http://www.counterpunch.org/quigley05262008.html

The U.S. is far and away the most militarized country in the world and the most aggressive.  Unless the U.S. dramatically reduces its emphasis on global military action, there will be many, many more families grieving on future Memorial days.   

The U.S. spends over $600 billion annually on our military, more than the rest of the world combined.  China, our nearest competitor, spends about one-tenth of what we spend.  The U.S. also sells more weapons to other countries than any other nation in the world.

The U.S. has about 700 military bases in 130 countries world-wide and another 6000 bases in the US and our territories, according to Chalmers Johnson in his excellent book NEMESIS: THE LAST DAYS OF THE AMERICAN REPUBLIC (2007).   

The Department of Defense (DOD) reports nearly 1.4 million active duty military personnel today.   Over a quarter of a million are in other countries from Iraq and Afghanistan to Europe, North Africa, South Asia and the rest of the Western Hemisphere. The DOD also employs more than 700,000 civilian employees.

The U.S. has the most powerful and expensive military force in the world.  The U.S. is the biggest arms merchant. And the U.S. has been the most aggressive in world-wide interventions.   If Memorial Day in the U.S. is supposed to be about praying for peace, the U.S. has a lot of praying (and changing) to do.

I've been meaning to thank you for all of the deconstructing McCain posts.

Well done.

Ciao for now, folks.

Every year about 20 of our DEC members gather in front of our county courthouse in the early evening and read the names of all those soldiers killed in Iraq since the last Memorial Day.

This year there will be approximately 700 names to read tonight, not as numerous as some years, but there should be none.

Ya'll be good while I'm gone:)

Not because I approve, but because the community actually shows up and traffic is stopped--a good thing in my book.  Since then I've been composing a diary for KOS

congrats to Syracuse.  Just watched.  We were rooting for Johns Hopkins.  My son's new lacrosse hero is Paul Rabil, midfield for Johns Hopkins. 

Former President Bill Clinton said that Democrats were more likely to lose in November if his wife Hillary Clinton is not the party’s presidential nominee, and suggested some people were trying to “cover this up” and “push and pressure and bully” superdelegates to make up their minds prematurely.

"I can’t believe it. It is just frantic the way they are trying to push and pressure and bully all these superdelegates to come out,” he said at a South Dakota campaign stop Sunday, in remarks first reported by ABC News. “'Oh, this is so terrible: The people they want her. Oh, this is so terrible: She is winning the general election, and he is not. Oh my goodness, we have to cover this up.'"

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/05/26/bill-clinton-says-wife-is-victim-of-a-%e2%80%98cover-up%e2%80%99/

Barack's Memorial Day speech at Las Cruces, NM

http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/hqblog

Jonathan Steele and Jonathan Freedland
The Guardian, Monday May 26 2008

...Referring to the possibility of Europe breaking with the US in an interview with the Guardian, he said: "Why not? They're not our vassals. They occupy an equal position with the US."

The blockade on Hamas-ruled Gaza, imposed by the US, EU, UN and Russia - the so-called Quartet - after the organisation's election victory in 2006, was "one of the greatest human rights crimes on Earth," since it meant the "imprisonment of 1.6 million people, 1 million of whom are refugees". "Most families in Gaza are eating only one meal per day. To see Europeans going along with this is embarrassing," Carter said...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/may/26/israelandthepalestinians.usa1/print

=============
Embarrassment, to put it mildly, Jimmy. More like shameful, disgusting.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/may/26/israelandthepalestinians.usa1/print

For the benefit of people who miss Linda NM and believe she deserves better, the following are excerpts from her recent mydd diary entitled Obama Turns to Lies and Attacks on Hillary For Counting Florida/Michigan Votes:

"This is the absolute lowest.  Senator Obama is resorting to lies, false claims and negative politics for wanting to COUNT PEOPLES VOTES.  

". . . .

"Senator Obama, can you tell us why you have been blocking every effort to count millions of citizens votes in Michigan and Florida?

"And while you, Senator Obama, show you will take any low road, that in your eyes, the end justifies the means, in effort to benefit you personally, do not accuse Senator Clinton of what YOU YOURSELF DO.

"And, while we're at it, that disgusting remark you just made about Senator Clinton, that you seem to have no problem in your politics, is also a lie.  I seem to recall Senator Clinton has always been fighting to have Florida and Michigan count.  Even while your campaign was mocking her effort to go to Florida after their polls closed, so she could still honor the DNC pledge not to campaign there before their primary, but wanted to acknowledge Florida and the voters, she promised them that night as well, to do everything to have their DELEGATES be seated.  

" . . . .

"Senator Obama, it is time you apologize to Senator Clinton and the voters, for fighting and working so hard to NOT COUNT THEIR VOTES in Florida and Michigan and for falsely making claims about Senator Clinton.

"We know this is a hard pill for Senator Obama to swallow.  He never admits his mistakes, blaming everyone else possible, voters or staff.  But a Leader is someone who can admit mistakes, learn and move forward.  And we realize Senator Obama may be bitter, because his own actions show his weakness and lack of support, that Hillary has always thought to speak to the voters first, not just if it helps her politically, like Senator Obama always seems to do. Where he wouldn't even take time out from campaigning in Ohio and Texas to appear at 9th Annual State of the Black Union.  Where he finally decided to go to Michigan and Florida, many months later, on the heels of when the DNC Rules Committee will be meeting to decide on what to do with Florida and Michigan.  And where as Hillary is genuine and thought of the voters first, she is on record from long before when it became politically expedient, like you, for wanting their voices heard."  

----I'm going to do everything I can to make sure that anyone that supported me, the 17 million people who have voted for me, understand what a grave error it would be not to vote for Senator McCain-ah, Senator Obama, and against Senator McCain.---- (Hillary Clinton on CNN)

There is a diary on Kos regarding all the "Kossacks" who passed away over the past couple of years. I wanted to make sure jc's name was mentioned, since she frequently posted there. They were very kind when I let them know that she had died. Anyway, you might want to check it out.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/20...7115/628/ 523129

Would much rather watch the game tonight, but have to work.

bbl