<p><a href=“http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/14/opinion/14rich.html?pagewanted=1&8hpib[/url]”>http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/14/opinion/14rich.html?pagewanted=1&8hpib</a></p>
<p><a href=“http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/13/AR2005081300853.html?referrer=email&referrer=email[/url]”>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/13/AR2005081300853.html?referrer=email&referrer=email</a></p>
<p>And the sad thing is this was pretty much all predicted before the war began, but the administration would not listen to anyone who did not toe the official line.</p>
<p>From the Washington post article cited above:
THEY have cheap gas while we are paying $3+ a gallon here in San Francisco?</p>
<p>Who would have thought that when Bush became President that we would attack Sadamn and that oil prices would sky rocket along with oil company profits? I am shocked, shocked!</p>
<p>Mr. B, you sound like Claude Reins in Casablanca.</p>
<p>I am not even sure what was expected. We have done such a swell job lately and have such an appealing reputation over there, it can only get worse.</p>
<p>With the new constitution supposed to be ready today, I can’t WAIT to see how it turns out.</p>
<p>If I remember correctly, we are there now to spread democracy and freedom. It looks a bit like a theocracy is what its gonna be there, not like our wonderful theocracy, oops democracy, we have here.</p>
<p>Sigh, off to have some chocolate.</p>
<p>citygirlsmom,
Starting on chocolate before noon. Oh, that is a sad thing! Have you considered Chocoholics Anonymous?</p>
<p>p.s. If you go cold turkey, please send me any leftover chocolate. Can’t let it go to waste, now can we???</p>
<p>Yep, gets me through the day. A nice cup of cocoa, chocolate, sugar and caffiene all in one go, but I use nonfat milk, so that helps a bit!!</p>
<p>Gotta get out of the house and not read the news for one day, okay a few hours, okay right now…</p>
<p>And, as for sharing my dark chocolate? Never…pkay for a price…;)</p>
<p>dstark:
Funny to see you bring up the Frank Rich column on here. When I read it yesterday I just couldn’t believe how clearly he spelled out the whole thing. I called my sister and told her to go on line to read it. I wish I had written that column!</p>
<p>this was in the Washington POst this morning . We are paying for an advertizing campaign to discourage Iraqis from blowing up our troops. Maybe that’ll do it.
<a href=“http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/14/AR2005081400879.html[/url]”>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/14/AR2005081400879.html</a></p>
<p>Dstark, that was supposed to be Toby Zigler doing Claude Reins, I will work on my accent.</p>
<p>Did anyone read the article in the Times about our contractors - Delta Force types hired to do the work of military? Private contractors needed since bonus program is not bringing in the recruits fast enough.</p>
<p>raq draft says laws must conform to Islam -text </p>
<p>BAGHDAD, Aug 22 (Reuters) - A draft constitution for Iraq to be presented to parliament on Monday will make Islam “a main source” for legislation and ban laws that contradict religious teachings, members of the parliamentary drafting panel said.
One said the text, agreed by the ruling Shi’ite and Kurdish coalition over Sunni Arab objections, would read: “Islam is a main source for legislation and it is not permitted to legislate anything that conflicts with the fixed principles of its rules.”
Shi’ite delegate Jawad al-Maliki said the wording was fixed.
It appeared to be something of a compromise after secular Kurds had objected during negotiations to Islam being “the main source” of laws. It was not clear how legislation would be subjected to the test of conforming to Islamic principles.
Critics have accused Shi’ite Islamists who dominate the interim government and parliament of planning to impose clerical rule in the style of neighbouring Shi’ite Iran. They deny it. </p>
<p>Kurds had complained that U.S. diplomats, who have insisted that women and minorities should enjoy equal rights, had conceded ground to the Islamists in order to meet Monday’s deadline for passing a draft constitution in the legislature. </p>
<p><a href=“Yahoo News: Latest and Breaking News, Headlines, Live Updates, and More”>Yahoo News: Latest and Breaking News, Headlines, Live Updates, and More;
<p>yep…all is going really well</p>
<p>“Just a bunch of thugs and dead-enders”…</p>
<p>cgmom</p>
<p>What is it about Islam specifically that you don’t like?</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0822/p01s02-woiq.html[/url]”>http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0822/p01s02-woiq.html</a></p>
<p>On a more positive note. The tide is turning and our days of being in Iraq or at least not admitting our mistake are beginning to be numbered.</p>
<p>My wife and I took our son and his gf over to spend the day with Camp Casey in Crawford, Texas. It was great to lend support and be around such a positive group from all over the country. As you know ,Cindy Sheehan was in Cal ? to visit her mother who had a stroke. </p>
<p>It was gf’s first protest. As we all know on cc, it is always good to attempt to inculcate family values in the younger generation.</p>
<p>We saw Steve Earle play a bit on Saturday night. Unfortunately we had to get gf back to Houston. We could not stay to see Joan Baez!! ,who was rumored to be coming on Sunday. She did indeed show up on Sunday.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>This is VERY moderate language. If you read the think tank experts analysis of what to watch for in an Iraqi constitution:</p>
<p>a) it is going to say “Islam” and anyone who ever thought otherwise was dreaming. There has never been a Muslim country in the Middle East that is not officially “Islamic” in the constitution, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, etc. This is really no stronger than “One Nation Under God” in the context of the Middle East.</p>
<p>b) “Islam” is the moderate terminology. References to “Shi’a” would be more hardline.</p>
<p>c) The real key is the use of the words “a main source” instead of “the main source”. This is very moderate language. If this draft is the real one, this is great news for fans of a moderate constitution in Iraq.</p>
<p>Its not Islam, its Fundamentalists, and I am pretty sure you knew that…
Women are losing rights and we have seen in so many countries how using Islamic law can be twisted and can hurt so many</p>
<p>Moderate language, sure, but we have already seen parts of Iraq women beng forced to were the veil, again…</p>
<p>I for one, am not going to rejoice until I know the women will not be left out of this democracy</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>References to “Shi’a” would never get the Constitution promptly passed.</p>
<p>Bloggers in Iraq tonight are reporting that the following compromise language was agreed to in the draft constitution submitted to the Assembly:</p>
<p>it was agreed upon that no laws that are against the widely agreed upon values of Islam can be issued and no laws that are against the values of democracy and human rights can be issued.</p>
<p>If this is indeed the type of language in the draft constitution, it is even more moderate than the experts expected. We’ll have to wait for translations of the actual text, but this kind of language is a HUGE victory for freedom in Iraq.</p>
<p>It is really uplifting to read the bloggers in Iraq. The forces of democratic participation and political debate are palpable.</p>