USA Today: Has Iraq War Made U.S. Safer? That's Questionable

Here's why. Standing in front of a political backdrop - "Protecting America" - to underscore his message, Bush made a three-point argument Monday for how the Iraq war had made Americans safer. First, a tyrant had been removed. Second, U.S. efforts to foster democracy were transforming Iraq into "an example" for the region. And third, Iraqi and U.S. forces were fighting terrorists.

Here's the link.

I won't dispute point #1. Yes, we did remove a tyrant. But that begs the question...What did we replace said tyrant with?

Point #2 is a joke, particularly with all the law-free zones in Iraqi prisons and in light of Iraqi prime ministers who execute insurgents personally with a handgun. An example for the region? That's not the kind of example I'd want to set.

As for point #3, do we have to go over this nonsense about the connection between Iraq and 9/11? There is none. We're fighting terrorists, but they're largely terrorists of our own creation. When you overthrow a dictatorial regime in the Middle East, there are bound to be uprisings and insurgencies that use terrorist tactics to achieve their goals. Think 15-year-old boys would strap on bomb belts and blow up U.S. checkpoints if we hadn't invaded in the first place? I doubt it.

Another Law-Free Zone In Iraq

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that new Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Alawi executed six Iraqi suspected insurgents by himself, with his own pistol. No trial, no due process, no nothing. Four Americans from Alawi's private security detail watched the whole thing "in stunned silence."

What did we bother helping the Iraqis set up a new government for if their new chief executive is going to walk around personally blowing away detainees? Do we still think Iraq is better off than it was during the Saddam Hussein years?

Via Eschaton.

Two Funny Political Flash Movies

Tom Ridge, Minister of Fear

Two funny Flash movies I saw on Kos this morning...

Here's Minister of Fear, a funny take on Tom Ridge and his damned color-coding.

And then there's This Land, a hysterical parody and probably one of the funniest Flash movies I've seen in a while.

MPAA "Study" A Load of Crap

Terry Heaton stopped by my blog the other day and left me a nice comment, so I decided to check out his blog. He's got a nice post up about The Register's investigation of the numbers behind a much-publicized study that claimed one in four Internet users had downloaded a movie. Turns out the statement is quite simply a load of crap. No doubt we're going to see the MPAA whining nearly as loudly as the RIAA about the theft of copyrighted material.