Ricochet Podcast #63: Sarah Said It
We've got two experts on this week: National Review's Jim Geraghty and author and former Asst. Secretary of Defense, Col. Bing West. It's all politics and Palin with Jim, and Libya and Afghanistan with Bing (as he insisted we call him). We could write more, but you really should just listen -- it's the most fun you can have with your ears.
It's a beautiful spring day here in Los Angeles, so we're hitting the links:
- James' reference to the "Blue Network" may sound like a racy cable channel, but it was actually part of NBC's radio network back in the day. Does this sound familiar?
- In this week's Kaus/Limbaugh Show, David Limbaugh does take issue with Peter's take on a possible government shutdown. But he's so gosh polite about it. P.S. You gotta be a member to hear it -- join today!
- Rob is correct about the sequence of events during WWII correct (although we're not sure about it's use as a metaphor for budget battles): Nazi controlled North Africa fell in the spring of 1943. Paris was liberated in August of 1944.
- Peter's recollection about Yellowstone Park is spot on. As this NYT story from 1995 illustrates, many family vacations were indeed ruined because of of big bad Newt. Good policy often creates bad press.
- Our favorite 70's conspiracy movie is Alan Pakula's The Parallax View (1974), in which Warren Beatty plays a reporter who gets into hot water when he begins an investigation into an obscure organization, the Parallax Corporation, whose primary, but not ostensible, enterprise is political assassination. They don't make 'em like that anymore.
- Jim Geraghty's blog Campaign Spot is required reading around these parts. So is The Morning Jolt, his daily email blast.
- Google film production tax credit and you'll quickly get a sense as to how many states offer these deals.
- Jim's post on Sarah Palin is here. Rob's Provocative Palin Post™ (Palin Fans Need to Chill) on Ricochet is here.
- It wasn't just the sale of the Texas Rangers that made George W. Bush wealthy, but it sure helped.
- Our friends at The Daily Caller were the first to point out that Alaskan tax credits were used to help finance Sarah Palin's reality show. Governor Palin responded on her Facebook page, calling the allegations "absurd."
- "The Rebels have suffered the biggest setback since Hoth," says Geraghty. Finally, a Star Wars reference instead of one from Star Trek.
- The WSJ piece about the current state of the budget negotiation is here.
- The Uncommon Knowledge interview with Bruce Thornton is now on YouTube.
- Bing West's bio is very impressive, to say the least. You can buy his book The Wrong War: Grit, Strategy, and the Way Out of Afghanistan on Amazon.
- Bing was recently on The Colbert Report. He did great.
- Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, starring Robin Williams is now on Broadway. We'll let NPR give you the details.
- Ricochet member Lance gets the coveted Podcast Mention of The Week for his great "Song of The Day" posts. Keep 'em coming, Lance.
- Wear your Ricochet logos with pride! Get our swag here.
Music from this week's episode:
- This Is Why We Fight by The Decemberists
- She Said, She Said by The Beatles
The direct link to this week's episode (great for mobile devices!). But be a rebel and subscribe. Don't use iTunes? Visit our Feedburner page for a number of other subscription options.
The Ricochet Podcast is sponsored by Encounter Books. Our featured title this week is The Wages of Appeasement Ancient Athens, Munich, and Obama’s America by Bruce S. Thornton. Available at EncounterBooks.com and for Kindle at Amazon.com.
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Comments :
May '10
Re: Ricochet Podcast #63: Sarah Said It
Yknow, thank God we have a third Palin topic in 24 hours. The usual suspects had been quiet. Too quiet. I kid (sort of)! And will now listen raptly.
Mar '11
Re: Ricochet Podcast #63: Sarah Said It
Ha ha ha, loved the baseball cap story! Too funny.
Re: Ricochet Podcast #63: Sarah Said It
Dec '10
Re: Ricochet Podcast #63: Sarah Said It
Swell. I hope they're wise enough just to ridicule Palin rather than to attempt to defend her.
Jun '10
Re: Ricochet Podcast #63: Sarah Said It
I hope we're wise enough not to ridicule anyone.
Dec '10
Re: Ricochet Podcast #63: Sarah Said It
Cas Balicki
I hope we're wise enough not to ridicule anyone. · Mar 31 at 7:27pm
Really, I hope we are as well. My sarcasm pill hadn't quite worn off when I wrote that.
Edited on Mar 31, 2011 at 8:24pmJan '11
Re: Ricochet Podcast #63: Sarah Said It
Mr. West can also be seen here on BookTV.
May '10
Re: Ricochet Podcast #63: Sarah Said It
Red Sox really are a bunch of cricket rejects.
And man, oh, man, did Rob ever nail his (colorful) trousers to the mast on this one. Can't climb down. I agreed with part of it, but jeepers.
(pssst, never use the "NEED TO" formulation. Always sounds preachy. It's a short step from NEED TO do this to NEED TO SHUT UP, which is never a winner.)
Feb '11
Re: Ricochet Podcast #63: Sarah Said It
To the attention of James Lileks: We cannot, in fact, hand over shekels to pay our Ricochet.com subscriptions. We must use foreign currency.
Dec '10
Re: Ricochet Podcast #63: Sarah Said It
Who you callin' foreign, buster?
May '10
Re: Ricochet Podcast #63: Sarah Said It
Really Rob? The "Taliban of baseball"? Who needs to take a chill pill?
Jan '11
Re: Ricochet Podcast #63: Sarah Said It
Paris fell in August of 1944, the Normandy landings were in June.
Feb '11
Re: Ricochet Podcast #63: Sarah Said It
Col. West was talking about the oil patrimony of Libya and Iraq, but ignored the huge mineral wealth of Afghanistan. This mineral wealth is likely to be exploited by the Chinese, however.That isn't necessarily a bad thing as the Chinese could deal much more effectively with the Taliban than we can.
Also in discussing Syria, no mention was made of Lebanon. How can you discuss Syria without discussing Lebanon because that is a major source of Syria's cash flow. There is not anyone in Lebanon with any money (and there are lots of people in Lebanon with money) who doesn't pay one or more Syrian generals for protection to keep from getting a bomb under his car. Syria's military is simply a mafia operation and Assad is the mafia chief though he has to be very worried about his generals because it is they who bring him the money.
Edited on Apr 1, 2011 at 6:41amOct '10
Re: Ricochet Podcast #63: Sarah Said It
Sorry about Col. West's solution for Afghanistan. Pull the troops out and leave a force to protect Kabul while the Taliban can have, more or less, the rest of the country? That is precisely what the Russians did. The non-Pashtu population, the Hazaras, the Uzbeks and the rest would be our friends... think Northern Alliance under Massud. But the majority identify themselves with the Taliban, and their tribe will begin the process of wearing down the Americans, just as they did with the Russians.
Just how many casualties do you believe America can endure before discovering what the Russians found out? Oh, and by the way, those guns and RPGs that we provided to the Northern Alliance? They were the guns the Taliban got control over as they overwhelmed the Northern Alliance.
Afghan's know that in the end, just in every case in the past, they are tougher than any Western Imperialist, and they will drive us out. Although not a military type, I have been to Afghanistan 15 or 20 times, and the Afghan villagers I've met and stayed with live on a daily basis in conditions that no American I have ever met could endure for very long.
Edited on Apr 1, 2011 at 7:02amMay '10
Re: Ricochet Podcast #63: Sarah Said It
Although not a military type, I have been to Afghanistan 15 or 20 times, and the Afghan villagers I've met and stayed with live on a daily basis in conditions that no American I have ever met could endure for very long. · Apr 1 at 7:01am
Edited on Apr 01 at 07:02 am
... The reason we haven't really solved the problem there yet is because we don't fight wars like we used to. We used to not care so much about colateral damage. We dropped bombs, killed lots of people, and continued to kill till we won. Now were too busy handing out pencils and revealing battle plans to the enemy before we execute them.
Edited on Apr 1, 2011 at 7:24amOct '10
Re: Ricochet Podcast #63: Sarah Said It
Peter "Winston" Orwell
Although not a military type, I have been to Afghanistan 15 or 20 times, and the Afghan villagers I've met and stayed with live on a daily basis in conditions that no American I have ever met could endure for very long. · Apr 1 at 7:01am
Edited on Apr 01 at 07:02 am
... The reason we haven't really solved the problem there yet is because we don't fight wars like we used to. We used to not care so much about colateral damage. We dropped bombs, killed lots of people, and continued to kill till we won. Now were too busy handing out pencils and revealing battle plans to the enemy before we execute them. · Apr 1 at 7:14am
Edited on Apr 01 at 07:24 am
Everything you say is true of how the Russians fought there.... and they LOST!!
BTW... most of the destruction you see in Kabul wasn't done by the Russians. It was the Afghan's fighting each other for control AFTER the Russians left.
The Taliban won.
Feb '11
Re: Ricochet Podcast #63: Sarah Said It
raycon,
So what you're saying is that Afghanistan is a fool's errand? Am I understanding you correctly?
Oct '10
Re: Ricochet Podcast #63: Sarah Said It
Basically, yes. When GWB launched on Afghanistan, it appeared that a powerful retribution was in store, and that this would be good. Even the black ops that we were carrying out was a good idea. Remember, 9/11 could not be unanswered. But, personally, as soon as the regular military on the ground began their ops, this is exactly what I expected to happen. Col. West appears to be a credible military guy, but it appears that for someone who was on the ground in Vietnam, he has forgotten a lot about what was going on at home.
Casualties now in Afghanistan are the highest they have been in the 10 years we have been there. Only the sold out news media in protecting Obama will not report it. IF the Republicans win in 2012, prepare for a bloodbath here at home, and an even more ignominious departure than the Saigon embassy roof top departure.
Feb '11
Re: Ricochet Podcast #63: Sarah Said It
raycon,
Thanks. Think you're probably right. Unfortunately. And Pakistan will feel the earthquake.
Oct '10
Re: Ricochet Podcast #63: Sarah Said It
Hang On: raycon,
Thanks. Think you're probably right. Unfortunately. And Pakistan will feel the earthquake. · Apr 1 at 9:29am
Spent more time in Pakistan than in Afghanistan, even have a friend who is a Pakistani senator. With the North African MB movement, and the probability that Pakistan is already in the process of moving full speed into Islamization, things look not good at all.
Which will take us down first if we don't wake up? Islam or the Left? Who cares?
Will we wake up??
Edited on Apr 1, 2011 at 9:57am