No surprises these days

Surprise! Karzai, the U.S. appointed leader of Afghanistan, is asking the U.S. to maintain permanent bases in that fractured, troubled country. Have to have some way to protect those oil pipelines. It is as if we didn't know from the beginning it was all about oil and control of the Middle East supplies. Precisely the same thing will happen in Iraq. Nothing new about any of this. Force a regime change, install a puppet government, agree to support and protect them as long as they promise the oil (or whatever else the precious resource is). Hey, it's the American way.

In another developing story it appears that Newt Gringrich (remember him?) is going to try to run for President. Talk about fantasyland! He was (and is) so odious he was forced out of the speakership, is almost universally despised by probably a majority of Americans, but somehow thinks he can be a candidate for President? Maybe he thinks that next to Tom DeLay he looks good. Actually, if that is the comparison he probably does look good. There are still some who seem to think DeLay will survive. I don't think so. But I am often wrong. God, how I hope I am not wrong this time.

Hilary is coming on strong. I believe running her for President would be another Democratic mistake as I think she is basically another Republican lite. But if she were to be nominated how could any Democrat not support her? We need a new face entirely, not just business as usual. There must be someone who is not on the Corporate take. Perhaps not. Perhaps it is already too late. There's a depressing thought for the evening. Here is another.


Gone are the mighty forests.
Muddy rivers run,
where once the mighty salmon
swam in multitudes,
and now smother in the mud.