Molly Ivins: Bordering on lunacy

Tuesday, May 16, 2006

AUSTIN, Texas (Creators Syndicate) -- I hate to raise such an ugly possibility, but have you considered lunacy as an explanation? Craziness would make a certain amount of sense. I mean, you announce you are going to militarize the Mexican border, but you assure the president of Mexico you are not militarizing the border. You announce you are sending the National Guard, but then you assure everyone it's not very many soldiers and just for a little while.

Militarizing the border is a totally terrible idea. Do we have a State Department? Are they sentient? How much do you want to infuriate Mexico when it's sitting on quite a bit of oil? Bush knows what the most likely outcome of this move will be. He was governor during the political firestorm that ensued when a Marine taking part in anti-drug patrols on the border shot and killed Esequiel Hernandez, an innocent goat-herder from Redford, Texas. That's the definition of crazy -- repeatedly doing the same thing and expecting a different result.

I suppose politics could explain it, too. It's quite possible that lunacy and politics are closely related. It's still damned hard cheese for the Guard, though. The Guard is heavily deployed in Iraq, currently 20 percent of those serving, down from 40 percent last year. Some soldiers are sent back for multiple tours. Lt. Gen. James Helmly, head of the Army Reserve, said the Reserve is rapidly degenerating into "a broken force" and is "in grave danger of being unable to meet other operational requirements." Happy hurricane season to you, too. The Guard is also short on equipment and falling short on recruiting goals.


Speaking of lunacy, the saddest report from Iraq is that American soldiers showing signs of psychological distress and depression are being kept on active duty, increasing the risk of suicide. The Hartford Courant reports that even soldiers who have already been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress syndrome are kept on duty. This has led to an increase in the suicide rate -- 22 soldiers in 2005. And as I have reported before, the military is unprepared to deal with the flood of head cases coming back from Iraq. How many ways can we mistreat our own soldiers, while the right makes this elaborate show of devotion to "the troops"?

full article: http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/05/16/ivins.border/index.html


my 2 cents: Bush is in trouble. Take cover.

Maybe his plan is to invade and conquer Mexico? That'd settle the illegal question pretty fast.

They all seem a trifle unhinged.

then about the illegals crossing the border. One of Molly's themes was that the rest of the US will look like Texas if Bush is elected president & she is right about that so far. More pollution, more illegal immigrants, poor performing schools, sicker kids, idiots in charge, etc

"The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada"... Not 100% but I'm pretty sure. Can anybody confirm ?

MZr7

BTW: If you have not seen the movie.. you should if you are curious "how things really are" in deep south west texas.

He was a US citizen and Texas shephard who was herding goats with a .22 when gunned down by US Marines on an anti-drug patrol.

That incident put the fear of God in the military; they really don't want to be involved in this kind of shit.

Hence the movie. I also remember that event and having spent a lot of time in that neck of the woods I know what a rep it gave la migra.... I can only hope these boys coming down here are on the back lines doing support. Lord help them if they have to interact with the local culture (oh wait... we did that already in Iraq where it was so successful) :sarcasm:

My Bad.

MZr7

"Meanwhile, further proof that the entire party is cuckoo comes to us with the passage of another $70 billion tax cut for the rich. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities says the average middle-income household will get a $20 tax cut, while those making more than $1 million a year will get nearly $42,000."

This is ALL the Democrtats need for Campaign 2006.
If they highlight the above outrage at EVERY opportunuty, they will sweep in 2006.

The Democratic Party is a BIG TENT, but there is NO ROOM for those
who advance the agenda of THE RICH (Corporate Owners) at the EXPENSE of LABOR and the POOR.

Jesus H Christ!!!!

Thank God For Molly Ivins and Helen Thomas!!!
Now if the rest of the fricking MSM would just wake up and realize how insane all of this is...oh yeah, another tax cut for the rich, that will really help our multi trillion dollar deficit!...:argh:

But, he may be waaaaaayyyyyyy over on the other side of that border.

LoL

Barbara Jordon, bless her soul, and Molly Ivans are proof that good can come out of Texas.

involved....

Especially when the dude sez he talks to God.

"God told me to run for President"

This is spooky stuff....

Only one person can be president. And even the president is just a limited power. So they stir up the whole mess. They wreck American law and economy. And they do the same to places all over the world. Now everyone is set back a century. And in the meantime, they've slowed the flow of oil to the point where they're making money (edit- WILD money) in THEIR oil companies. These guys are the rulers of the planet now.


My suggestion is, we take their oil companies from them. They'd be neutered.