Is it Still "Worth It?"

Four more GIs get tossed in the never-going-to-be-able-to-vote-agin pile of "it's-worth-it-but-you-are-dead" noble causes. Today's cartoon by Ann Telnaes hits all the hot buttons:

slice:

North of Baghdad, four U.S. soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb, raising the U.S. death toll to more than 1,850 since the war in Iraq began. Insurgents appear to have developed more powerful bombs able to pierce newly armored U.S. vehicles.

Talks on the constitution, which broke down before the previous deadline on Monday, prompting an extraordinary session of parliament to amend the law and allow a week longer, remained divided over three fundamental issues -- federalism, the role of Islam and the distribution of revenue from natural resources.

So, the longer we stay in Iraq, the better the terrorists get at killing our guys. And the rationale for staying longer over bringing our troops home sooner is what?

No Telling Why W is Headed to Idaho

What's in Donnelly? Well, we know the Prez will be there.

Unfortunately, Lance Armstrong, for some strange reason is going to be a willing tool of the W, Rove and Co. propaganda conglomerate. Check out this dialog from today's press gaggle. It appears that they will be on private property for their ride on Saturday so there won't be any other bikers allowed on the course. I wonder if Lance will give him an earful or toss him the usual yes-man bones.See the appropriate cartoon for commentary.

Q What are the coverage plans for Lance Armstrong's visit on Saturday?

MS. PERINO: It is closed press. The White House will release a photograph. Discovery Channel has an exclusive to tapes and video.

Q So Discovery Channel is doing filming?

MS. PERINO: Yes.

Q I can't hear a thing. That was Lance Armstrong?

MS. PERINO: Lance Armstrong will be here on Saturday to --

Q That's closed press?

MS. PERINO: It is closed press.

Q No pool, nothing?

MS. PERINO: No pool.

Q They're going to be biking entirely within the confines of the ranch. Is that true?

MS. PERINO: That's my understanding, yes.

Q And Discovery Channel has an exclusive what? How are they doing that?

MS. PERINO: To shoot some video.

Q Can you repeat what -- I couldn't hear Dick. Your understanding is what about the biking?

MS. PERINO: He asked if they riding within the confines of the ranch boundaries, and I think that's true.

Q Dana, do you have any reaction -- does the President have any reaction to the vigils last night? Did he see anything on television?

MS. PERINO: I don't have an update as to whether or not he saw anything on television. We were -- I was aware of the vigil and I think that many Americans were, but I have nothing to add from before.

Q There's no reaction from the White House to the vigils?

MS. PERINO: The President has said that he sympathizes with Ms. Sheehan. He has met with her before. He appreciates the opportunities that he has to meet with families of the fallen or -- and families that have men and women, sons and daughters, and mothers and fathers that are serving in the war on terror. He's listened to their -- to views of people like Ms. Sheehan and he respects them, but he disagrees.

Yes, Kelly.

Q Some of the moms today are planning to have letters delivered to Mrs. Bush. Do you know if there will be a procedure for her to actually receive those?

MS. PERINO: I don't know anything about -- that's the first I've heard of that, and I'll have to see. There are proper channels in order to get letters.

Q They're going to try to deliver them to the Secret Service.

MS. PERINO: I'll have to check into that. I don't know. Yes, Mark?

Q Dana, has the President decided that he will not meet again with Cindy Sheehan? Is she wasting her time?

MS. PERINO: The President has said she has a right to peacefully protest and to be there and to express her views, but he has met with her before and there's no change in the schedule.

...Q Are there any details on the Idaho and Utah trip next week?

MS. PERINO: There's no public events on the Tuesday. But if that changes, I'll let you know.

Q Back to Lance Armstrong for a minute. Will he spend a night, Friday to Saturday night, at the ranch?

MS. PERINO: I don't think so.

Q What was that?

MS. PERINO: He asked if Lance Armstrong was staying the night at the ranch, and I don't believe so.

Q Dana, can you yet not say what the President is doing on Tuesday in Donnelly?

MS. PERINO: I just don't have an update. There's just no public events.

Is that all?

Q Will he be riding his bike in Idaho?

MS. PERINO: I don't know.

Q Senator Schumer is proposing today to extend and strengthen tariffs on China to make up for what he says is their undervalued currency and the problems that that causes with our dollar. Have you seen this, and do you have any --

MS. PERINO: No, that's the first I've heard of it, so I'd have to check into it for you. You might want to check with Treasury.

Okay?

Q How is the President spending his day?

MS. PERINO: I know that this morning he got his normal briefings.

Q And recreation?

MS. PERINO: I don't have an update for you on that. Okay?

Q Can you give us an update on recreation?

MS. PERINO: I'll work on it.

Spreading Freedom

As the term "Spreading Freedom" has been adopted as common vernacular by our erudite president, I have been ruminating on the phrase for a while and wanting to post. But alas, I have been stumped up until now. I have been wondering if spreading freedom is much like tilling a field and spreading manure - good for ya, but sure stinks.

While our fair President heads to Idaho to relax and recuperate, My thoughts on this "noble" justification for the tragedy in Iraq end in one question. Perhaps others in the blogisphere will have thoughts to add in the comment area.

Is it better to "spread freedom" by instigating war in foreign places, or by letting corporations like Wal Mart (in China) gentrify entire countries?

Supporting the Troops

Every so often, another blogger hits it right on the barrel head. Knapster nails it today and the first comment is worthy of redistributing far and wide. I'm linking up and blog rolling him.

Here's a slice and the comment. Slice

So yes, I can -- and do -- "support the troops" while opposing both the war and the monster who has sacrificed nearly 2,000 of those troops to the neoconservative Moloch. I support the troops because I've been one of them, because I know the pickle they're in, and because I want to see them return home alive and safe, where they will hopefully be put back on the job they signed up to do.

In the spirit of such arguments, however, I do believe that it is time and past time to question the motives of those who support the war on Iraq, and their claims to "support the troops."

To support the war is to objectively align one's self with al Qaeda and Iran -- since the war has redounded to their benefit versus the benefit of the United States -- and to place one's self in opposition to the safety of America's troops and to their mission to defend and protect the Constitution of the United States. Those who support the war from outside military ranks are free to correct themselves at any time without fear of reprisal, and the failure of many to do so (many, not all -- a majority of Americans now realize that invading Iraq was a monumentally bad idea) cannot be made up for with a yellow magnetic "ribbon" on one's bumper or a box full of butterscotch candies and paperback books.

Comment:

As a troop, I must say that I agree that we don't need to be in Iraq and our president is a liar and not worthy of my trust. That being said, shut the fuck up with the I support our troops shit. Not you in particular, but to the american people as a whole. What the hell does sticking a little magnet on your car do for me? Jack Shit. You just put another dollar in the pocket of the Chinese guy that owns the factory the made it. Support our troops. Send me a dollar so I can feed my kids.

Greed - Sub title: Ken Gets Pithy

If you haven't visited Ken over at Common Sense, you are missing out. The posts are lengthy, but worth the read as he does some real thinking about difficult issues. And, he actually bothers to read all comments posting replies. Sometimes the comments are more pithy and powerful than the actual post.

Here's a taste of his reply to one of my comments on his recent start to some dialog about economics:

I too am a fan of The Lorax, having carefully tended to many a Truffula Tree myself over the years.

And I never did see a Thneed I might need, but the greed of our breed is a bad creed indeed, and one that I hope from which we'll be freed.

Ever Wonder Who is Really Winning the War in Iraq

Still no idea where the Big Dick Cheney is at this moment - Halliburton Fans, any idea?

What's in Donnelly Idaho?

Just wondering if the folks at Camp Casey have the wherewithall to chase the Prez to his next vacation destination Donnelly Idaho? Looks like he is spending taxpayer bucks to do some fishing, or whatever - the spokesmodel for the administration didn't have any idea nor was he indicating that the Big Dick would be there as well.

Sad news is that Lance Armstrong is going to be at the Ranch and going for a ride with the president on Saturday. I wonder, if they ride past Cindy Sheehan, will Lance do the magnanamous thing and stop off to wish her well, or simply pass them by?

Here are the snips from the press briefing today:

For next week, a couple of you have asked for some specifics. On Monday, August 22nd, the President will make remarks to the Veterans of Foreign Wars National Convention that's being held in Salt Lake City, Utah; open press. He will remain overnight in Donnelly, Idaho.

Tuesday, there are no public events, still he will be in Donnelly, Idaho. And Wednesday, August 24th, the President will make remarks on the war on terror, and that's in Nampa, Idaho. And then he'll return to the ranch that night.

With that, I'll happily take your questions.

Q What's in Donnelly? What's he doing in Donnelly?

MS. PERINO: I'll see if I can get some more on that. I don't know.

Q Is that a recreational stop, Donnelly?

MS. PERINO: I'll see what I can find for you. I don't have it right now.

Q Does the President have any plans at all to meet with Cindy Sheehan? And what did you think about the latest, you know, thing where the crosses were destroyed along the road?

MS. PERINO: The President said in his -- last Thursday, when he spoke to you all after the defense meeting, that he sympathizes with her, he has met with her before. He said that one of the most cherished rights in America is the right to free speech and that she has a right to express her views. He does not agree with her views, but he says he respects her right to peacefully protest. But, other than that, I have nothing more to add.

Q When President Bush signed the energy bill last week he said it was going to do nothing to immediately impact gas prices. But now you've got the prices up to $3 a gallon in some places. Is there nothing that the federal government can do to help Americans who are feeling it at the pump?

MS. PERINO: You're right, the energy bill was signed a week ago, on Monday. The President has long said that this is a problem that took decades to develop, it's not going to be solved overnight. The energy bill gives us an opportunity to get at the root causes of high energy prices. The energy bill he signed last week will help us diversify supply, so we'll be able to look for more supply here in America, as well as diversify supply, which is important, as we look for alternative and renewable fuels that will provide different types of fuel, as well as cleaner burning types of fuel, which will have a better impact on the environment.

...Q Will there be any press opportunity or photo opportunity on Saturday when the President is going to bike ride with Lance Armstrong?

MS. PERINO: I'll need to get back to you in terms of the press component, if there is any. But the President does look forward to Lance Armstrong coming to the ranch. He's a great friend of the President, has been a friend of his for many years. The President has said that Lance is an incredible inspiration to people from all walks of life, that he's a true American champion. So I think they'll enjoy their visit on Saturday.

Q It will be the President and Lance Armstrong, or other people involved? How is it going to be organized?

MS. PERINO: Right now, I believe it's just the President and Lance Armstrong, but I will have to see if there's any more I can get. I have a request in.

Q Do you expect them to race or just ride leisurely together?

MS. PERINO: I don't know. I think they do a little bit of different types of riding.

Q Dana, can you tell -- I'm sorry, the overnight is Donnelly, Idaho, on Tuesday night, or Monday night?

MS. PERINO: On Monday and Tuesday night.

Q In the same place, Donnelly, Idaho. Do you know how far that is from Boise?

MS. PERINO: I don't know how far that is from Boise, but I can -- we can look at a map and try to figure it out.

Q I am, I can't find it. Okay. And Tuesday, he has no public schedule in Donnelly?

MS. PERINO: No, ma'am.

Q Well, he must be doing something. Is he fishing with the Vice President?

MS. PERINO: This is all the information I have right now, and I can see if I can get you some more.

Q Is there a vice presidential component to this trip? You don't know.

MS. PERINO: The Vice President? No, I don't believe so. I think -- no. Yes, Mark.

Oh, It must be the Huckleberry Festival that is bringing W to Donnelly!

Donnelly is located 13 miles south of McCall on HWY 55

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DONNELLY!
2002 marks Donnelly's 50th year of incorporation!

Located next to 21-mile long Cascade Reservoir between East and West Mountains, Donnelly offers great fishing for rainbow trout, coho salmon, perch, and world class deer and elk hunting. And with average summer temperatures of 75 degrees F, you'll enjoy perfect weather for a barbeque, huckleberry picking, skiing or sailing.

DON'T MISS THE HUCKLEBERRY FESTIVAL!
An annual Donnelly tradition every August!

Gotchya Larry

No doubt we are all in favor of innocence until proven guilty, but it's looking a lot like Larry's been a very bad boy.

Would you trust this real estate agent with buying or selling your home? Not me.

I wonder which way reichwingers will hail him as a hero or someone who disrespects the flag and the dead GIs the crosses represent?

Slice:

Late Monday night, a man, described as being in his late forties or early fifties, decided to run over the over crosses at Camp Casey that serve as a memorial to the soldiers who have died in the war in Iraq...

If you click on the comments section you can find Larry's address, email and other business information if you care or dare to flame him. I won't because the shame of being prosocuted shoud be enough. Here's the Truthout Video Clip of the damage - you can see some of the flags mixed in with the broken crosses.

Where's Dick? and other Intersting Questions

There were two intresting letters to the editor in the SF Chronicle this AM. These citizens raise intersting questions. Does anyone have answers?

Boarded up for summer

Editor -- I confess I'm a bit anxious these days. President Bush is spending a leisurely five-week vacation in Crawford, Texas -- clearing brush from his ranch and dodging Cindy Sheehan. God only knows where Vice President Dick Cheney is, and Karl Rove is reportedly spending the summer in his Florida home. Who's minding the store? Has the White House been boarded up for the summer?
DOROTHY SNODGRASS Berkeley

[What would happen if W's Neigbhor was Mexican?]

Editor -- What would happen if a poor Mexican or African American shot off a few rounds near the president's vacation home while a group of grieving mothers marched by ("Bush's neighbor fires shot near protesters," Aug. 15)?

Does anybody really think all that would happen is that the shooter would be given a good talking to by local police, not to mention the Secret Service or FBI? It's amazing what you can get away with if you are a well-off, white conservative male. And not just in Texas.
ADRIAN ESCOTO Hayward

When a Judge Decides Against You

It appears that those on the extreme reichwing feel like Activist Judging is all about those who make disagreable decisions [from their religiously wrapped perspective]. Fortunately, Justices are given the freedom to decide based on the law instead. Justice Sunday is a farce, no?

Slice:

As if the first Justice Sunday weren't disturbing enough, the extreme right produced an angry sequel last Sunday - another church-based rally railing against judges. It was offensive on many levels, from the inflammatory and inaccurate attacks on "activist" judges to the fact that it was held in a tax-exempt church. If the event's speakers ever got control of the legal system, the nation would be in real trouble.

Meanwhile, we add more to the "It's Worth It" Pile

Look, the numbers just keep going up, and the answers from the W, Rove and Co more perfunctory. Still, we wait for answers as to why we went into Iraq. The two camps become even more painfully obvious - A) Those who want to hold the W, Rove and Co responsible and expose the lies told to get us to support the war in the first place, and B) those who don't.

Meanwhile, we toss more limbs onto the heap of W's "It's worth it" pile of individuals sacrificing while people still buy SUVs with ratings well below 20 MPG and W clears brush from his toy ranch.

Slice:

Bobby Rosendahl, a 24-year-old Army corporal (and avid golfer) from Tacoma, Wash., was literally blown into the air last March 12 when an improvised explosive device detonated beneath his Stryker armored vehicle. He remembers landing on his back, with fuel spilling all around him and insurgents firing at him from the roof of a mosque.

Ms. Olson, during an interview in Washington, D.C., where Corporal Rosendahl is being treated at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, quietly cataloged her son's wounds:

"Both of his heels and ankles were crushed. He had a compound fracture of his femur in two places. Three-quarters of his kneecap was missing. His thigh was blown away. He had many, many open wounds, which all have closed except four right now."

She paused, sighed, then went on: "His left leg was amputated three weeks after he arrived here. He's not willing to give up his right leg. He's hoping to save it. All he wants to do is golf again. But we don't know. He's had 36 surgeries so far."

Cindy Sheehan for President

Accountablity - holding the President's feet to the fire! Sounds like a great idea, but why is it that the apologists and W, Rove and Co sympathisers find wrong where it is unduly warranted and placed? Instead of trying to use Rovian tactics to discredit an upstanding American, perhaps we should work to find out what went wrong with the current administration and force him and his cracker reichwingers out before we are in a bigger pickle than we are already in.

Slice:

This is George Bush’s accountability moment. That’s why I’m here. The mainstream media aren’t holding him accountable. Neither is Congress. So I’m not leaving Crawford until he’s held accountable. It’s ironic, given the attacks leveled at me recently, how some in the media are so quick to scrutinize -- and distort -- the words and actions of a grieving mother but not the words and actions of the president of the United States.

Civil War

I was out last evening with a bunch of the spouse's old work buddies and we got to talking about the whole situation in Iraq. One person had an interesting suggestion, "If the Iraqi's want Civil War, why should we stop them? Let's declare victory, pull out the troops and let them have at it."

Now, given that we, US Taxpayers, have sponsored a fair amount of the devastation in the country, I think we are responsible for some of the clean up. But, then again, if they want Civil War, and it seems inevitable no matter when we get out troops out of harms way, then why not get our GIs home sooner rather than later.

In another striking thought, this person said, "Yeah, it's like we are giving the terrorists lots of practice bombing the crap out of the world's best military. That can't be good since they are getting better at it, not worse." Again, another case for bringing the troops home.

Well, we had our Civil War and our Country came out stronger and better for it (unless of course you ask some folks who still fly the rebel flag). Perhaps a Civil War might be good for Iraq. Not to mention safer for our troops.

But then again, maybe the war is more than just about "spreading freedom," and the capitalistic claws of Halliburton really don't want to relinquish the dollars that come with the clean up projects and oil revenue.

I wonder, how much do the American Taxpayers shell out to protect Halliburton contractors who are doing their jobs at 10 times the expense of the GIs. If this is what "spreading freedom," looks like, I am not so sure I want any more to do with it.

Dying for a Noble Cause

What is Noble about the Iraq Conflagration?

Think you know about Cindy Sheehan, view this Truth Out Video Interview not shown on Major Media outlets.

Can you intimidate this woman? No.

As for Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity, Michelle Malkin, Matt Drudge, etc...nothing you can say can hurt me or make me stop what we are doing. We are working for peace with justice. We are using peaceful means and the truth to do it. I guess the truth frightens people. It frightens them so much, they have to resort to telling lies to rebut my arguments. They are despicable human beings and not even worth our concern.

Those critical of Sheehan and her supporters remind us that there are two camps here. As I said in a comment over at Moxie Grrrll, those two camps become painfully obvious. A) Those who want to know if they were lied to in order to get us to invade Iraq, and B) those who don't care if they were lied to at all.

If they did lie to get us there, those of us in camp A would like those who did they lying to be exposed and held accountable.

Those who don't care if they were lied to or not tend to be grand apologists for the W, Rove and Co. and in some respects have become reichwing fairies doing Rove's work over various media outlets to discredit anyone with the balls that W obvoiusly doesn't posess.

We are all, in a sense, dying to know - What is the noble cause?

P.S. Here's a nice set of paragraphs from the NYTimes today:

The news coming out of Iraq yesterday was that several more American soldiers had been killed. August's toll so far has been mind-numbing. For American troops, it's been one of the worst periods of the war. And yet there's still no sense of urgency within the Bush administration.

The president is on vacation. He's down at the ranch riding his bicycle and clearing brush. The death toll for Americans has streaked past the 1,800 mark. The Iraqi dead are counted by the tens of thousands. But if Mr. Bush has experienced any regret about the carnage he set in motion when he launched the war, he's not showing it.

Writing about Vietnam in the foreword to David Halberstam's book "The Best and the Brightest," Senator John McCain said:

"It was a shameful thing to ask men to suffer and die, to persevere through god-awful afflictions and heartache, to endure the dehumanizing experiences that are unavoidable in combat, for a cause that the country wouldn't support over time and that our leaders so wrongly believed could be achieved at a smaller cost than our enemy was prepared to make us pay."

"Pull Out Now" Sounds Suspiciously like the Rhythm Method

If we were properly styled up prophylactically, and done our homework rather than fix facts to justify a war we didn't want or need, we wouldn't need to use the tried and true rhythm method to prevent nasty situations. Unfortunately, the rhythm method is bad practice for prevention of all kinds of dangerous predicaments.

Correct me if I am wrong, but I think Cindy Sheehan's position is larger and more broad than simply, we need to "pull out now." His ears are there, but he is not hearing.

Slice:
"I also have heard the voices of those saying: 'Pull out now!' " he said. "And I've thought about their cry and their sincere desire to reduce the loss of life by pulling our troops out. I just strongly disagree."

Finished - Subtitle: I Sure Wish Our President Read

Well, it took me a lot less time (as opposed to Moby Dick) to finish "The Secret Life of Bees," by Sue Monk Kidd. Here are some of the final quotes that resonated for me. Enjoy, and let us know what you think in the comments:

From Page 167:

The sting shot pain all the way to my elbow, causing me to marvel at how much punishment a minuscule creature can inflict.

From Page 178:

The man holding the shovel handle walked right up to the truck bumper and stared at the boys with that same half smile, half sneer I had seen on T. Ray's face a thousand times, the sort of look conjured from power without benefit of love...

From Page 277:

People, in general, would rather die than forgive. It's that hard. If God said in plain language, "I'm giving you a choice, forgive or die," a lot of people would go ahead and order their coffin.

From Page 278:

I wished she'd been smart enough, or loving enough, to realize everbody has burdens that crush them, only they don't give up their children.

From Page 279:

It is the peculiar nature of the world to go on spinning no matter what sort of heartbreak is happening.

From Page 286:

May caught her killing a roach with a flyswatter. She said, "Deborah Fontanel, every living creature on the earth is special. You want to be the one that puts an end to one of them?" Then she showed her how to make a trail of marshmallows and graham crackers.

I don't know about you, but this last one makes me sure wish that our president bothered to read. All these quotes bend around our current situation like a double edged, serrated blade.

Toss Another Four Onto the "It's Worth It" Heap.

Is anyone else out there as frustrated about the daily tally inching up to 2K KIA? One question I would ask W, Rove and Co should I have the audiance would be: At which number of dead and wounded American GIs does the whole Iraq conflagration become no longer worth it?

Cindy Sheehan has a good point, no matter her words over a year ago. And the volume increases as the days march on.

Nagasaki Gets Short Shrift

Our bombs laid on Japan 60 years ago seem to be the WMD that keep on D-ing. With Hiroshima being first, Nagasaki tends to get short shrift in the recognition and remembarences categories. I have actually walked the hills of Nagasaki and thought it to be a very beautiful city. I have seen the twisted metal, bent shrine, and Peace Park with my own eyes. Unlike visiting Auschwitz, which feels like a mausoleum without any speck of warmth, Nagasaki has been rebuilt and thrives teeming with life.

Indeed, we might do well to also remember the long term affect of our leaders' aspirations and actions:

Fumie Sakamoto, a junior high school student home for lunch when the bomb struck Nagasaki, spoke to the crowd with resolve and anger. "The world around me was lost in a cloud of dust," she said, and she ran for shelter in the forest. "

People, clothes ripped and torn, with gaping chest wounds, whose hearts were exposed and could still be seen twitching; people burned so badly one could not tell front from back," she said. "The wood was full of such people."

Sakamoto, dressed in a deep purple kimono, her eyes and voice sharp and clear, said doctors had told her she was bound for death and not worth treating. She somehow survived over a "long and painful road."

"Yet war still persists on this Earth and, far from abolishing nuclear arms, I have heard there are even plans to develop nuclear weapons with new capabilities," she said. "We have devoted our lives to demanding that there never be A-bomb victims again, but why are our voices not heard?"

Nagasaki Mayor Iccho Itoh chastised the United States for continued nuclear proliferation and Japan for taking cover in America's nuclear fold. "The nuclear weapons states, the United States of America in particular, have ignored their international commitments and have made no change in their unyielding stance on nuclear deterrence," Itoh said. "We strongly resent the trampling of the hopes of the world's people."

Now, it Really is a Band Wagon

With Sir Mic Jagger getting in on the fun, we know that trashing the W, Rove and Co is really become the rage. I love the lyric from the Rolling Stones' forthcoming album slated for release in September:

"You call yourself a Christian, I call you a hypocrite
You call yourself a patriot. Well, I think your are full of shit!
... How come you're so wrong, my sweet neo-con."

No doubt the same folks who were trashing Springsteen and the like when they came out before the election against the W, Rove and Co will be all over the Stones for this one. But for me, I say Rock on Brothers, Rock On.

It's time for righteous republicans to take back their party from the people mucking it up for us all. To quote Dylan:

Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway
Don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
There's a battle outside
And it is ragin'.
It'll soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin'.

Meanwhile, the Terrorists have the latest and greatest technology deployed: - Sub Title: the Terrorist Wack-a-Mole

This is disturbing (view the video). Can we just track down how the various computer and handicam retailers are able to get the latest technology to various terrorists? Ha, if only it were that easy.

It seems like the whole war against terror is only working to generate more, sophistocated terrorists not unlike the wack-a-mole game at your county fair. Hit one down and several more pop up, as big, bold and badder than the last one you killed.

Slice:

On June 29, the new release hit the Internet. "All Religion Will Be for Allah" is 46 minutes of live-action war in Iraq, a slickly produced video with professional-quality graphics and the feel of a blood-and-guts annual report. In one chilling scene, the video cuts to a brigade of smiling young men. They are the only fighters shown unmasked, and the video explains why: They are a corps of suicide bombers-in-training