I have to get a manuscript ready for a publisher…there’s so much going on this weekend that I want to talk about but can’t! So, here’s a link roundup. You talk about it. Bush seeks to extend war powers indefinately. Will Congress stop him? Will the next president reverse him? I hope so, but I [...]
Archive for August, 2008
Brief Interruption
Posted: August 31, 2008 in UncategorizedTags: Bush, Gustav, nonviolence, war powers
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Barack Obama: As Commander-in-Chief, I will never hesitate to defend this nation, but I will only send our troops into harm’s way with a clear mission and a sacred commitment to give them the equipment they need in battle and the care and benefits they deserve when they come home. … Let us keep that [...]
The Math of Civilian Casualties
Posted: August 29, 2008 in UncategorizedTags: Afghanistan, airstrikes, civilian casualties, Herat
Here’s the kind of math that doesn’t help [emphasis mine]: A U.S. military review of an airstrike last week in western Afghanistan maintains that only five civilians were killed, Pentagon officials said yesterday, a finding that starkly contradicts reports by the United Nations and Afghan officials that the civilian death toll from the bombing was [...]
Obama, just now, emphasis mine: “As commander-in-chief, I will never hesitate to defend this nation, but I will only send our troops into harm’s way with a clear mission and a sacred commitment to give them the equipment they need in battle and the care and benefits they deserve when they come home.” Interesting choice [...]
Link Roundup
Posted: August 28, 2008 in UncategorizedTags: Halden, Herat, KBR, politics, prayer, Thom Stark
Halden posted a great quote today. Michael wrote about a topic on my mind: how to reconcile a detachment from the kingdoms of the world with citizenship in the Kingdom of God. Thom disputes the notion that prayer is a form of insanity. The U.S. still will not admit wrongdoing in Herat, even after everyone else [...]
Convergence
Posted: August 28, 2008 in UncategorizedTags: Afghanistan, airstrikes, civilian casualties, Georgia, Herat, just war theory, Maximillianus, Russia
Two things come together at the United Nations: UNITED NATIONS: Russia, at odds with the United States over Georgia, tried unsuccessfully to push the UN Security Council on Tuesday to condemn US-led air strikes in Afghanistan that killed dozens of civilians. The Russian delegation had drafted a statement that would say the council’s 15 member [...]
Devils Wear Halos, Too
Posted: August 27, 2008 in UncategorizedTags: Call of Duty, gaming, Halo, military training, video games, violence, Wii
My wife just sent me a link that I will use as my next big post topic, but for now, enjoy: Some might say that all those teenagers “wasting time” on Halo 3 and Call of Duty 4 are actually the warfighters of tomorrow, training themselves at zero cost to the U.S. taxpayer. In fact, [...]
Not Good Enough
Posted: August 26, 2008 in UncategorizedTags: Afghanistan, al-Qaida, civilian casualties, Herat, Pentagon
AFP: CRAWFORD, Texas (AFP) – The United States expressed regret Sunday for any civilian deaths from US-led military operations in Afghanistan, without confirming reports of nearly 90 killed in one incident this week. “We regret the loss of life among the innocent Afghanis who we are committed to protect,” White House spokesman Tony Fratto said [...]
Please, Someone Tell Me How This is Making Me Safer?
Posted: August 25, 2008 in UncategorizedTags: Afghanistan, Taliban
NYT: KABUL, Afghanistan — President Hamid Karzai strongly condemned on Saturday a coalition airstrike that he said killed up to 95 Afghans — including 50 children — in a village in western Afghanistan on Friday, and said his government would be announcing measures to prevent the loss of civilian life in the future.
Let’s Play Ball: Christian Nonviolence versus Al-Qaida
Posted: August 23, 2008 in UncategorizedTags: Afghanistan, al-Qaida, Jesus, nonviolence, Pakistan, Taliban
Adherents of Christian nonviolence are often lazy and scared. There. I said it. We are often too lazy to actually read relevant reports and offer nonviolent alternatives in current violent situations. We tend to give pat answers, wring our hands about the difference between “violence” and “force” and walk away. We are also often too [...]
