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We meet in the middle, no? Neither holy warriors or cynical opportunists but something in between; which to describe fairly would require more of that detail (and nuance, I presume) that you've spoken of. But we're not talking about the 'Iranians' are we. We're talking about the view that some...

Hang on. Rhetorical flourishes aside, I would never claim no difference between Obama and Bush. The degree and significance of that difference and how it plays out is another matter. To borrow a line: "All of these subsidiary, discrete battles are shaped by larger truths". I'm merely of the...

:D A riddle designed to entice me to further reading? It's working. Cheers.

I'm down with detail. Somewhere along the line ,tho detail/s needs to be framed. I'm guilty of jumping into the middle of a conversation thinking that framing hadn't been made. On reflection I'm guessing it had, implicitly, at least. I still might have made comment about the drift of it all.

That's a nicely outlined challenge Vim. My first fumbled attempt would be to refer back, yet again, to Greenwald. This won't satisfy you in the slightest, I realize. Take it as a vague promissory note; one likely to be defaulted on, I might add ;)...

Yes, and all the more need of metaphors to make sense of it all. Thanks for this. But Goldsmith and Greenwald making the same argument? Ha. Sure, save that one - Greenwald is filled with righteous fury at the situation thus described, while the other - Goldsmith - seems to think its all on a...

Can This is a fine list of villains, that somehow leaves me unsatisfied. Perhaps I ache for that so called 'generic' critique that in the very first instance is suspicious of any actual US presence in Afghanistan. I feel the details pale in comparison. It's not the discussion taking place...

k @Padraig "anyway, I'm on the record numerous times as saying we should get out of Afghanistan. I just think - this is the key really - that if you're going to fight a war you have to fight it to win. that is, go big or go home, to borrow a phrase. this kind of half-in, half-out we've got in...

A little bit of self-awareness never goes amiss, wouldn't you agree? Fragments upon fragments amount to.......? C'mon Padraig you can do better than that. We both know that Obama has been a massive disappointment whose major drive - alongside Rahm Emmanuel - has been to retain Democratic...

Agreed Ok Padraig, I'm going to be a lazy fucker and post a link. Forgive me: http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/175109/david_swanson_the_more_things_change Shit, mate, sorry, I didn't mean to wound! You sound like your really smarting ;) Anyhow, between you and Vim, and a more mindful read...

Villains clutching black boxes seen.. Vim: I'l grant, and give a bow to your more nuanced and detailed view of the situation. I guess in reading the thread I fail to get much sense of any powerful or impassioned framework for discussion and/or critique. Indeed, it all seems dangerously like...

Well I won't argue that's it's not cheesy/a little strained. But look at it from the other side: Let's imagine that Obama isn't the virtual Bush clone he seems to be, and wants to get out of the war. Are the generals/military establishment going to support him in that aim? While Engelhardt's...

Disconnect TomDispatch has had some interesting articles on Afghanistan lately. Here's one on the disconnect between fantasies of what the Afghan army is, or might be, and reality. The size difference, and its consequences, between the soldiery of the two nations is fascinating in itself...

For those interested in the spirit practice edge of magick - that does include the 'get me the shit I want aspect' - Alan Chapman and Duncan Barford are excellent. They do a great combination of Chaos magick, esoteric Crowley and Mahasi Sayadaw (neo-Burmese) style buddhism. You'll find them...

Peter Hallward: "The supervision of places and functions is the business of what Ranciere calls the 'police'; a political sequence begins, then, when this supervision is interrupted so as to allow a properly anarchic disruption of function and place, a sweeping de-classification of speech"...

Analysis Further thoughts on DFW's analytic talent over narrative was that in fiction he tended to over-expound into a sort of flashy look-at-me. They (Slate) quote him making that very observation about himself. Whereas with the non-fiction essay form the subject he was writing about provided...

Hmm Well, in a somewhat contrarian view to the enthusiasm shown here, and you and your g/f, the Slate readers (link above) thought that DFW's mind had an analytical rather than narrative brilliance and that his non-fiction was the really great stuff. With some interesting thoughts on why...

Infinite Jest This is definitely worth a listen... Be interested what others thought. An hour of discussion from Slate Book Club. http://www.slate.com/id/2214324/

The Way Forward is? Droid, I'm impressed by your grasp and ability to document the situation. I've been having discussion elsewhere with those who are remarkably resistant to a change of view, no matter how often you point out the absurdities or fallacies in their argument. This points up, as...

For 7 years?! I'm not saying he's pulling it but that level of industry is nearly incredible. As in barely. I went through architecture school which encouraged obsessive activity to complete projects. Even the most serial all nighters never got past a few 4/5 or so without looking crazed and...