Who'd a Thunk?

How can it be that after spending billions of dollars on the 'War on Terror' that this week, 5 years after 9/11, we collectively as a nation found out that the Department of Homeland Security hasn't equipped a single airport with the technology to detect liquid explosives? It must have been a small threat, less likely than someone taking over a plane with nail clippers because while I've had my clippers confiscated, they've looked the other way when it came to my sun tan lotion or that big bottle of green Gatorade tucked into the outside pocket of my backpack. Do we really trust that it just wasn't on their radar? The first return from a Google search of the phrase 'liquid explosives' is a site with a recipe for:

Astrolite A-1-5, said to be the world's MOST POWERFUL NON-NUCLEAR EXPLOSIVE, and Astrolite-G, claimed to be the world's highest detonation-velocity liquid explosive

There are plenty of reports coming to the defense of DHS claiming that they knew about this risk and have been planning for it, but if so, why didn't they start confiscating liquids and gels prior to this week? Are we waiting on technology to protect us from a threat that now the DHS believes can be eliminated by asking people to voluntarily hand over the banned items? The only way to deal with this right is by using the Israeli method: hand search everything.

If the Bush administration is serious about defeating terrorists, then they'd better start getting serious about how they manage the problem. Throwing more money at Iraq to referee a centuries old grudge-match between Sunni and Shia isn't going to stop the real al-Qaeda threat, but then again it appears that neither will the current DHS strategies, or lack thereof.

Molten Carbon DailyKos Diary Entry

This clip, though funny, is actually about right>>

Taliban Democrats

In a commentary published by the Washington Times, Cal Thomas went on a name calling spree and actually coined a brand new, evil, divisive and childish phrase: "Taliban Democrats".

The narrow primary defeat of veteran Sen. Joe Lieberman in Connecticut's Democratic primary is more than a loss for one man. It is a loss for his party and for the country. It completes the capture of the Democratic Party by its Taliban wing.

They used to be "San Francisco Democrats," a phrase coined by former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Jeane Kirkpatrick to describe the party's 1984 convention. But they have now morphed into Taliban Democrats because they are willing to "kill" one of their own, if he does not conform to the narrow and rigid agenda of the party's kook fringe.

Mr. Lieberman's one "sin," in the eyes of the Taliban Democrats, was that he supported the effort to defeat the insurgent-terrorists in Iraq. As a Jew, Mr. Lieberman is particularly sensitive to those who have targeted the Jewish people for extinction. But even if he weren't Jewish, he would still "get it," because he understands what's at stake in the region and has correctly concluded that the consequences of American failure in Iraq would be catastrophic. [...]

Taliban Democrats have effectively issued a political "fatwa" that warns all Democrats not to deviate from their narrow line, or else face the end of their careers through a political jihad. Perhaps the few remaining rational Democrats should put on their burkas now and submit to the will of the party mullahs.

The Republican Bloc is facetiously overwhelmed that the Democratic voters in Connecticut decided to oust Joe Lieberman for a simple and selfish reason: They are losing their war footing, and along with that they will actually have to hold themselves accountable for the billions of dollars wasted and fraudulently spent on a war that has only brought about more chaos, justify why tens of thousands of Iraqi citizens were killed for an American war, and tell our children how we let thousands of American soldiers die to build a nation that quite possibly the people living there didn't even want, and not least of all explain why they allowed the President to selectively ignore and violate the The Constitution and the rule of law.

Even with a party-majority Congress is only slightly more effective at legislating than AG Alberto Gonzalez, but with a smaller ideological majority they will be on even shakier ground, by which I mean legal ground. Mr. Thomas' cowardly, divisive and evil statements may only reflect his point of view, but he isn't the first or last to demonize the Democratic party for doing what they do best: understand and follow the will of the American public, which, last time I checked, is what our representatives are supposed to do.

Lieberman vs Lamont - Real Time Results

To view real-time results for the Lieberman-Lamont primary challenge, go here or for a graph go here

You Can Lead a Sunni to a Shiite, But You Can't Make Him Blink

Since the early 1900's, and arguably as early as the 1600's, Western powers have conquered, shaped and divided the Middle East in the search for oil and influence, with a casual disregard for autonomous governence.

The failed British occupation of Mesopotamia in the 1900's was undertaken to gain control of the known oil fields, especially Mosul, and was ratified by the League of Nations under the pretext that the British would stand down as the new Iraqi's stood up, to use modern rhetoric.

Britain controlled and framed the new nation of Iraq according to the needs of the British Empire with little regard for the disparate tribes and religious groups that occupied the arid land. In 1920 the Iraqi's decided it was time to stand up against the British occupation in what is now called The Great Iraqi Revolution.

For a great read regarding the Revolution and a chilling feeling of "this sounds so familiar" go here and go here

The Weekend Break

If President Bush is going on vacation we are too! Not really, but we are starting a new tradition at Molten Carbon. Every weekend we are going to post something NOT related to politics in an effort to reduce 'activist fatique'. Feel free to comment or add your own material, but remember, come Monday, we are all about politics. Have a great weekend!

The Constitution in Crisis - Rep. John Conyers

Rep. John Conyers has released a 'must read' 350 page report 'The Constitution in Crisis'. His report is a compilation and examination of the Bush administration's willful disregard for the rule of law and our Constitution. Here is an excerpt of Representative Conyers blog-release from The Huffington Post:

Today, I am releasing the final version of my report, the "Constitution in Crisis." The report, which is some 350 pages in length and is supported by more than 1,400 footnotes, compiles the accumulated evidence that the Bush Administration has thumbed its nose at our nation's laws, and the Constitution itself. Approximately 26 laws and regulations may have been violated by this Administration's misconduct.

Please Do Not Disturb

The Middle East is coming closer every day to an all out regional catastrophe with Iraq on the brink of civil war, the Israeli-Hezbollah and Israel-Palestine wars threaten to draw in Syria and further involve Iran while a humanitarian crisis is reaching critical mass.

General John Abizaid had this to say to the Senate Armed Services Committee on August 3, 2006:

"The sectarian violence is probably as bad as I've seen it...If not stopped, it is possible that Iraq could move toward civil war."(The Seattle Times)

Tony Blair, just about to go on vacation, decided that things were too grave to take time off:

"British Prime Minister Tony Blair will delay the start of his holiday to work on a U.N. deal for a cease-fire in Lebanon, his office says...Basically he's delayed to try and do further work to try and get this U.N. deal together. And he thinks the next few days will be critical, a spokesman said, adding he expected Blair to delay his departure by several days".(CNN)

While we know President Bush is deeply concerned with the situation, he still decided to go on vacation and even stopped by a Texas Border Patrol station before heading off to his ranch for a week and a half:

"He got an up close look at several tools the Border Patrol uses to catch people sneaking across — helicopters, a boat and a small plane — and he stopped to pet some horses that are used on old-fashioned patrols." (MSNBC)

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