Wednesday, April 23, 2003

WILL THE ALPHA DOG PLEASE STAND UP?

This morning Júpiter the Dog finished most of the leftover grilled chicken from my ill-advised late night supper, and Raven cleaned up the rice.

“Too much fake chicken stock in the rice”, Raven spat out one of the last grains. “I hope I don’t get a migraine from the MSG.”

That’s why I left the rice. Sorry. I felt too guilty to throw it out.

“If I die, just bury me in the patio under the lime tree. What’s in the news?”

The usual misery. The usual suspects. Now that the tachycardia of the invasion on Iraq is slowing down, the Dogs of War are fighting among themselves in Washington. Listen while I translate from LA JORNADA:

‘Tuesday a close adviser of Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, lauched a new attack on the State Department, characterizing it as a broken instrument that supports dictators, fails to advance US interests in the world and which should be disbanded. Newt Gingrich, ex-leader of the House of Representatives, asked for a complete restucturing of the State Department, a process which he said must include declarations to Congress, an external task force to make recommendations for changes, and what would be essentially a purge of the career diplomatic corps. Gingrich advized that he was not asking for the removal of Secretary of State Colin Powell, although it would be almost impossible to imagine that the functionary would remain in his job if these changes were effected.’

“Wasn’t Newt the sour graper who was pissed off because Clinton was getting blow jobs in the oval office?” Raven looks doubtful.

While Newt was lucky to get a haircut? Probably. This kind of internecine warfare among bureaucrats is not new. But what’s happening now shows that the apparent “success” of the Hawks’ Iraq invasion has made them a whole lot bolder. From their perspective, the US should not take other nations into account, but should show the world that it will defend its interests regardless of their opinions or interests. Gingrich goes on to say that the State Department had failed in the battle to persuade international public opinion to suuport the war against Saddam Hussein, and undermined the military campaign by not playing hardball with Turkey to launch attacks from its territory. Then he complains about Powell’s decision to meet with Syria.

“I wonder how Powell is adjusting to being The Invisible Man when he thought that Black Was Beautiful.” Rave takes a big swig of coffee. “Sounds like it’s a laugh a minute in Washington.”

Are you suggesting that we should be there, Rave—instead of here in our tropical hideout at the end of the earth?

Raven chokes on the coffee.

“Not a chance. Júpiter the Dog and I can scrap over the spoils just fine right here. Next time he can have the rice....”







No comments: