Rachel Lucas is on fire these days….here’s part of a brilliant post that says it all for you pacifists:

And now I’ll go sit in my comfy chair in my comfy house and watch my big TV while I eat steak and drink Coke. John and I will talk about bombs falling thousands of miles away, but outside our door we’ll only hear our neighbor’s lawnmower and some kids playing on a trampoline. Then we’ll go to sleep in silence and peace in our big, soft, flannel-sheeted bed with fluffy pillows. In the morning, we’ll wake up to the sound of an alarm clock, have some coffee, take nice hot showers with good-smelling soap, and catch up on the latest war news. We’ll feed the dogs and throw the Frisbee for them a few times. John will then go to work at the job he likes very much, and I’ll ride my bike down the hill to my college classes, where I’ll learn about computers and World War II in nice big classrooms. When I come home, I’ll do some things on my computer that result in a paycheck, while sitting in my safe little house with birds chirping outside the window. A few telemarketers will call, asking me if I’ve considered life insurance. I’ll eat a sandwich for lunch while I watch the news, and though I’ll get angry and worried about what I see, I’ll quickly go back to my work, making neat things happen with fancy software. Ever so often, I’ll check the news sites for war updates, and will probably write something on my blog about it. Then I’ll eat a snack and do some homework, maybe play with my dogs again. Then John will come home and the whole thing will be repeated, in the middle of this giant American city at the start of springtime.

And it’s all so ridiculously absurd and surreal. I know this much is true: If you are anywhere in America right now, and your life even remotely resembles what I just described, you should feel profoundly grateful for every single moment of your existence, to the point where you can barely comprehend the magnitude of your own good fortune.

Heroes

Asshole

Is there really more to say?  The blogsphere is burning with anti-Moore commentary – there are collaborative blogs dedicated to his demise – and rightly so.

The POW story is sickening, to say the least.  The humiliation of these young kids who are willing to die for their country is low class warfare, and hopefully this will inspire the other brave soldiers to fight harder and faster to eliminate the enemy.

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Rachel Lucas has a great post on the Oscars that speaks for me.

Satan danced, then he put his mittens on.  Then he took them off and danced again.

There’s a war on…people are being killed, including American soldiers…it was a particularly horrible day and some of our troops are now prisoners of war, being held by one of the most brutal and inhumane regimes on the planet…but the obnoxious, asinine, shallow, meaningless show must go on! Right? I think I’m going to puke.

Thank you to this and all the other US and British troops for making the world a safer place.

Shame on Canada for not helping – I feel badly for the Canadian troops who are surely wishing they could have participated.

Liberation for the oppressed in Iraq can’t be far off.

DaghtatorBlog has some newspaper covers.

HT: American Realpolitik

Another historic speech:

THE PRESIDENT: My fellow citizens, at this hour, American and coalition forces are in the early stages of military operations to disarm Iraq, to free its people and to defend the world from grave danger.

On my orders, coalition forces have begun striking selected targets of military importance to undermine Saddam Hussein’s ability to wage war. These are opening stages of what will be a broad and concerted campaign. More than 35 countries are giving crucial support—from the use of naval and air bases, to help with intelligence and logistics, to the deployment of combat units. Every nation in this coalition has chosen to bear the duty and share the honor of serving in our common defense.

To all the men and women of the United States Armed Forces now in the Middle East, the peace of a troubled world and the hopes of an oppressed people now depend on you. That trust is well placed.

The enemies you confront will come to know your skill and bravery. The people you liberate will witness the honorable and decent spirit of the American military. In this conflict, America faces an enemy who has no regard for conventions of war or rules of morality. Saddam Hussein has placed Iraqi troops and equipment in civilian areas, attempting to use innocent men, women and children as shields for his own military—a final atrocity against his people.

I want Americans and all the world to know that coalition forces will make every effort to spare innocent civilians from harm. A campaign on the harsh terrain of a nation as large as California could be longer and more difficult than some predict. And helping Iraqis achieve a united, stable and free country will require our sustained commitment.

We come to Iraq with respect for its citizens, for their great civilization and for the religious faiths they practice. We have no ambition in Iraq, except to remove a threat and restore control of that country to its own people.

I know that the families of our military are praying that all those who serve will return safely and soon. Millions of Americans are praying with you for the safety of your loved ones and for the protection of the innocent. For your sacrifice, you have the gratitude and respect of the American people. And you can know that our forces will be coming home as soon as their work is done.

Our nation enters this conflict reluctantly—yet, our purpose is sure. The people of the United States and our friends and allies will not live at the mercy of an outlaw regime that threatens the peace with weapons of mass murder. We will meet that threat now, with our Army, Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard and Marines, so that we do not have to meet it later with armies of fire fighters and police and doctors on the streets of our cities.

Now that conflict has come, the only way to limit its duration is to apply decisive force. And I assure you, this will not be a campaign of half measures, and we will accept no outcome but victory.

My fellow citizens, the dangers to our country and the world will be overcome. We will pass through this time of peril and carry on the work of peace. We will defend our freedom. We will bring freedom to others and we will prevail.

May God bless our country and all who defend her.

END 10:20 P.M. EST

There are many reasons to invade Iraq and establish some sort of rule of law: the above headline lists two more that are as important as any, as documented in this report.

There was a machine designed for shredding plastic. Men were dropped into it and we were again made to watch. Sometimes they went in head first and died quickly. Sometimes they went in feet first and died screaming.

Another witness told us about practices of the security services towards women: ?Women were suspended by their hair as their families watched; men were forced to watch as their wives were raped . . . women were suspended by their legs while they were menstruating until their periods were over, a procedure designed to cause humiliation.?

The war will be very dangerous, if Saddam and his sons have anything to do with it.

Ht:Townhall Blog

Just listened on the Coast to Coast radio the other night about the fact that terrorists caused the crash of Flight 800 in 1996.  The theory the author mentioned was that a plane was heading towards the 747 loaded with explosives.  Since it appeared that the flight was going to intercept and explode, the Navy launched a missile to take it out.  The explosion of the terrorist plane was so huge it took out the 747.

Why the government decided to cover this one up is beyond me.  I am not big on conspiracies but I don’t think anyone believes mechanical failure brought this bird down.

US$ <- Click to buy -> Cdn$