Still life with Camry and AK-47
NBC's chief foreign correspondent Richard Engel reports live from Iraq tonight as the last combat troops drive into Kuwait. Rachel is there, broadcasting live from Baghdad. More pictures after the jump. You can also check them out on our Flickr stream.
And we mean it!
Traffic is shunted everywhere with jersey barriers. Everywhere, everywhere. I don't know what these guard towers are guarding, but it's unsettling to not be able to see if anyone's in them when you're boxed-in in traffic. They're an ideal spot not just for overwatch, but for a sniper.
Cameraman Bredun getting very meta
Watering the roadside lawn? Yeah, I dunno.
Business is slow because everyone's fasting for Ramadan.
Producer Madeleine Haeringer
Producers Madeleine Haeringer and Cory Gnazzo. The glamor. The glory.
Random guard tower on a downtown Baghdad street.
Richard Engel-- Best. Tourguide. Ever. Again.
The black banners with writing on them are death notices. Same way we post them in the paper -- they post them on the roadside.
Countdown -- Keith and Eugene -- in the chow hall in the green zone.
Rachel hard at work
Rachel, if they are going home, why do I have to say goodbye to my husband yet again this fall while he goes there? Please don't forget about the troops who still have to go and pack everything up. Those may be the last "combat troops", but have you ever heard of a soldier who wasn't combat? They are still training for a combat experience.
You are correct, Abby. This war will not be over until all troops are home. May God bring your husband home safely and may he never have to go back after this tour.
Can the USA now say they have a "friend" in the Middle East?
Jeannie: Good one....
You earn friends and you buy allies.
My son returned from Iraq last week, on August 14th, his second tour there. He and I are watching Rachel, Keith, and the rest of the MSNBC team as the last of our COMBATdesignated troops leave Iraq which marks the end of OIF. Our emotions are mixed, pride in a job well done despite politcal screw ups, pride in how our military has matured and grown in what they can and cannot do, and happy that our friends and my son's combat buds are coming home. Thanks Rachel and Richard for being there to document this milestone in American war history. I only wish we could of pulled out years earlier. God Bless all our troops. Remember many will go on to Afghanistan, and many will need VA care, and job opportunities when they come home.
@Kris's son welcome back :)
To your son, welcome back to the land of pork and alcohol! Have a cold one dude!
If I lived in Memphis I'd take your son out for a round of drinks. God bless him and god bless you for the lesser known sacrifices you've had to endure. Both of you are heroes. Your whole family is.
Stealthy Rachel sneaking off to Iraq. I hope things go well for the whole crew out there, I look forward to the show.
Did I hear that correctly that MSNBC had exclusive rights to report this live?
Kudos to MSNBC.
I quickly scoped out CNN, and John King reported on it then switched over to Fox's donations to the Republicans. And on Fox, they're reporting on Pakistan flooding then Iran's nuclear program.
There are other reporters but they do not have the unique, "Bloom Mobile" which is capable of groundbreaking live gyroscopic satellite reporting with motion, making exclusive footage because of how rare the equipment is. The TRMS link called "Cutting Edge Tech Enables Historic Footage," explains it.
There is a part in the show where they define just how unique the vehicle/camera unit is. Also on Wikipedia if you search for "Bloom Mobile" you will get some more interesting details on the equipment.
On Countdown they said the military offered it to many media people but nobody seemed to be interested. How disgusting for the reporters who keep saying they are proud of the troops not want to join them on the first leg of the last trip? The reporters want to catch up on their beauty sleep or too scared that something mundane would happen and they would miss a chance at an award by wasting their time on something as dull as Troops finding safe ground.
Awesome job, Rachel. Be safe.
Ummmmmm... That doesn't look like any AK I've ever seen. judging from the stock and top it's gotta be either an AR or some kind of M variety. I'm not as familiar with guns as my roommates are though, so as soon as I see them I can ask for clarification. Another picture would be nice though.
There is something innocent about not knowing the difference between an AK-47 and an M-14.
I agree, hopefully one day most of us will have it.
Looks like an M-4 carbine, a shorter variant of the M-16A2.
Did I miss something? Sneaky!!
@The Cosmic Kid - It could be one of the newer AK's, the models without the wooden stock, but I doubt it. With the rounded barrel and top handle it looks an awful lot like a NATO M-4 carbine.
You're probably right. I highly doubt that any US troops would ever use a Russian made weapon, or even a Russian clone
Mikhail Kalashnikov, designer of the world's most popular assault rifle, says that U.S. soldiers in Iraq are using his invention in preference to their own weapons, proving that his gun is still the best.
Rachel is our new Carmen Sandiego... never know where she'll pop up! I'm sure you'll do an oustanding job and once again, stay safe!!
Yay Rachel! There on the scene as history happens!
Especially compared to all the massive coverage Fox is giving this, and all the time Beck, O'Reilly, and Limbaugh have been to Afgahnistan, Iraq or even the Gulf covering BP. Yeah, news channel. Sure.
Yo! Blog Moderator! It took you over 2 days to finally erase the hateful derogatory, sexist, bigoted, foul mouthed bile being offered up by the likes of N. Nightmare and his relatives (Aaron, b--.....) on a most recent thread. Let's not take another 2 days before you 'get it' again, aey?!
Ya know Nightmare, all one has to do is look around and then maybe even click on your ID and see for themselves what it is you offer when you come to this Blog site. Your sole purpose in being here is to inflict as much hateful/hurtful/divisive dialogue as you can get away with. TRMS site blog is not a Democracy anymore than if you decided to enter into a Mosque, plop yourself down, and start a never ending diatribe on why you find them and their kind so repulsive to your sick self. Nobody should have to tolerate you and your kind in a forum such as this when it serves to only inflilck discourse and harm - unless of course you're a Fox News affiliate, or want-to-be, and just want the discource for discourse sake and the 'appearance' of popularity that goes along with it....
Well we all know exactly how sympathetic Dr. Laura and Sarah Palin (yeah, there are your first amendment champions) are to black folks...and how much Conservative and Tea Partiers love black folks in general, so...yeah. Go get your klan hood black man. Its not race baiting if it proven true time and again is it?
And isn't a big part of the reason why you are here is because you are trying to punish dissent from the opinion of the Conservative media driven "majority" opinion? Yeah, there is plenty of cyanide Kool-aid for everybody. Drink up. We'll pass. thank you.
Hatey, is that another of your sock puppets? The atrocious spelling, the projecting of your flaws and weaknesses on others....yep, sounds like hatey all right.
Speaking of things getting old...the old socialism bugaboo is so ancient it is creaking. You obviously have no idea what socialism is all about, because if you did, you'd see that the US is so far away from socialism that it can't even find its area code.
We don't "feel safe when surrounded by drones who agree with everything we have to say". That more fits the mold of the average Fox viewer and Rush listener. What we want is reasoned arguments for dissenting opinions, and you seem unable or unwilling to provide those, preferring instead to spread hate and vitriol. Now, do you have a coherent argument that you can support with facts, or do you still want to just call people names? I think I can already guess your response.
Here is what I'm propositioning. Instead of spending our time making insults back (although it feels so good and you and Don make me laugh hysterically) why don't we approach this in a mature fashion. Every time someone like Nightmare or Aaron or anyone else in the future makes a statement, maintain that statement to traditional LD debate standards. So for instance, if it's an ad hominem attack point out "this is an ad hominem attack and is not a valid argument." If it's irrelevant to the discussion just say "this is irrelevant to the discussion." The less ammunition you give back, the harder it is for that person to find grounds to spew hatred and the easier it is for us to move on. Plus it will help the moderator in figuring out who to kick or censor for trolling and who is actually here to discuss things rationally. What do ya think?
Hey Mickey M., I hear you, but, how about as first defense the Blog Moderator starts doing what is necessary to keep a reasonable environment by sifting the sandbox for ancillary kitty pooh...besides, if you notice, they also tend to hit the blog at times in 'critical mass' just to hit the blog in 'critical mass' - a tactic meant to spread as much hate as they can get away with without really having to engage fully...to that end, they need to be called out as spreading hate till Blog Moderators can be counted on...
While not as emotionally satisfying...yes I am a boor...it is a very good idea. For those of us who are unschooled or have been out of school for so long we forgot the format (guilty,) let's have everyone else call the fouls. If you spot it, you call it.
I am not saying that WBEng I'm just getting sick of them being here. It's annoying as hell. Rachel is doing something phenomenal in Iraq and all these people can do is come on and talk about rainbow colored socks? It's ridiculous! You are correct though most of them come on and make a bunch of noise then leave. I am just trying to find some solution to get rid of them.
That's fine- I'll call them and you can be the boor Don :D Tag team ^ . ^
If you click on the name it takes you to the Newsvine profile where you can read all of their posts. Some of these...hatnomor, Nightmare, J Browning, Aaron, whomever only report here to disturb the pot in the name of hating "liberal propaganda". You can also see the date when they started...sock puppets indeed.
Would be different if they just made their statements/points and carried on...they come for the sole purpose of the fight, name calling, or just @!$%# disturbing in general. I personally got irritated by being called a racist and a baby killer...they are here to incite in the name of conservative intellectualism...FAIL...
I get irritated with the interruption in conversation. I'm all for intellectual debate but looking at the comments Nightmare has made on here infuriates me. It's a form of harassment and it has got to stop.
Agreed Mickey
OK you bunch of panzies, I'll stop having fun at your expense, you girls really aint that fun anyway...Like talking to a bunch of daytime strippers that get mad when someone else plays Welcome to the Jungle. Never heard such a bunch of whiney clowns in one place. I think Rachel would like me checking her blog, might just push her over the 15 hits mark. Anyway, It was pretty much what I expected. Talk amoungst yourselves, make sure your spell check is engaged, remember to check your talking points every morning, and expell any contrary points of view. Enjoy your last 2 months in power...I'll check back with you November 3rd, when you will surely be talking about stollen elections and racism.
Back when there was an Air America, the blog there was also filled with some of the very same, (and I do mean the VERY same) vitriolic, hateful people that show up here, some which made hatey look positively tame. However, there were a couple conservatives who came on and were actually a joy to talk with. We obviously disagreed more than we agreed, but we did it in a spirit of civility, and even with a sense of humor. A couple of them actually became friends, and I looked forward to talking with them. I keep hoping against hope that we will get some people like that showing up here at some future time. There has to be a happy medium between an echo chamber and a blog full of insult-laden posts. Or am I being naive, nostaligic and unrealistic? If so, I truly fear for the future of our country.
I would hope you're right. maddow talked about that on her show and i think it's a point worth repeating. There is a huge chasm between those who think this is a moderate president, don't like 100% of what he's doing but yeah he's okay, and those who think he's a tyrant trying to destroy the world and the Anti Christ. I don't believe for a second that the people who come on here and throw abhorrent names around in lieu of actual conversation are actual conservatives or actual Republicans. These people don't care about conversation, ideas, what's best for our country. They are spoon fed stories and don't feel the need to reality check and attack us because of all the ginned up, faux controversy perpetuated by the media (especially fox). I still listen to Thom Hartman and they call into his show all the time and attack him. It, again, is a form of harassment. "how dare you not think like me." I just hate it. I want us all to get along.
Because of that very kind of behavior, I believe our country as we know it is collapsing. You don't have to agree with your opposition 100% of the time, but you at least have to make the effort to work together to solve problems, instead of engaging in schoolyard name-calling and naysaying. The behavior of the right has been childish, to say the least, and automatic opposition to anything Obama says and does is the height of childishness and contrariness. This kind of behavior really took off under Lee Atwater, and it has only gotten worse with the likes of Rove.
And is painfully obvious every time Palin opens her mouth...
The Tao te Ching says, if you want to collapse something you must first expand it. If you want to weaken something, you must first strengthen it, because the Tao (or the Way) works by reversal. Obama getting elected was the back-lash against the Bush Administration and the abuses of the Conservatives. Obama has been elected and there has been backlash and foment aplenty by the Conservatives spearheaded by the Tea Party and Fox. But the threatened November reversal in the houses may not be so bad because the ones who are poised to overthrow the incumbants are all insane or (and) unapologetically corrupt. And IF as Sharron Angle (such a FUN girl) has suggested, that Conservatives should use 2nd Amendment remedies for their electorial woes....welllllll. Then VERY interesting times are afoot. Scary ugly bloody times...just like giving birth. Maybe at the end of it the scales of social justice will be set right, because there are so many have nots against so few haves. Who would Jesus side with, really.
Hi all, another thought for November and his ilk - the ignore option. I find it lends greatly to my ability to enjoy the discussions and intelligent dissents on the blog. Just sayin'....
Yes, Dutchie...you are correct...I don't liked getting sucked into it....I need more self control.. ;o)
Oh you know as well as I do Maggie it's because us liberals are weak hearted fools. Every time a conservative comes to the website (not talking about the new ones who pop up with insults but someone who just says "I'm a conservative") there's a part of your liberal heart and brain that says "please discuss things with me; let's share ideas and opinions." Admit it liberals! Every time, no matter what we know will happen, we're just naive enough to give the benefit of the doubt and assume the best of people. It's just our way.
Oh yeah sure I'm a bleeding heart liberal. But I'm like an alien liberal and I've got concentrated acid for blood. An acid blood liberal. Being liberal does not mean having to be agreeable. There's an art to invective. Argue substantively, but don't hesitate to cut to the bone if you have to.
Long thread, @!$%#e. Have not been on here in a while but nice to know that some things have not changed, too much.
I agree that America is far from Socialist, I am an Irish national (Green card holder so no need to call ICE) and we have public health care that has never failed me when I lived back Home, public transport and a pension that can be lived on as well as regulation that, for the most part, reduces risks and damages from bad times. If someone wants to know Socialism, take a vacation to Germany or most European countries and see it in action both successfully and also where it is stretched as those countries adapt to the new way of things and adjust accordingly.
I actually enjoy the flaming at times, I have had discussions with some here such as Hatenomor and on the Hartmann site as well and I have managed to have decent discussions with them and better learn their motivations and even learn more about how to take their arguments apart even easier.
I guess I have to make a better effort to get here more often and cook my steaks by the site flame power :)
November Nightmare, you're suspended for a day for violating #1 of the Code of Honor.
Hugs tyler
Hugs from me too. Just a day?
I guess that little note I sent to Newsvine made a difference....cool....sometimes enough is enough...tyler thank you...and one day is not nearly enough....not nearly enough!
many other posts warrant similar action... and some posts are deleted without apparent cause... "Curiouser and curiouser!” cried Alice (she was so much surprised, that for the moment she quite forgot how to speak good English).
mightbe: I have learned that if you comment inside a thread started by the offender your posts will also be deleted regardless of the nature... er sometimes... I'm cool with that...
Tyler rocks! November Nightmare contributed absolutely nothing to the conversation other than remarks that were designed to be offensive and provocative. Put the kid in time out, and if he comes back with the same garbage again, (which I am sure he will), please block his IP address so he can no longer come back at all.
Amen Uffy: Civil discourse is one thing...that crap is unacceptable!
I'm just sorry to everyone. I think I engaged him to continue more than what he would've done otherwise. I'm sorry Uffy, I didn't know he'd go after your family. I don't care if people attack my character, but I'm sorry when they attack yours. I thought I was shutting him up but maybe I did wrong. Anyways I'm sorry.
No need to apologize, Mickey. I recognized it for what it was, a tactic meant to provoke me into maybe saying something that would get me banned from here, or at least embarrass me. Hatey did the same thing to me on the old Air America site. The harrassment used on that guy during the mosque protests was done for the same reason: get the guy flustered, get him to say some nasty things, or even take a swing at the harrassers, and bingo...you've got another moment for Fox and Breitbart to take out of context. I probably shouldn't have kept beating him up, because that probably just provoked him more...although I do think I torched him pretty thoroughly without calling him evil names.
Ok, I'll be the one to point out the obvious. And no, I'm not giving tyler a pat on the back here, or TRMS blog moderators a similar pat on the back - just the opposite. How about looking elsewhere in this blog for the rest of the nasty hateful garbage that that troll (technical Newsvine term I have learned for those that spew forth such crap) has spewed...aw hell, you don't even have to leave this thread folks.
Ok, let's see how hard it is to find the "offending" crap shall we, from our currently one day suspended blogger ...Monsieur November Nightmare...I wonder how far do we have to travel...how about that! just go a foot or two down right here and voila, we have this to look at whenever we want:
and then:
Well, maybe TRMS blog moderators and Newsvine aren't offended by this, OBVIOUSLY SO, but I would offer it has more to do with they likely can pi$$ standing up as November Nightmare makes reference to, and they likely find humor in referencing stuffing a c@ck in a woman mouth as an effective means to shut her up. Go for it boys! (be glad this is a virtual forum, because what I could do...if you were standing in front of me...)
Anyone else who wants to pat TRMS blog moderators and Newsvine editors on the back?! Please don't, because I don't want to loose any of the friends and nice/interesting co-bloggers I have come to enjoy and admire...(Sorry, I'm just a tad bit mad right now watching this whole thing unfold (for like the 12th time) and realizing TRMS blog has no intention of doing any real blog moderating that counts for crap)
I agree WBE...anyone who posts that kind of crap should be banned for LIFE!
They simply come back with a new name and continue again.
I doubt Newsvine pay any real attention unless someone brings it to their attention, how many chat rooms do they have and how active are they all? I usually think it is better to actually engage and discuss issues even with someone filled with vitriol but there are limits and those who come simply to disrupt others show how scared they truly are of what we are saying and how much we are learning from each other. Perhaps Trolls can be handed off to someone with a more calm method so that they cannot derail the discussion in general and still feel as if they are listened to and cannot tell the bloggers that they are being ignored and belittled.
Leave rhetoric to those who have nothing else, those with knowledge should always be ready to facttack (Holy @!$%#e, I'm like Shakespeare) and make sure to be clear, hard to make a point when you are defending your facts and figures from those merely wanting to waste your time having you look up URL's all day
Jims Thoughts - nice position you paint. Do you offer the same 'advise' to your mother, to your 'wife', to your sister...they too need to suck it up so to speak and hand it off to to "someone with a more calm method" when being sexually denigrated - I guess from what you say above, all so you can be allowed to continue your engagement with them without interference. You want to jump into the mud hole with them, go ahead - I don't intend to follow, and if you think I'm supposed to sit quietly back and accept what's being bantered about...well...
It's more than apparent, you like the kind of interaction brought about by November Nightmare - I would also offer, you tolerate it because it's not aimed at 'your kind', and, you obviously have no problem if it is aimed at 'my kind'....enough said.
WBEng. I apologize for not stating my case better. I was not referring to this particular thread and no, I do not tell people to sit back and accept being slandered and insulted whether they are known to me or not.
I had just gotten in from work and had a lot on my mind while I was writing so please allow me a chance to clarify further.
My case was a generalization, for the most part everyone knows who the trolls are and what their tactics are, usually they are slammed and can run and say they were treated unfairly or they are ignored and say their case was so strong that nobody could argue against them. I have found in the past that when confronting such persons, in a pub, sports arena or forum, it is best to have someone waylay them so they can rant and rave in a certain direction and not have everyone have to suffer their spite and hate and especially limit their ability to drag others into their argument.
I truly do find his words deplorable and his attitude unacceptable in this forum. I extend my personal apology to you for the insults you have already suffered and for my lack of time and thought causing you more pain.
*hugs WBEng*
You're a gentleman Jims Thoughts - thanks for helping me put that in a better place in my head..appreciate that sincerely. :)
Oh, just saw - thanks Mouser. I think I did need one today maybe...
Pulitzer!!
(no wonder Chris looked sheepish when saying 'Rachel's not in tonight')
Not a Pulitzer, that's for written journalism. Rachael should win a Peabody, that's for media like TV and radio.
I thought she was moving because I read she bought a new house. ack!
I hope everyone caught the part in Keith's interview where she says if the sirens go off they have to duck and cover. YIKES!! It almost seems like she was safer in Afghanistan. Still, Rachel Maddow is a real journalist. Period.
Susan must be beside herself when Rachel goes on these dangerous assignments.
Yeah I wonder how hard it must be on her. That's what I think about whenever Rachel goes on these trips. I'm always catching myself going "I hope Susan's okay with this." I mean Rachel's gotta do her job- no question about it- it just must be hard. That also makes me think about the families of the soldiers who leave. They go overseas to do their jobs (jobs that must be done), but you just know their wives and husbands, sons and daughters, mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, are sitting at the couch every night biting their nails hoping their loved one will come home, watching for any news, any sign of their loved one. It's a tear jerking reminder of how much people sacrifice to do the job- whether it's a journalist to get the story (Like Mr. Bloom) or a soldier to defend our nation.
I hope Susan is taken care of, like insurance and stuff. All the good things married couples get. Rachel is a hero to many, and Susan needs to be treated like the spouse of a hero.
I have to imagine Rachel has a will and everything figured out as much as legally possible. I don't know what the laws are regarding inheritance and everything for gay couples, but I would hope if god forbid something were to happen Susan would be taken care of. I also would hope she'd be able to come see Rachel in the hospital and make, god forbid, her end of life decisions. And yeah, she does need to be treated like the spouse of a hero- because that's what she is. That's what they both are in many ways.
Amen sister. Long life and prosperity to both of them. And you too while we are at it.
Mouser, have you had any luck checking messages on newsvine?
I don't know how to?
If there is a bar that has your name with (settings) under it in the bottom left of your screen with a New Comments button to the right of that, you click the button with your name on it (settings), the bottom will climb up, hit "go to my Newsvine column" and you should be there. or try clicking on your own name when you have posted. Let me know how it goes.
Gotta spend some time with the wife now. I'll be back tomorrow if not sooner.
Incoming alerts responses vary greatly. I was a contractor for 3 years in Al Anbar and we learned fast that if you hear the boom first then it is likely a mortar and if the first one was not close enough to hit you or shake the ground beneath you, the others would not be much nearer so no need to hurt yourself with panic. Rockets were a little different, you could hear them a little earlier but again, if it did not hit you then chances are that you were pretty safe as the insurgents rarely had time to readjust launchers and direct fire accurately.
I wonder if that toyota has a faulty gas pedal, hence the need for a machine gun...
hahahhaha!!!
Fox news must watch this - journalist in action. then of course if foxnews are ever into journalism ......eeekkkkhhhh maybe just the weather part.
fox coverage was video of troops mopping floors and standing around. could have been shot a week ago.
Didn't they have Geraldo in the heat of battle or was that the Al Capone fail again? Hehehe
Vanessaa - it's not and AK-47, it's an M4 (FYI - that's what 'the other guys' are using), and, it's not a Camry, it's a Toyota true, but a full sized SUV with 4WD likely (standard issue also)...
It seems to me that MSNBC has the best relationship with the troops of any of the broadcat media. Rachel in particular.
I guess "broadcast media" is anachronstic by about twenty years. Cable networks I guess I meant. Something like that.
Rachel bought a new house?! Oh noo, moving sucks :). I saw pics in some magazine of her and Susan in the old house and they were beautiful. I hope the new one works out in all regards.
Yeah if anybody has links to the new house thing I"d love to read that article. Please cite it if you can, thanks!
Here ya go.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/11/rachel-maddow-buys-new-yo_n_679046.html
Thanks a bunch =)
Dang that's a swanky gig
At 1325 square feet, Rachel's new apartment is almost the size of the house in which I grew up. Swanky, indeed.
Yah, if I remember correctly from other published information Rachel & Susan's place in Western Massachusetts is a smallish Cape Cod style house which is probably not more than 1500 square feet. So the new place in Manhattan is nearly the same size as their house in MA. Wow!
Mickey M., this is what you are looking for, I believe.
Yes thanks a bunch to you and Green I appreciate it. That's so awesome that she bought it from R.E.M lol.
Year after year, they do whatever they're asked - superbly!
In spite of the U.S. government grinding them down, every day they do the job as well as it's ever been done, anywhere.
The men and women of our armed forces...
Seems to me we heard the same thing when she was intrviewing the Generals in Afghanistan,anyone else catch that?
Is this a "historic occasion" or one more made for TV event? "Operation Iraqi Freedom" may be over, but what about the real thing, "Operation Iraqi Liberation" that is to say OIL. The seven Oily Sisters have appropriated Iraq's oil, which was the primary objective of the operation, and you can believe they are going to keep those 50,000 troops in there to make sure their interests are protected. This isn't Vietnam, where we actually left. As far as I can tell, the plan is to leave those 50,000 so-called advisers and trainers in there pretty much forever.
Good, That means when our idiot president Shuts down all American oil drilling you'll still be able to drive your stupid little car, and heat your house, at a reasonable price, because of our interests in the Gulf. Thank you George Bush. I wonder if all the American oil workers put out of work by Dear Leader can get jobs in Iraq?
Yeah, it really protects American energy security when the oil drilled out of America goes on the open market along with all the oil from OPEC, Russia and South America, and all the money made from those sales goes into the pockets of those American oil companies like British Petroleum.
If energy security was actually a guiding concern, we would be nationalizing our oil and building up oil reserves. Do you understand that? Do I need to explain it with sock puppets?
I wouldn't mind a sock puppet show Don. Can you name one of the Guizby?
Wait a minute--you mean we went into Iraq to secure our oil interests in Iraq? I thought we went into Iraq because of the WMDs and Saddam's ties to Al Qaeda. Or was it that Saddam was looking to buy enriched uranium from *gasp* Africa? Or was it because he was an evil dictator committing atrocities on his own people? Gosh, the reasons for that war have changed so much since its inception. If only Pres. Bush had been honest and said that we need to go to war with Iraq to secure our foreign oil supply from the very beginning, I would have been totally for it. Wow. What a fool I was to oppose the war from the beginning. Thank you for setting me straight. I will make sure I do a happy dance on my next tank fill up.
Well his whole argument is fallacious in general micro because he is asserting that the oil somehow comes directly to us from Iraq. He is also asserting that the oil we produce here in America is saved specifically for American consumption. Neither of which are true assertions. The way it works- an oil company pays the local government (if it's public property) or the landowner (if it's private property) essentially renters rights in order to be able to pump the oil out of the ground. That oil is then taken to that companies oil refinery where it's made into gasoline. That gasoline is then traded on the international market to the highest bidder. In order for America to keep that oil here at home we have to outbid other countries. That's the main reason why oil prices rise or fall. There are other reasons, but that's the largest chunk of what you're paying for per gallon. The assertion that drilling here in America will lower prices or secure more oil (at least based on our current system) is erroneous. Now you could in theory drill more oil and have it reserved for the American people, but the "drill baby drill," crowd are not proposing that this drilling be done by the government or that the product produced be kept as an oil reserve.
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/fuel-efficiency/fuel-consumption/gas-price.htm
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2008/jun/19/MCCAINOIL/
I'm fairly new to the blogosphere, but I don't understand the need to insult each other when responding to someone's post. If you can't support your argument without resorting to name calling, then maybe you don't really have an argument.
Well said, BeckyB1 - my guess is you're a good person - but there is a LOT of anger and frustration out there - might as well blow it off on the Internet!
Some of the people here have been on here a while and have gotten to know each other fairly well, a lot of frustration can build over time and sometimes jsut letting steam blow is the only way to go but some are just being sarcastic with each other, I hope :)
Doesn't matter how you spell it November...when you insult people for the sake of insulting people...you are gonna get a boat load...and you deserve it...
Ignore This Author
I thought it was funny when Richard Engle said that as he left Iraq he kept thinking, "What have we accomplished?" He did not answer his own question, so allow me to fill in. After invading Iraq on blatantly false pretenses of WMD, we killed a few hundred thousand people, made another 20% of the population refugees, destroyed its infrastructure, devastated its 5000-year-old civilization, and took over its oil resources. Johnny is marching home again, hurrah! Let's party!
Where is that party? Crawford? *shakes head*
Don't forget all of the millionaire contractors that were made and the blocks of dirty money that was sent over there for washing, I am sure the local warlords are still hanging it all out to dry.
Yeah, I should have mentioned that. How much have we spent so far in Iraq making "defense contractors" like Halliburton and Blackwater rich? Something like $1 trillion?
I just spent 3 years in Iraq as a contractor, did not make near $1 Million but I knew couples over there who clear $250,000 + a year and they have been there a lot of years already.
You would not believe how many of them over there for KBR are from TX and majorly in favor of staying there and simply do not care about why it began or peace getting in the way of them making money