Thursday, July 21, 2005
Off to Jail Away from Jail"Dad! I'm in jail! And I like it! I like it a lot! I'm never gonna leave! Dad! I'm in JAIL!" -- Was (Not Was) 3:14:19 PM | Well, I've been able to talk to S twice this week. Seems the Inquiry into his state of mind has been called off. (No need for the Comfy Chair!) His entire group has left Asadabad for Kabul. They'll be there for a couple of weeks while they transition some folks back home and accept a few new ones. Five US soldiers out of the dozen or so that are in charge of their kandak are going home. Replacing them will be three or four new guys. Today he and another soldier left for a weekend away at "jail away from jail" in beautiful Qatar. He's allowed to drink two beers every day. They can go on day trips (with a chaperone, of course) such as a desert safari, a deep sea fishing trip, or a fieldtrip to one of the many massive shopping malls surrounding the base. For four whole days they will be treated as teens ("Only two beers, son!") before being shrunk back down to elementary school-age children in Afghanistan. I asked him to take pictures. If he sends me any I'll post them here. 
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Orwell, Kafka. Kafka, Orwell. Mingle amongst yourselves.Boston Globe's Robert Kuttner on the state of the union: 3:02:17 PM | If the American republic was built on any core principle, that
principle is the rights of people to be free from the abuses of
unchecked power. The Constitution's framers gave those rights not to
''citizens" but to ''persons." In America, everyone enjoys basic
rights. Or once did.
While Kuttner's detailed list of how those basic rights are being erroded by our authoritarian government is far from complete, it's frightening nonetheless. If there's still any lingering doubt that our country is being overrun by fascists, Kuttner's column puts it to rest. Welcome to the world of Big Brother. (Via a comment on the Maestro's blog)
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Last update: 8/3/05; 12:28:47 AM .
