Gotta run home and rest up for the big Walk in the morning. But first:
- Coalition Picks Maliki in Move That May End Iraq Stalemate (NYT) — Unfortunately, the coalition in question is anti-American.
- Microsoft Sues Motorola Over Android (WSJ) — All this PDA stuff interests me. If it doesn’t you, you don’t have to read it.
- Group presses Haley on finances (The State) — But I already wrote about that today…
- Nigeria independence celebrations marred by blasts (BBC) — Bet you didn’t even know it was Independence Day.
- A Single Sale Worth $4.1 Billion Led to the ‘Flash Crash’ (NYT) — In case you’re wondering what happened May 6.
- ‘Social Network’: Password Is Perfection (WSJ) — If you’re looking for a good movie for the weekend, the critics love this one. Here’s what Roger Ebert had to say about what he called “the film of the year — so far.”
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So let’s see if I understand all this. In 2002 the president made the case that American security was threatened by a rogue anti-American strongman who was actively pursuing weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear bombs. After 6+ years of fighting in a country that never had any such weapons we are responsible for the deaths of up to 1 million Iraqis, the expenditure of a trillion dollars in treasure, the death of 4300 American servicemen plus hundreds of contractors and other civilians. Thousands more are maimed for life. This high and mounting cost has resulted in a coalition that is partly anti-American. I’m speechless.
very good…too cool
Well what would one expect? A ticker parade? Oh wait–the Iraqi economy isn’t there yet.
Here are the facts about Iraq. From Truthout:
“Here are the facts: Iraq’s child mortality rate has increased by 150 percent since 1990, when UN sanctions were first imposed. By 2008, only 50 percent of primary-school-age children were attending class, down from 80 percent in 2005, and approximately 1,500 children were known to be held in detention facilities. In 2007, there were 5 million Iraqi orphans, according to official government statistics. More than 2 million Iraqis are refugees and almost 3 million are internally displaced. Seventy percent of Iraqis do not have access to potable water. Unemployment is as high as 50 percent officially, 70 percent unofficially. Forty-three percent of Iraqis live in abject poverty. Eight million Iraqis require immediate emergency aid. Four million people lack food and are in dire need of humanitarian assistance. Eighty percent of Iraqis do not have access to effective sanitation. Religious minorities are on the verge of extinction. ”
These figures may not be epic in comparison to WW II, but to the Iraq people the situation is pretty damn epic.