Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/363419
Thisfarintothehu- man story, only the his- torically uninstructed are startled by what they think are new permu- tations of evil. So, when Russia sliced Crimea off Ukraine, Secretary of State John Kerry was nonplussed: "You just don't in the 21st century behave in 19th-century fashion by invad- ing another country on com- pletely trumped up pretext." If, however, Vladimir Putin is out of step with the march of prog- ress, where exactly on histo- ry's inevitably ascending path (as progressives like Kerry ev- idently think) does Kerry, our innocent abroad, locate the Is- lamic State? The Islamic State uses cruci- fixions to express piety and de- capitations to encourage coop- eration. These are some of the "folks" — to adopt the locution Barack Obama frequently uses to express his all-encompass- ing diffidence — Obama was re- ferring to when talking to The New York Times' Thomas Fried- man. "That's exactly right," Obama said when Friedman suggested that Obama believes all Middle East factions must agree to a politics of "no victor, no vanquish." It will be interest- ing watching Obama try to con- vince the crucifiers and the cru- cified to split their differences. Exactly 70 years ago, Amer- ica grappled with a human- itarian dilemma. On Aug. 9, 1944, A. Leon Kubowitzki of the World Jewish Congress wrote to Assistant Secretary of War John J. McCloy, quoting a Czech official's opinion that the "destruction of gas cham- bers and crematoria in Os- wiecim [Auschwitz] by bomb- ing would have a certain effect now." On Aug. 14, McCloy re- jected the request, noting that it would require "the diver- sion of considerable air sup- port essential to the success of our forces now engaged in de- cisive operations elsewhere," a defensible argument. But then McCloy added that such bombing "might provoke even more vindictive action by the Germans." That is, bombing an extermination camp might make the operators of the cre- matoria really cross. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan signed imple- mentation legislation for the Genocide Con- vention, the parties to which agreed to "un- dertake to prevent and to punish" the kind of crimes the Islamic State vows to commit. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., to- day says, "It takes an army to defeat an army." Is she, too, so very 19th century? Obama seems to agree with her, telling Friedman, "We can run [the Is- lamic State] off for a certain pe- riod of time, but as soon as our planes are gone, they're coming right back in." So air power is insufficient. He also said, "We're not going to let them create some caliphate through Syria and Iraq, but we can only do that if we know that we've got partners on the ground who are capable of filling the void." We will not "let" something happen — unless air power alone can- not prevent it and no "partners" fill the void beneath our bomb- ers. About that void: America has fought its lon- gest war — more than three times longer than U.S. involve- ment in World War II — lest Afghanistan become a state unable or unwilling to prevent terrorists operating with im- punity in a substantial area. Since this war began, U.S. pol- icies have created two such voids by shattering two states, those of Iraq and Libya. Friedman reports that Obama says his regret about Libya is not that he waged an utterly optional war of re- gime change. Rather, Obama regrets not getting busy "on the ground" to "manage" Lib- ya's transition to democracy. So, even after 13 years in Af- ghanistan and nearly a de- cade in Iraq, Obama wishes America had gone into Libya for more of the excitements and satisfactions of nation- building. Two questions must be dis- tinguished. First, is it an im- portant American interest or duty to protect, as much as air power can, Kurds and Yazi- dis from the Islamic State, and to (in Obama's words) "push back" (back to where?) this group? Even if the answer is yes, there is another question: Is it wise to support the use of force by this president? He is properly cautious about to- day's awful dilemma, which is not primarily of his making. But caution can be reckless. One of Napoleon's aph- orisms — "If you start to take Vienna, take Vienna" — means: In military matters, tentativeness is ruinous. GeorgeWill'semailaddressis georgewill@washpost.com. GeorgeF.Will Intoa new void? It will be interesting watching Obama try to convince the crucifiers and the crucified to split their differences. Perilsofpot Editor: The argument that mari- juana should be legalized be- cause the associated punish- ment is more harmful than its use itself is not only circular, it's short-sighted. Marijuana is actually quite harmful in that like any intox- icant, it impairs judgment and motor skills critical to personal and public safety — not just driving and operating machin- ery, but also while socializing and having sex. Like alcohol, marijuana pre- cludes us from maintaining in- telligent conversation that fa- cilitates our making and main- taining friendships with attractive, responsible, intel- ligent people. Further, like to- bacco, marijuana's bad for our lungs and immune systems, it's expensive, it stinks, it makes us fat, and it's a fire hazard. More- over, as with alcohol, smoking marijuana encourages others to do it and suffer the same ill ef- fects. Growing marijuana's also bad for the environment. It en- courages people to lay waste to natural areas and to drain and pollute the air and streams. It's taxing to law-enforcement, health care and the courts. People need to stop being lazy and learn to overcome their inhibitions naturally in- stead of turning to alcohol, marijuana and other drugs. If they really need pain relief, they can get cheap prescription med- ication over the Internet. — Nathan Esplanade, Rancho Tehama The passing of Robin Williams Editor: While it is true that life has left his body, the fact of his life and genius will remain for an unlimited time. For we must not mourn his passing, but cele- brate his life. For even his pass- ing was a gift as it, in his past, diverted our attention from the wars and brutality that surround us daily. So I thank Robin for what he has given to the world. — Robert Hogan, Red Bluff Israel and the Palestinians Editor: In recent weeks our govern- ment officially condoned geno- cide. Israel's lame excuse was that they were being attacked from schools and hospitals. Of course not one shred of ev- idence was ever produced to prove those accusations. If any other country would have done what Israel did to their poor neighbors we would have at least called for inter- national sanctions. Remember how we attacked Iraq the first time for her alleged actions in Kuwait? But because Israel is suppos- edly composed of God's righ- teous people we not only don't call for sanctions, we re-sup- ply them, so they can kill more innocent women and children with inhumane weapons, the use of which were long ago de- clared war crimes. You can call me an anti-Sem- ite but I must speak out or at least try to speak out about these horrible atrocities. Many good, kind-hearted Jews around this world look in horror at what Netanyahu is do- ing in their name. And they are speaking out and protesting these barbaric acts. Netanyahu makes Hitler look like a benevo- lent Saint. — Orval Strong, Gerber Willing to lie Editor: The George Will column of Aug. 7, added to this week's John Stewart show interview of an author, suggest the possi- bility of the classic example of how the media diverts attention from reality extant. Both talked about the unfulfilled Nixon or- der to burglarize the Brookings Institute to kept negotiations concerning Vietnam secret. What a coincidence. Two sepa- rate people, same story. O'brien, I think it was Larry, the head of the Democratic election committee CREEP at the Watergate, had worked for Howard Hughes. Howard Hughes had, answering Nixons' request, him feeling confident over Kennedy for the coming election, done the daisy chain from Maheu, his right hand man, to the gangsters Rousseli in Las Vegas, to Giacana in Chi- cago, to Traficante who had the South East, set up five hit squad teams around Florida, looking to take out the Castro brothers, Che, and whoever else might be an irritant South of the US. Traficante insisting on includ- ing CIA operatives to take the fall if things went bad. Ken- nedy had disbanded them, with prejudice, when he was con- fronted with the specter of nu- clear bombs going off within the half hour, during the Cuban blockade. Seeming to be one of the pivotal decisions of man- kind. "No. I won't be the one to start this." Then, most likely horror of horrors to Nixon. Some team members went totally rogue and took out Kennedy. Nixon simply had to know if O'brien had learned anything about it when he worked for Hughes. If so, he was, ah, looking at a po- tential impeachable offence you might say. The phenomenal lawyer, Danny Sheehan, has revealed this in his book "The People's Ad- vocate" and his series of lectures at the University of Santa Cruz in 2012, available on Youtube. It is just amazing what peo- ple will reveal in a deposi- tion, floored by the potential of charges for perjury. And he was into all of it. Watergate, the Pentagon Papers, and Silkwood. And Danny (who likes to be called by that name) has taken a lot of depositions. All fair play for the huntress. — James Bryant, Red Bluff Your opinions Cartoonist's take More fun than four- teen barrels of flunkies watching our elected of- ficials exit Washington like scared rats streaming out of a sewer to escape Godzilla. And really, who can blame them. Anybody who's ever spent a summer in DC can tell you the climate is real similar to Hell. With hu- midity. Then again, not sure even Hell has winged insects the size of footstools. It's not called Foggy Bottom because that's the first thing that springs to mind when Diane Feinstein walks away, you know. Funny thing is, this is the same Congress that lies on the verge of breaking all previous records for complete and utter futility. The Zero Zip Zilch Crew. Who have ridden lethargy into the ground and taken loitering to bold new heights. Or is it depths? Folks who would need hydraulic mechan- ical assists to raise their attitudes from stuporous to torpid. From the lair of the drugged slugs. Debi Does Drowsy. In essence, they're taking a vacation from nothing. Which is a lot like waking up to take a nap. Topping breakfast off with a sleeping pill. Floating off to a loafing, lay- about layoff. Playing hide and seek with the mirror. And losing. The 113th Congress is des- tined to go down in history as the most Do-Nothingest Con- gress of all time. Accomplish- ing less than all the other Do- Nothing Congresses combined. Which is saying something, be- cause there were plenty. "Proud to Put the Nothing in the Do- Nothing Congress." Enshrined as the undisputed heavyweight champion of In- dolence. The Friends of Inertia. Slouching towards SlouchVille. The Slacker Congress. What we the public fail to un- derstand is that nothing can be downright tiring. Yes, there's the failure to pass a highway bill or any hint of immigration reform, but let's focus on the positive. During the past 19 months, the Republican- controlled House has shut down the govern- ment and voted to defund or re- peal Obama Care about a gazil- lion times and don't forget the 2 dozen or so Benghazi hearings. They have definitely earned that approval rating lower than thumbtacks in your underwear while riding a motorcycle. Over railroad tracks. And now these hordes of pro- fessional indolents have slipped the surly bonds of sloth and been released into their home districts to freely roam amongst we inno- cents as a 5 week recess begins. One question: how do you relax after suffering through the ardu- ous routine of nothing? Slip into a coma? Binge watch The Left- overs? Will sunstroke play an in- tegral part? And not just any va- cation: a five- week paid vaca- tion. Who told our esteemed representatives we were Europe? The odd part is... they have to. It's the law. The Legislative Reor- ganization Act of 1970 requires Congress to take off the entire month of August. Not sure, but perhaps it was in response to members of Congress wander- ing aimlessly en masse in our na- tion's capital during peak tour- ist season; frightening small chil- dren and prompting plaintive cries from local merchants. All we can do is hope our pooped populist politicos fi- nally get some quality down- time, in order to come back tan and rested and ready for the tough task of remaining inac- tive and unable to pass any sort of worthwhile legislation when they return after Labor Day. Pretty obvious, that holiday sure weren't named after these guys. Email Will at durst@caglecar- toons.com. Visit to willdurst. com to find about more about his new CD, "Elect to Laugh" and calendar of personal ap- pearances. Will Durst The slacker Congress goes on vacation GregStevens,Publisher Chip Thompson, Editor EDITORIAL BOARD How to have your say: Letters must be signed and provide the writer's home street address and home phone number. Anonymous letters, open letters to others, pen names and petition-style letters will not be allowed. Letters should be typed and no more than two double-spaced pages or 500words. When several letters address the same issue, a cross section will be published. Email: editor@red bluffdailynews.com Phone: 530-527- 2151ext. 112 Mail to: P.O. 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