I've Been Your Fan Since Yesterday

I've just had one of those moments when nothing else mattered except music: not just any music, but that ONE BAND I feel like I've been waiting all my life to hear. In this case the band is Electrelane, a four-woman band from England. Their music is melodic, lyrical, moody, haunting. I heard their CD "The Power Out" yesterday at Everyday Music and had to buy it right away. Haven't taken it off the CD player since. Reminds me a little of the duo Dusty Trails (Vivian Trimble and Josephine Wiggs). Now I have to dig up all of Electrelane's EP's and singles.

The point of it all? Life goes on ... winning the war matters, but other stuff matters too. You've got to be able to enjoy life, or why bother? Freedom is for living.

But Iran Is Already A Free Country

In a singularly inspired column, Nick Kristof (who previously explained that the Iranian regime isn't nearly as bad as it's made out to be) argues that "the Communist Party signed its own death warrent" at Tiananmen Square fifteen years ago. "Political pluralism has not arrived yet," he acknowledges, "but economic, social, and cultural pluralism has." The same market forces that have transformed China "would also help transform Cuba, North Korea, Iran, and Burma, if only we would unleash them."

And now for the big question:

"So when will political change come to China? I don't have a clue, but it could come at any time ..."

Well, yes, and so could the Messiah. But free trade would transform Cuba, North Korea, and Iran into nuclear powers, and I don't even want to think about what that would unleash.

Let's Blogroll!

Baldilocks isn't holding her breath waiting for Tenet's tell-all book. She also has some thoughts about Reggie Rivers, older veterans, and the science of love. Go check out her recent posts.

Lady luck smiles on Ginmar. Let's all pray things don't change again.

ASV has a few theories.

Serenity has a special seires in honor of the anniversary of D-Day (June 6). Take a few minutes to read the names and the stories, and look at the faces. Don't even try to understand the numbers - they defy comprehension.

Mamamontezz has a very special D-Day tribute of her own.

Jane calls on the Blogistan Liberation Army to march forward. (Also includes a short piece by yours truly.)

And again on the subject of anniversaries, do you remember what happened fifteen years ago? Instapundit does.

Meanwhile, in a certain Western nation, Christians are being harassed for practicing their religion in public, the Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler reports.

Finally, the Belmont Club offers a postscript to the Bin Laden memo. Wretchard stresses the main points illustrated by the fictional memorandum: that our enemies, understanding that they cannot defeat us in a direct confrontation, have sought (with great success) to turn the self-destructive elements of Western society against the West itself. He concludes: "In the Memo author's view, that this possibility exists at all is a judgement on the West. The West is disgusted with itself; longs to die; yearns for condemnation. The job of the Faithful is but to put it out of its misery. Standing offstage only by their implied presence is the remnant of the West that that has not lost sight of love; that remembers its covenant; that recalls "the starlight on the western seas." That is whom the Jihad must defeat and all it must defeat."

Morning Report: June 3, 2004

- DCI George Tenet resigns. (various) George Tenet, the Director of Central Intelligence for the US Government, has announced his resignation, which will become effective July 11. Tenet, a Clinton appointee, has denied that his resignation is the result of outside pressure, citing personal reasons. His position is commonly referred to as "Director of the CIA", which is certainly one of his responsibilities, but the correct title for the job is Director of Central Intelligence - reflecting the fact that he is the head of all the nation's intelligence agencies, not only the CIA. Deputy Director John McLaughlin has been named as acting Director.
Fox: Tenet Resigns
Debka
- MSF pulls out of Afghanistan. The French-based humanitarian group Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) announced that it is pulling out of Afghanistan, following an attack on its workers.
CNN: MSF out of Afghanistan.

Abu Ghareeb (Abo Ghraib) Photos!

Wonkette and Washingtonienne in girl-on-girl action! Disaster in Falluja! Collapse and Catastrophe! Murder! Mayhem! Nick Berg!

There. Your Google search works. Now go away.

The Shadow

Wretchard channels al-Qaeda in "Memo to Osama". Go read this post now. It may be the most important thing you read in a long time.

UPDATE: Part 2 may be found here.

Quote of the Day

"Anyone who thinks UN peacekeepers can protect Kurds against armed fundamentalist militias should do a Google search with the terms 'Rwanda, 1994' or 'Srebrenica, 1995'."
- Peter Beinart
The New Republic, June 7/14, 2004

VDH in TNR

Victor Davis Hanson makes a guest appearance in The New Republic this week, with a to-the-point prescription for success in this war.

Also, Leon Wieseltier (one of my favorite writers) asks some tough questions about dead children.

Run out and get the print issue if you possibly can.

Iran: A Kinder, Gentler Regime

This latest article on Free Iran shows the true face of the so-called "moderate" regime in Tehran.

Shako Mako

... is colloquial Iraqi Arabic for "What's happening?" (It literally means "What's there? What's not there?" like the Turkish expression "ne var, ne yok?") Shako Mako is also the name of a very good new blog devoted to discussion of the Iraqi blogs. Go check it out.

Great work, Jeffrey.

Good News from Dallas

Fayrouz has been invited to write an article on the Iraqi bloggers for the Dallas Morning News.

The Best and the Brightest

Zeyad posts an article from the Los Angeles Times warning of the threat to Iraq's medical corps from the kidnapping of top doctors. Apparently it's an increasingly serious problem.