Anonymous Blogger Emma Goldman posts further thoughts on the potential problems of installing a democracy in a country that might elect Islamic extremists. Be sure to read the original Tacitus post too.

The truth comes out!

... time is not on our side. The main risks of this war were never military but political. Sure we could pulvirise Iraq and occupy it, that was never really in doubt. But Shrubco needed a quick bloodless win for its own agenda ( oil, military bases, intimidation of neighboring powers) without excessively antagonizing the Iraqi people, the Muslim world, and world opinion in that order, and also to forestall a double dip recession which looks more and more certain at this point.
Finally, I believe the Bushistas wanted to keep the Iraqi Army intact for another reason -- to turn around and use it as part of their Army of occupation, so as not to deploy as many American soldiers as occupiers. I think this is why they went to such lengths to try and persuade commanders to switch sides. And if they negotiated like they did with the UN, no doubt they pissed off all the Iraqi commanders, and garaunteed a fight.

-- JeffC posts on the Kos comment boards

Anybody disagree?

Jeanne at Body and Soul writes a very personal heartfelt essay that everybody from the President down should read. Make sure you have.

In other news: Nanotechnology has begun to make its impact in comsumer goods. This is the start of another major technological revolution.

A good "War on Iraq" resource list from the Law School at my alma mater.

Read Digby for some important commentary on the affect micromanagement from the Bush administration is having on the waging of this war.

E-sheep is back with a look at our leader's policies. While there, be sure to check out the

Think about the future...

If I were a nation state that feels it might be threatened by the U.S. in the future and I was looking at the current progress of this war, the technological advantage, the ‘smart’ bomb capability, the vast air superiority, I’d be very worried. But I wouldn’t feel completely hopeless. Instead, I would be quickly retooling my defense infrastructure.

I would stop building airplanes and I would find someway to counter the ‘stealth’ capability of America’s main bombing force. I would stop building nuclear weapons and I would find a way to counter-strike the e-bomb (An Electro Magnetic Pulse weapon that disables/melts all electronics within a certain range) with one of my own (indeed I would develop an anti-aircraft EMP weapon). Instead of buying long range missiles, I would want to find someway to ‘jam’ the Tomahawk missiles.

I would stockpile my e-bomb around the world so it could be launched at appropriate forces in the event I am attacked. I would target financial and technology centers first, then military bases only when I have enough e-bomb’s stockpiled. I would also find a way to launch anti-aircraft e-bombs so they are small enough to not register on radar.

Finally, I would want to make sure I had a powerful media empire established around the world. I would launch cable stations, radio broadcast, and internet web sites (official and ‘grassroots’), to push my agenda even before the first bomb falls.

The object, of course, to make waging war against me such an large economic cost that the U.S. won’t want to get involved and to have the potential to keep world opinion on my side.

So while am I telling you this now... because, if I can think of it, I guarantee you North Korea and China already have.