Sunbird, Nectarina asiatica. Thanks, Sumit.

Update: The Reuters “Blue Hummingbird” picture can be seen here. (scroll down)

How Can You Have Any Pudding If You Don’t Eat Your Peace?

We don’t need no education
We don’t need no thought control
No dark sarcasm in the classroom
Teachers leave them kids alone
Hey! Teachers! Leave them kids alone!
All in all it’s just another brick in the wall.
All in all you’re just another brick in the wall.

They call me Cuban Pete
I’m the king of the rhumba beat
When I play the maracas
I go chick-chicky-boom
Chick-Chicky-Boom

Desi blog Dancing With Dogs has a new address.

Zod: Luuuucy!
No, no. It means “Indian expatriate” or something like that.
Zod: You in trouble now, Lucy.
Oh, never mind.
Zod: You ever notice how everyone else leaves blogspot after about a month?
Your point?
Zod: What’s wrong with you?
I’m a cheap masochist.

Beer of the Night

Hitachino Nest White Ale, from Japan. Curse you, Axis of Weasels, for forcing me to drink Japanese beer.

Not that there’s anything particularly wrong with Nipponese Beer, on the whole. Japanese brewmasters produce some fine lagers. It’s ales, rather than lagers, that make or break a country’s reputation, though. That’s why England, Belgium, Germany and the former Czechoslovakia have such strong brewing reputations. I’d hesitate to rank them in any sort of order, though Belgium would be at the top on any list. It’s the second through fourth spaces that would cause me mental grief to try and sort out. I’d put the U.S. fifth, and Canada sixth.

That particular ranking is guaranteed to produce some hate mail in my inbox from residents of our neighbor to the north, so let me explain. Not that it will matter, I suppose.

On average, Canada produces better beer than the United States. But on the whole, the U.S. produces more quality beers than Canada does. A bigger population means more brewers, and more brew overall.

Sorry guys. If it’s any consolation, it was a Molson that started me down the beer snob trail.

Now, speaking beer snobbery, I suppose I ought to make a stab at describing the Hitachino.

It’s overwhelmingly citrusy. Now, I know white ales are supposed to have a nice citrus overtone to them, but it’s usually pretty subtle, and usually leans towards the lemon end of the citrus scale. The Hitachino tastes like someone squeezed an entire tangerine into the bottle before it was capped. The color of the beer, a very orangy yellow, supports that theory. The tangerine taste doesn’t make it a bad beer, and I suspect that particular essence was chosen in an attempt to make this ale stand out from the legion of Hoegaarden and Allagash imitators, but I personally think it should be a bit more subtle. It strikes me as the Japanese Beer equivalent of Engrish.

Please enjoy HITACHINO NEST BEER with fantastic food, we are sure that you will spend relax and cozy time. Having drinking Nest Beer on your left hand and eating Japanese traditional food on your right hand, isn’t it wonderful?

Well, we present some of nice but simple everyday Japanese food which are totally matched with our Nest beer, So that you will be able to love more and more about our Hitachino Nest Beer.

That said, I imagine that the Hitachino Nest would be a perfect beer to drink while smoking. It’s got a very clean, fresh accent, something that would be perfect for cutting across cigarette or cigar smoke. I’ll give it a five.

For comparison’s sake, Budweiser gets a two.

Ian: Hello Sir Dennis. Hi, how are you?
(out of phone) Oh, fucking old poofdah!
(into phone) But it’s really not that offensive Sir Dennis come on. Okay. I’ll call you absolutely first thing in the morning.
(slam phone)
Ah, shit. They are not gonna release the campaign…because they have decided that the ad cover is sexist.
Nigel: Well so what? What’s wrong with being sexy? I mean there’s no….
Ian: Sex-ist.
David: -ist, not sexy. Lemme ask you something – lemme ask you something
Ian: What?
David: Have you seen Brazil’s current tourism campaign?
Ian: Um… yes, yes.
David: Have you seen the ad cover?
Ian: Um… no, no, I don’t think I have.
David: It’s a rather lurid cover, I mean…ah, it’s, it’s like naked women, and, uh….
Nigel: There’s a guy tied down to this table,
Ian: Uh-huh.
Nigel: And he’s got these whips and they’re all…semi-nude.
David: Knockin’ on ‘im and it’s like much worse…
Ian: What’s the point?
David: Well the point is it’s much worse than ours.
Ian: Because he’s the victim. The objections were that she was the victim. You see?
Derek: I see….
Nigel: Oh…
David: Ah….
Ian: That’s alright, if the man’s the victim, it’s different. It’s not sexist.
Nigel: They did a twist on it. A twist and it s-
Derek: They did, he did. They turned it around.
Ian: We shoulda thought of that….
David: We were so close….
Ian: I mean if we had all you guys tied up, that probably woulda been fine.
All: Ah….
Ian: But it’s…it’s still a stupid ad cover.
David: It’s such a fine line between stupid an’…
Derek: …and clever.
David: Yeah, and clever.
Nigel: Just that little turnabout….

And Hear Da Lamentations Of Dere Women

Aaron’s Rantblog has improved the “First Iraq, Then France” bumper sticker.

You know, I can forgive Reuters the little things, like their bias, slanted reporting and Anti-Semitism.

But a man can only be pushed so far, can only take so much before he has to stand up and be counted, to raise his voice and join the chorus of excoriation.

I am that man. This is that time.

And this is what I have to say to Reuters;

Hummingbirds only occur in the western hemisphere, you dolts.

Update: The Reuters “Blue Hummingbird” picture can be seen here. (scroll down)

Goodbye, Neighbor

A nation mourns………..or at least a nation of children mourn. If all neighbors could be this nice our block might be a better place……..of course, we would all be wearing cardigans, but we would be polite.