Yo, Hey, Man! Stop. Wait. Think! Don't Be A Fucking "Bush," Man!!!

This is the funniest story of the inter-regnum, so far, imho. Bernard Chazelle, on Jon Shapiro's always exquisite A Tiny Revolution, has a way with words:

Kaiser Sarkoko, aka President Nicolas Sarkozy, saved our Georgian buddy Saak-the-Bootlicker from being hanged “by the balls.”

With Russian tanks only 30 miles from Tbilisi on August 12, Mr Sarkozy told Mr Putin that the world would not accept the overthrow of Georgia’s Government. According to Mr Levitte, the Russian seemed unconcerned by international reaction. “I am going to hang Saakashvili by the balls,” Mr Putin declared.

Mr Sarkozy thought he had misheard. “Hang him?” — he asked. “Why not?” Mr Putin replied. “The Americans hanged Saddam Hussein.”

Mr Sarkozy, using the familiar tu, tried to reason with him: “Yes but do you want to end up like Bush?” Mr Putin was briefly lost for words, then said: “Ah — you have scored a point there.”

via tdd

On a tangential, but related, matter:
On a tangential, but related matter:
Militarism in the USofA is like poppy-farming in Afghanistan: it keeps the economy perking along, and the people profitably occupied, and it won't change unless and until a "better" alternative is found, where 'better' means the same or more money for the same or less effort.

One reason Mr Obama is doomed to be co-opted (and "our" hopes to be shattered) by militarism is suggested by this telling statistic: Some part of every multi-billion-dollar B-2 strategic stealth bomber is built, or programmed, or assembled, or polished, or inventoried, or shipped in EVERY CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT IN THE USofA! All 435 of 'em.

And that's just one 'program.' There are THOUSANDS upon THOUSANDS of 'programs.' US military spending in New Mexico is just about exactly the same as the state's annual budget. Those are jobs for workers in those districts, paychecks, and rent checks, and groceries and liquor and car and computer sales.

Mr Obama is already deep in the toils of the cliched military/industrial/national security industry. He wouldn't be where he is today unless he'd been vetted at LEAST 'harmless', and more probably 'friendly' to those interests. War is safe in his hands, you may rest assured.

I have next to NO expectations that Mr Obama will be able to perform on the promises made and implicit in his campaign. I held my nose and voted for him, but I have not supported any Democrat with enthusiasm since McGovern, in 72.

I suspect in some final analysis, Mr Obama's election will be regarded as of far greater symbolic importance (i.e., rebuilding American Exceptionalism) than of practical consequence. I am deeply suspicious of 'true believers,' but my greater antipathy is towards those who consciously and deliberately appeal to and inspire them.