Every Time it Rains, it Rains Ducats from Hevin.

Just as Simon Ostrovsky, the late lamented Ukrainian freedumb pundit, once remarked at seeing a gang of Chetniks manning a roadblock in Crimea, "You can't make this stuff up." That wasn't half so weird as what's all over America's mediawaves to-day.

                                                              The Wizard of Aws  


 The US Security Agencies in their 'omnibus' report on the state of cyber-America apparently inserted a 35 page report on what they consider 'the smoky gun' that Vlad Putin might be pointing at President  Don's orange dome: Sex and preversion "on tape" and ready to hit Porn Hamster.

                                                Donald doing a Beauty Contest Deal


The story is that Trump was in Russia in 2013, doing a beauty contest deal, when he heard that the Obamas had recently stayed in the same hotel in Moscow. He asked for and was accommodated in the 'presidential suite'. At some point he started to think that 'defiling' the bed in which the Presidential couple had slept, was a real good idea.   And so, for that express purpose, he is reputed to have hired three Moscow 'demimondaines' who were to 'pee' on the bed - one of those hotelroom 'ho-horrors' they tell us all about - while he watched.  Apparently there were happy endings all round. The girls never complained about being stiffed on the tab,  or sold their stories about a special 'wet-job' for somebody who looked like a well-tailored Ronald MacDonald.   (He wouldn't have mentioned why they were taking a leak on that bed, would he?  He's so secretive and all.)  For whatever reason they've kept professionally mum.   According to the saga, Don got off and the bed got wet.

                                This gal peed her pants on a bed. Imagine three high-class hos
                                        - nekkid and not having accidents or sun glasses.

No doubt the English 'James Bond - secret agent'  who gathered this intel  (and is in hiding in danger of a Cheka hit squad - now that he's been 'outed'.  (Didn't Snowden do that crap - endangering people etc))   found out about that.  He also found out that Trump was, apparently, unaware that Russian intelligence had his room number and recorded the proceedings  - in case he should ever wind-up needing to 'do Russia a solid'.  Now he is, potentially, in that 'happy place'.  So he needs to know, eh?  Apparently, so does America.


Makes one wonder that,  if  the Russians thought Trump defiling a bed was worth recording, why didn't the have dolby and HD recording the President and Mrs O 'sanctifying' it?  Or not.   Either might have been informative intel.

             

                                                                Sanctifyin' a bed.


But, come on, 'Trump's golden shower' isn't news  - balling a golden retriever  maybe, only if it was male and he had a Mexican midget remove its teeth with a monkey wrench first.  Americans would watch Trump once -  have a laff and go get another frosty while something 'stimulating' loaded-up. Like how many people ever saw Hulk Hogan winning his million dollar defamation suit?  Or Gene Simmons ( I'm true to Shannon in my heart, folks. Believe me.) chewing gum and wearing his cowboy boots in action with a hyper-inflated nymphette?  And those two were really famous. 

Whether this report was a part of the one Trump said he would 'take under advisement' last Friday, or a second, separate, highly-sensitive one, exposed only to the two Presidents by  the NS chief Clapper - and reminiscent of a J. Edgar Hoover visit to the WH -  it somehow 'leaked out' to a rag site called 'BuzzFeed' -  probably a subsidiary of 'Crowd Strike' -  the other 'corporate player' involved.

                                                      One of the BIG 3? Buzzfeed? No!

Clapper is 'regretting' the leak. So either Donald did it on himself for the publicity, or Obama did it.

Obama's probably too shocked for comment,  by the revelation that anybody would pee on, or have ho's in,  a 'presidential bed'  - being as they're all 'iconic' at any number of American hostelries.

                                                               The Cast of 'Capers'

I wonder if US national security ever looked into the as-yet-unfounded, and no-longer-important,  allegations that some of the 12 flights he took on Jeffery Epstein's  'fun airlines' , or the visits he made to the convicted pedophile's 'fantasy island', might not actually have involved Willie Jeff Clinton - besporting himself with the multimillionaire's  underaged 'handmaidens'?  Epstein was convicted, in a real case, on the real  evidence of a then 13-year-old, who also claimed to have been 'serviced' by a number of 'his elite friends'. That story stopped - as if by magick .....  or voodoo - something else with which Putin's 'lies' smeared the Clintons. 

America is a soul sick land. Perhaps a nuclear holocaust is just what is needed. God said the 'next time' wouldn't be a flood  - or a wetting of the bed.

What's Mitt Having? Gimme the Same!

The US  quadrennial presidential circus is in full swing. And the head bozo seems to be 'open-mouth insert leg' Mitt Romney. It seems that barely a speaking opportunity passes when Romney says something inane, or insulting, and being the 'guy' he is -  qualifies what he said while backing-it-up.

To-day he claimed that the 47 percent of Americans whom he thinks will be voting for Obama, are all "victims" (in their own minds) and dependent on 'entitlements' from the state.  They are, by the way, the Americans who 'don't pay taxes'. That would, I imagine, leave Obama  running an administration that represents the 'have-nots'. You wouldn't a thunk that looking at the 'record'. Which brings up Mitt's real complaint - that Obama has run an administration that dealt with the 'problems' of everybody but the have-nots - but not as well as a true believer. He has cut entitlements like a  trooper. He has maintained Bushco's entitlements for the wealthy, like Romney - who apparently does pay some taxes  but at a rate that would make 'Joe Sixpack" envious and the welfare cases could only dream about. The only thing that Obama has done for that 'have not' constituency that 'unfairly' elected him, is unfairly lumbered them with a 'private enterprise solution  to health insurance'. Them as hasn't, still don't get.

All Obama has to do on domestic issues is encourage Mitt to keep on yapping, and say as little as possible in return. Barring a panty raid at Brigham Young U, he could win.

Walking softly and carrying a cudgel should work for Obama in international relations as well. Romney seems fairly committed to a world view that's made in Israel. When it comes to the middle east he acts like the temple Elders docked his tallywhacker when the 'Mormonized' him. He'd look good sitting on Netanyahu's lap -  woodenhead and the Mitt off the old block. To-day he declared that the palestinians aren't "interested in peace" and that Obama had 'thrown Israel under the bus' when he declared he was for the UN's pre-1967 borders for a Palestinian state. That bus belongs to Egged and it's bringing settlers to those pre-1967 areas that  Netanyahu & Co. have no intention of 'giving back' in return for peace. If  Israel gets hit by that bus, it's because they've decided to lie down in the road and wait for it.

Mitt Romney appears to be one of the most stupid candidates to come down the pike since VP Dan Quayle, only this time they'd like another idiot, like Bushco,  in the Oval Office. At least he had a personality. It's too bad that stupidity in a politician isn't considered to be a handicap. Maybe they'd like some of ours, in Canada we're blessed with an abundance of them.

Putting the whammi on Muammi Ghaddafi

Watching one of those 'town hall' meetings so much in vogue of late, on the topic of the current regime change underway in Libya. There were a host of experts and pundits available to discuss NATO's 'responsibility', acquired via the UN from the latest US doctrine - the 'obligation to protect' and how that is being applied in Libya. The 'rebel' side was represented by a number of expatriot Libyans.

The overall impression however, despite a wide ranging and comprehensive exchange of diplomatic, military, and civilian views, is that, somehow, a significant number of Libyans seem to be being left out of the discussion. And that is strange. For Libya, the last time I looked, hadn't declared war on anybody, and aside, from a UN resolution, had anyone declared war on it. There should be a number of Libyan voices still representative of the 'ancien regime' who could  offer an apologia, if not a perspective, for it. They may not be 'enemy aliens', but there is no way their narrative is being introduced into the debate, not in any free and open democratic forum.

So it seems that Ghaddafi, supported by two, (now only one), sons and the elite military units they command, are not only holding-off the rest of the country under the latest and best air bombardment NATO can offer, they actually seem to be able to put a regular 'run' on the 'rebel' forces and maintain another couple of seiges. They seem to be in control of, or able to deny control to, the country's oil resources. Ghaffi et fils seem to be in control of the western half of the country, and able to dispute the central coast, the southern areas seem to be theirs, too. What puts them in some jeopardy is the source of arms and supplies for the rebel forces, in the absence of such re-supply for his own. His ability to wage a conventional war seems to have been heavily-attritted but the notion that he might have access to some sophisticated weapons, particularly anti-aircraft weapons, is keeping the Coalition Airforce at altitude where they might not be as effective as wished. That notion might also be holding up the committment of ground forces..

As I pick this screed up (some 5 weeks later)  little has changed, except  now that NATO has managed to clear out at least some old stock from the bomb lockers, and Ghaddafi has become a personal 'high-value target',again,  the leader of the free world wants permission from Congress - of the USA (not the world) - to 'go kinetic'  by introducing an armed force into Libya. It's really suprising that the 'sober' voices (the silent ones) of the UN aren't saying 'enough already' and calling for a truce and talks. If only in New York - for the Security Council seems to be wagging the UN dog, and not doing it the least bit well at it.

So far the US seems to be taking some delight in pounding Ghaddafi's "compound" to rubble and using the general explanation (he brought them to a firefight?) to excuse their blasting a couple of his grandchildren and one of his sons. You'd think a country affected by one, singular, earth-shaking catastrophe might have some reluctance about visiting the same, in spades, on somebody else, particularly somebody else who did nothing to harm them. But, hey, if you had to hit back your 'pals' ..... it's always easier to punish an 'enemy'.

The testosterone is flowing in the US ... all the Bin Laden 'high fives'  have sprouted a 'bush' full of  'macho'  and John Wayne 'say-sos'. All except when it comes to gallant little Israel, though. Mr Meshuggeneh can come to America and address Congress, call the President a 'naif' and ridicule his Weltanschaung in the press. He can say that there's no way he's even going to consider what Obama, or the UN says, in his'existential' defence of Eretz Israel. Maybe if Israel wasn't America's 'only, real' friend. But then, who would want those high tech weapons - or be willing to use them - just look at what they do with the money they don't have to spend arming themselves, they've turned that desert into a garden, fer pete's sake. Or maybe that's the money they've screwed out of Gaza and the West Bank..

Another little north African 'adventure' may be just the ticket the US armed forces need to get their morale problem in order. A swift little desert war - putting the Abrams and the armored fist to work like Rommel did. And not a Monty, or even an O'Connor in sight - should be a 'cake walk', and an opportunity to show up the 'luftweapon' who figured they could bomb Muammar out of office.

But it better not take more than 2 weeks.

PS: There's no chance this is a Bin Laden post mortem trick, eh? Replacing 'the revolution' with Al Qaeda?  Nah, probably not.

Who Tried to Hustle the East?

Afghanistan is much in the news as the day of decision nears. President Obama will decide in the next couple of days whether the US will pursue Gen. McCrystal's 'all-new' strategy of defending the cities of Afghanistan. The decision is ultimately about how many more troops will be required to, hopefully, light the light at the end of the tunnel. Obama has already committed 17 000, which, if they're there yet, haven't shown much progress at all, and the General is calling for up to 80 000 more.

Remember the Taliban forces arrayed against them have been estimated at no more than 7 000 and many of them are classed as the $75 part-timers. So when the close to 70 000 US troops on site are matched with NATO's 30 000 and adding in the again estimated 100 000 'contractees' the Taliban should have given up - even if they don't know figurin'. For it's not just the boots, there is the whole panalopy of modern war from AFV's to artillery, Navy Seals and Special Forces, riverine units and massive air power arrayed, and well-used, against them. And that's not counting the 250 000 in Afghan police and army units who are, apparently, as much use as tits on a bull. Despite the lobsided opposition, the Taliban seem to be waxing when by every standard in God's great scheme, they shouldn't be there at all.

And there's the rub. They weren't there at all after Operation Enduring Freedom chased them into Pakistan. But US mismanagement in the form of some 'payback' for 9/11 by citizen soldiers who had no idea what they were doing, aroused the Afghan populace and 'hey presto' the shootin' war was back, but nothing like the one that SF and a handful of Afghan militias won the first time. This time it wasn't the Taliban government, it was the Afghan people. And so this notion of 'killing the bad guys', with all the mean spiritedness and ignorance that went with it, has made all of Afghanistan, even the Northern War Lords' territory, places where no white man is safe. Kid oneself not, the Americans didn't "ignore Afghanistan to go after Iraq", they actually increased the forces in Afghanistan in an effort to 'wipe 'em out'. No, the US military bungled a really good chance to move forward by insisting on doing what they do best .. shooting.

And now the military are back again, blaming the Taliban for their lack of success. And they're saying that the war will be 'lost' if they don't get more resources. And so what if it is a loss? Well there's NATO to think of. NATO that got us through the dark days of WW2 and the gray days of the Cold War. Now looking like some bloated  Mickey D's addict - NATO, which includes virtually every nation in Europe, has decided its work is no longer the North Atlantic, is job is in central Asia. The white man's burden is now to civilize the Asiatic .... again. And this will be as successful as it always has been.

Americans make the noise that they're 'being really careful' to avoid the mistakes the Russians made, the biggest being 'going it alone'. If memory serves didn't President Bush tell the world that, if the world wouldn't fight terror, America would "go it alone"? And didn't he also mention 'with us or against us' as a choice? But that's horsepellets anyway for, if there is a country that should have been able to subdue the Afghans, it is Russia. Everything, except the 'stingers', were pointing its way and even the Afghan allies it had were willing to fight. But Russian militarists 'goofed' just like their US counterparts are 'goofing' now. The US has a myth about its 'stingers', but those Afghans would have beaten the Russians even if they had been on their own, it just would have taken longer. Just like now - they're fighting, and lousing up NATO and no one is helping them.

Kipling had a point when he wrote:

"It is not wise for the Christian white
To hustle the Asian brown;
For the Christian riles
And the Asian smiles
And weareth the Christian down.
At the end of the fight
Lies a tombstone white
With the name of the late deceased;
And the epitaph drear,
A fool lies here,
Who tried to hustle the East."

Speaking of those tombstones white, Canada had two more soldiers killed this week. The Canadian CO, Brigadier Jon Vance had some kind words to say about them. He said of the most recent a young Sapper called Marshall, "He had an incredible sense of humour and a contagious grin that never left his face, even during the most difficult moments. He would embrace any situation and always found and shared that silver lining with his mates."

Considering the soldier had been in Afghanistan for a week, I wonder how the Brigadier could know a sapper that well. It's not like they golfed together. But then the Brigadier paints all his boys as grinning innocents, just over there to 'make a difference'.  I don't know about you, but I think a guy with a gun is inclined to make limited varieties of difference, and most of those negative.

The BG continued, "A stable environment is the best defence against insurgents, because they have no way to counter the positive effects that soldiers like Steven bring to bear. ... [H]is death will also sadden the Afghan community where he worked to bring them a better life."

Well they do have some negative ways to counter all that positivity, and for some reason they're willing to use them on guys who are 'only there to help'. Why? They hate our freedoms? They want to abuse their women and don't like children? They're scumbags? Maybe it's because, as a Southern Rebel in America's Civil War told his northern captor when asked why he was fighting, "It's cuzzen you'all down hyah."

Maybe Sapper Marshall and his mates are dead because they were 'over there' and the Afghans didn't appreciate all the help. I would be surprised if the Afghan community were saddened by his parting, he'd only been there a week - hardly enough time to make any difference to their life - for better or worse. Maybe he's dead because somebody thought it was time, again, to hustle the east.

The US is taking casualties at the rate of 1000 per month in Afghanistan, they're dying in handfuls now instead of ones and twos. And winter's coming on. Traditionally that's a time when the Afghans would hunker down and stop fighting. Last winter, for the first time in recent history, they didn't. It remains to be seen if they will take a break this winter. Afghan winters are nasty and NATO troops are hard pressed to operate in the winter mountains. My bet is that the Taliban will be destabilizing, trying to make sure NATO is off-balance again come spring. That's when Mr. Obama's troop reinforcements, if he chooses to send them, would really go into effect.

I hope he's not of a mind to go hustling too.

Whoo Hoos Still Steering the Ship

When the late President responded to his opposition's calls for a voice in deliberations, he wasn't shy about reminding them who 'won the election'. The new guy must have missed that part. For in addition to having a majority in both houses, and having won that last election, he's bending over backwards to be fair to the opposition. So far backwards, however, that he's allowing the 'loonie toons' and 'patriots' who backed Bushco's new American century to screw him out of what little chance for good the rest of the century holds.

Add to that he has a few 'whackos' on the democratic side to deal with, as well. Like the guy who thought it was a good idea to try selling Chicago at the IOC meeting in Copenhagen last week. Sending Michelle, along with Chicago's mayor was all right, but to try the President in a 10 minute sales pitch to cinch a deal with an organization that doesn't like anybody was not a good idea. Consequently President Obama comes home with a 'black eye' rather than a 'feather in his cap' to those Americans who value eyes and feathers - and there are a lot of them. Ollie North - the hero of Nicaragua- was first off the mark accusing Obama of  'fiddling' after 'Olympic Gold' while Americans died in Afghanistan. Of second guessing 'the commander with a plan-der' to win in the Panshirs. As if any plan for Afghanistan could pay-off as well as Ollie's arming the Contras by supplying Iran's weapons needs. Ollie should know about successful plans.

If there is one thing that there have been lots of coming out of Afghanistan it's 'plans' - to date, all unsuccessful. Correct that, successfully, but not yet victoriously. Correct that, if things don't change it won't be a win. I hope General McChrystal's 'plan' would include a novena or six, for prayer seems to be as good as another division at accomplishing anything positive over there. Just for starters though, Obama should 'do a Georgie' - do a 'name that tune' sort of thing - find a general who could do the plan with less troops - just like the Petraeus 'Surge'. (Who can do that plan with less troops? I'll do that plan with a platoon, sir!' Good. You're promoted!) It should be easy, for it's all just media relations exercise anyway, there aren't that many Taliban in Afghanistan left to kill.

If the war in Afghanistan is being lost, it's being lost. Not because the Taliban are winning, or are any better than before, just that the job being done there is worse. The 'mission' is ill-defined and more scattered than ever, the goals aren't measurable. Ground taken is given up or poorly-controlled and now that's happening all over the country not just in 'injun territory'. Explosives and air-power are still being applied massively - in comparison to Iraq. The civil authorities border on barbaric, and the soldiery - many into a third or fourth rotation are beginning to realize that little is being accomplished for all their hard work and sacrifice. The Afghans don't like them, or want them. The only Afghans really "afraid" of the Taliban are living in Kabul and are looking for a way out when the balloon goes up.

Add to that a stated 'new' tactic of 'saving the people' (hearts and minds anyone?). When added to the common tactic of 'killing the militant' and a general soldiery which can't tell the difference between the two, this new strategy is doomed to failure.

In Canada there is a growing fear that our government is planning to extend the Canadian 'mission' beyond the 2011 cut-off. The Minister of Defense was flying that balloon in the press last week. He should consider that, if America wasn't there, would Canada be supporting the other NATO allies in a war? I'd doubt it. If America withdrew tomorrow, would Canadian troops maintain the noble course they've charted for that 'long run' he was talking about? What do you think?

In the news was the recently completed case of a young soldier who shot his tentmate while playing a game of quick-draw. Aside from the dead soldier's family, everybody else seemed to consider the sentence - dishonorable discharge and 4 years in a military slammer -  a little harsh for some horseplay in a war zone.

The defense, we're finding out, presented evidence that such gunplay wasn't all that uncommon among the troopers. Evidence had been introduced of troopers in training holding pistols to each others' heads for fun. This, as far as I'm concerned, is up there with paying to heal wounded warriors who might have been hurt in similar antics. Or like paying a pension to Clem Matchee for trying to hang himself. It's reminiscent of the hazing and horseplay that caused the Airborne Regiment to be dissolved. Soldiers have a nasty streak of the 'little boy' in them, it's that willingness to take a chance that makes them heroes, or war criminals. Discipline and military law are supposed to minimize this, but what happens when the NCOs and officers are 'Peter Panning' too? You get organized chaos. Like in Somalia, and in Afghanistan.

The groundswell of patriots -"If you're not behind our Forces, you should be in front of them"- dopes who take American jingoism and drape it with maple leaves, like we invented that crap - will be turning apoplectic about this 'treachery'. Forgetting for a minute that their sires and grandsires, mine included, along with thousands of others, spent 5 years stopping Germans and Japanese who had the same bullshit mindset. I don't think one of those real 'vets', in his heyday, would have put up with what passes for patriotism, or even 'democracy', today. Their honour has been suborned by the fascists.

And so the tail continues to wag the dog.