David Friedlander writes:

To your point about the American occupation and the growing “civil war” in Iraq, I think it’s worth remembering the old slogan of colonialist and occupiers everywhere — “divide and conquer.”

Isn’t it a little too neat to imagine that the inter-communal strife in Iraq is an unintended consequence of the US occupation? If a civil war can be ignited, the US Army can leave (or at least reduce its presence) but Iraq will be through as a power in the world and it resources will be cheaply available.

To underline this point, I think it’s worth looking at the tactic of “death squads,” where people are abducted and their tortured bodies dumped on the roads to terrorize the population. This horrific tactic, which has become a pattern in Iraq may have happened elsewhere, but I think you will recall, it was the signature of the war against the people o El Salvador. In that “counterinsurgency”, where the US trained, backed and armed such squads. At that time, US policy in Central America was run by John Negroponte, who was US Ambassador to Iraq and is now Director of National Intelligence.

Wendi Meremark issues a demand to the NY Times:

“NY Times must begin a beat reporter (team?) who carries coverage in so-called (for now) ‘Progressive’ political actions and movement. Or else.

It’s like that. Not asking. Not advising. Not admonishing. Commanding. Get ‘er done. It’s a direct order. Make fit print coverage — daily, diligent, and deep — reporting in the Progressive power punch now growing from desertions of Democratic tweedle-deeness and by renunciation of Republican tweedle-dumness. Now thriving in art and social interdependence. Now smashing the State. Or else.

If Bush is Shakespeare’s Caesar, then now rolls the tide in the affairs of citizens, which taken at its floodcrest, carries on to world self-governance.”

Ya listening over there on W 43rd?

Roger Burke, A Dallas-based funnyman and media industry vet writes:

” I WILL buy In Debt We Trust –before the first of the year, but can’t now, for marital harmony – not because of debt, just the threat of debt. Having paid off SMU and Vassar, our daughter’s only in her second year of med. school.I’m sure you probably have this in your film, but thanks to the Repug. Congress, Stafford School Loan interest went up last year from something like 2.875% consolidated to 6.8%. I figured it would only go up so we took out more than needed. Who knew there’d be a Democratic Congress? Guessed wrong as usual.

I’m sure George Miller will head the Education Subcommittee and do something about that. We still get almost as many calls from loan consolidation services as we do credit cards from Capitol one. (Do you get into the hidden cost, that with so much credit card mail spam you can’t find the real bills to pay on time and incur interest on those?)

As an impending debt saga. Here’s how we’ve been saving : 1) Haven’t had cable for years. No Daily Show, no Colbert, no Comedy Central, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News etc. etc. 2) Cancelled all but Sunday edition of Dallas Morning News – both economy move and protest over how they cleaned house with their editorial staff – especially the Arts section. 3) Den TV died so we moved the one from the bedroom there, ergo very little late night TV talk show viewing, etc. For somebody who lives for topical humor it’s like friggin’ Carrot Top without the inventory…

Anita Nowell warns:

WARNING AND POSSIBLY TRUE:

Well the crooks have found a way to rob you of your gift card balance.

If you buy Gift Cards from a display rack that has various store cards you may become a victim of theft. Crooks are now jotting down the card numbers in the store and then wait a few days and call to see how much of a balance they have on the card. Once they find the card is “activated”, and then they go online and start shopping. You may want to purchase your card from a customer service person, where they do not have the Gift Cards viewable to the public. Please share this with all your family and friends.”

That’s it for now from yr news dissector. Comments always welcome.

Write Dissector@mediachannel.org