The year of Armageddon upon us

The gambler makes his bid

I think by now we can come to the conclusion that Mr. George W. Bush is taking orders from higher authority which transcends the logic and thinking of mere mortals like you and I.

This Iraqi plan (Full Text of the address) to feed more cannon fodder to the meat-mangler of sectarian violence in Baghdad and other volatile regions of Iraqi seems to have the support nobody but Bush and the mortals elevated to the status of Cabinet or advisor with the occasional legislator and commentator to boot.

Like the cover of this week’s Economist – Baghdad or Bust – Mr, Bush might be unto something, a conviction that goes beyond nominal reason that the confidence that exudes beyond every contrary advice leaves us almost saying, this might work and maybe it would.

Read report do opposite

After the report of those eminent persons in the Iraq Study Group (ISG) which gave us a feeling that some reason has come into this Iraqi debacle, Mr. Bush has taken a completely opposite view of that report.

Basically, by redeploying everyone of importance in the Iraq venture before the ISG report be they military commanders, ambassadors, intelligence chiefs or personal advisors and in the process created a new “Team Iraq”. One thing is clear; many of these newbies have been long in their careers and are hardly driven by ideology.

One might however wonder if this quality allows the primacy of the Commander-in-Chief to hold sway over objective analysis and hence lead to less opposition the President’s resolution on these matters.

Still giving the cold-shoulder to Iran and Syria

We have been told that Iran and Syria are contributors by ways and means to the instability in Iraq, the ISG was quite particular in emphasising the need to engage Iran and Syria diplomatically by milking their relevance to Middle-East stability and clearly highlighting their compromised interests if they are uncooperative.

It would appear, this is not a path that the President would adopt, his Secretary of State is now in the Middle-East speaking to the wrong people in the hope that ignoring and isolating Iran and Syria would bring the necessary peace dividends to Iraq, well, and she must also know something we do not.

Rather than engage with Iran, a raid was conducted on the Iranian Consulate in Irbil, Northern Iraq by American troops; this escalation in reckless militancy cannot have been done without the knowledge of the president, considering the possible consequences of this action.

The nuke of Armageddon is primed

And as we are still being fed the view that Iran is busy developing military nuclear capability, we must not forget that Seymour Hersh reported in November 2006 that a secret CIA report indicated that there was “no proof” – their qualification - that Iran is developing nuclear arms in tandem with the civilian developments that have been declared to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

It could be that Israel might decide to launch a nuclear raid on Iranian nuclear infrastructure though denial might as well have an element of surprise to it.

This leaves us in a bit of a quandary, the possibility of a “U-See 3 EyeS” (US, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Syria) eye sore of the carnage of war that involves the United States, Iraq, Iran, Israel and Syria – maybe, 2007 is really the year of Armageddon – again – Mr. Bush probably knows more about this than we could every phantom.

Like having a Hard Rock thrown at you

A study in change

A whole week of silence and the dog ate my blog, well that sometimes happens to ones homework.

There were many things I wanted to write about, the face of George W. Bush when he received the Iraq Study Group Report – main point being, the only course is discourse with Iran and Syria – the time for moping is over, you just have to do some talking if Mess-O-potamia is going to see anything like peace.

Besides, the incoming Secretary of Defense had the Senators checking their hearing devices when he answered in a matter of fact way that the war in Iraq is not being won.

If George W. Bush had thought he could scupper the intent, tone and delivery of the Iraq Study Group report by poaching someone for a sensitive position from amongst their ranks, he has just been introduced to a new ball game and all hitters are hitting straight for the head – Ouch! I feel your pain Georgie.

Sit on the Hard Rock

Meanwhile, in the midst of all that kafuffle, Chief Yellow-Feather was busy smoking peace pipes on a Hard Rock – Indian reservations which have licenses to run gambling business very much like the effect the Opium Wars had on China are making serious money and making big deals.

The gambling houses do not seem to have created the wealth for drug and alcohol-abuse which sometimes plagues indigenous tribes and aborigines, somehow, these guys wised up and have made good.

Next time you visit a Hard Rock Café, sit in the wigwam, smoke a peace pipe, have a communal chant as we see the Indians begin to make a killing of the cowboys – history and restitution might live centuries apart but methinks the Indian is arriving with loads-a-money. Don’t forget you feather head dress – so you how much we have learnt from amusing generalizations.

Slow cook Polonium

The radiation fallout is still appearing in more places that I wonder if my impending trip to London is a wise idea – Alright! I would not panic, I would stick to mum’s cooking – Mum! - I shriek - "There is shine in my soup", "That is just oleum" she replies comforting her little boy.

The past is kicking the bucket

That said; Pinochet finally kicked the bucket, the end of an era that leaves memories of how America thwarted democracies that leant towards a socialist ideology for the tyranny of military dictatorships that prey on right-thinking people.

There are still many of that era that live without retribution for the pain and suffering they have caused people in South and Central America – Pinochet would be mourned by just a few, I do wish Kissinger well, but he should try visiting Europe.

This brings me to the dinosaurs that remain in power for eons – Ayoke once wrote of a sermon she heard which is quite enlightening.

The future restrained

30 years ago, General Obasanjo who was then the Head of State of Nigeria visited a school and told the students that they were the future of Nigeria – 30 years on, Chief Obasanjo is President of Nigeria and is impeding the opportunities he suggested those students had 30 years before.

The leaders of old, old ways, old ideologies, old methods, old corrupt activities are still gathering to rule Nigeria – we forget that 36 years before, Colonel Obasanjo took the surrender for the Biafran War, what are they still doing running the country into the ground?

When shall the new consume the old like an unquenchable fire yielding the ashes of our past such that we are no more shackled but free?

By which time I realized that on December the 8^th, I had been blogging for three years, why quit when you are having fun?