or Powell's or me• • •
"Mike and Jon, Jon and Mike—I've known them both for years, and, clearly, one of them is very funny. As for the other: truly one of the great hangers-on of our time."—Steve Bodow, head writer, The Daily Show
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"Who can really judge what's funny? If humor is a subjective medium, then can there be something that is really and truly hilarious? Me. This book."—Daniel Handler, author, Adverbs, and personal representative of Lemony Snicket
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"The good news: I thought Our Kampf was consistently hilarious. The bad news: I’m the guy who wrote Monkeybone."—Sam Hamm, screenwriter, Batman, Batman Returns, and Homecoming
January 01, 2009
More Fine Journamalism From America's Finest Journamalists
Today in the New York Times:
Israel’s stated goal for its military operation is to halt the rocket fire from Gaza and to create a new security equation in southern Israel, where three civilians and a soldier have been killed in rocket attacks in the last six days.It has not declared its intention of toppling Hamas...
Tuesday in Slate, which is owned by the Washington Post:
Asked if Israel was out to topple Gaza's Hamas rulers, [Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni] said, "Not now." If reinstating the status quo ante is the test of proportionality, then Israel passes with flying colors. All it wants to do—as Prime Minister Ehud Olmert explained—is "to improve the security reality of southern residents in a thorough manner." A modest goal...Olmert never promised Israelis that he would dismantle Hamas' rule in Gaza.
The Times of London, quoting something said on Monday—ie, well before either of the above articles were published:
"The goal of the operation is to topple Hamas," Haim Ramon, the deputy to Ehud Olmert, the Prime Minister, said.It was the first time since it launched its blistering offensive that Israel has openly stated that regime change is its ultimate goal. "We will stop firing immediately if someone takes the responsibility of this government, anyone but Hamas," Mr Ramon said.
—Jonathan Schwarz
Posted at January 1, 2009 10:46 AMBreaking my resolution (sort of) on New Year's Day, here goes:
1. Israel wants regime change in Gaza. Let 'em have it.
2 Iran wants regime change in Israel. Let's make it happen.
3. America is getting regime change in 19 days.
Everybody is happy: Israel, Iran, America. Hamas maybe not, but happiness here on earth is not one of their aims anyhow.
I agree with one and two, but three is a fantasy. America is NOT getting regime change, best we can hope for is a more effective government that looks after the people here in this country better.... for a while.
happy new year - same as the old year.....
Posted by: Susan at January 1, 2009 01:00 PMWE ELECT our leaders (moron or not) and get to keep them. Israel ELECTS their leaders (homicidal or not) and gets to keep them. Why not JUST recognize Hamas and cut a deal. Israel has to cut a deal with Hamas for a cease fire as it is. 60 years of ATTEMPTED genocide on the part of BOTH parties and neither one has done as well as an afternoon in Rwanda. Perhaps one or the other should elect a HUTU for a leader.
Posted by: Mike Meyer at January 1, 2009 01:12 PMTo add to SteveB's point: I'll never understand how an administration that was the political beneficiaries of 9/11, and understood themselves as such, thought that the Iranian people would react in a diametrically opposite fashion from the American people when their country was under attack.
Posted by: Rojo at January 1, 2009 02:43 PMwhy DO vicious contemptuous fanatical blaggards have self-servingly myopic definitions of terrorism and defense? it troubles the soul, this question.
Posted by: hapa at January 1, 2009 04:01 PMi wish someone learned would shoot at me so i could be inspired to conduct a better investigation.
Posted by: hapa at January 1, 2009 04:04 PMRojo - it is a delusion that has been going on around the world for eons -
Churchill et al thought that keeping food from citizens in occupied countries - and Germans - would cause them to rise up against Hitler.
I read that in Human Smoke. I know if I was starving I wouldn't be doing much of anything except look for food.
Posted by: Susan at January 1, 2009 04:13 PMDoes journamalism bear the same relation to journalism that truthiness does to truth?
Posted by: Save the Oocytes at January 1, 2009 05:12 PM
