Vacation – Here’s some Dethklok for you

ThunderHorse.

I’m gone for the next few days so I’ve left you plenty of reading material and a song from Dethklok. In case you don’t know who they are well then your missing out. Rocks totally hardcore….even if they are a “virtual band”. What does that mean? They aren’t really real…or something. Some animated project done by Brandon Small who is famous for his “Home Movies” animated series on Adult Swim (on Cartoon Network).

Death Metal or something. Rawr

Politics and War – The War Czar already off to a bad start, wants to consider the draft.

I knew when Bush was thinking of appointing this guy it was going to suck.

One of the things that our country has always been able to pride itself on was that we kick ass and we do it through the implementation of an all-volunteer army. These are guys who devote their lives to fighting the enemies of America and are very proud to do it. However, because some generals are looking around and are seeing a little bit of stress due to multiple campaigns they freak out and start saying “We need more troops! Lets start forcing people to participate!”

I, despite my pro-military stance, am strongly against the draft. However, Bush’s new War Czar (That title is just a bit too ominous for me) said in a press conference that the option for a draft is always on the table “all things considered”

“I think it makes sense to certainly consider it,” Army Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute said in an interview with National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered.”

“And I can tell you, this has always been an option on the table. But ultimately, this is a policy matter between meeting the demands for the nation’s security by one means or another,” said Lute, who is sometimes referred to as the “Iraq war czar.” It was his first interview since he was confirmed by the Senate in June.

After he made the statement he quickly rebounded and said that the current all-volunteer army is currently meeting the demands of the country, but I question he reasons for even bringing up the idea of the Draft if things are, as he so says, up to par. He claims that his reasoning for bringing this up because he feels that the constant deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan are causing stress not only on the all-volunteer army but on the veterans families themselves. I don’t really understand what he was trying to get at there because it’s one thing against another. Do we have people go who want to go and volunteer? or do we want to instate a motion that would force people to go to war or face jail time?

I, for one, prefer the all-volunteer army. Not because “I” would be effected by the change but because I don’t think things are to the point where we even have to start bringing this up. I mean….if we got invaded or some really REALLY heavy crap started to go down then sure…I could, reasonably, see the generals and the President start considering a reinstatement of the draft, but at this juncture? No, thats just bad policy right now.

For the record: President Bush has stated that he does not think a Draft is necessary and that the option is not on the table.

Afghanistan – Hostages may be released! Hopefully…

At least a Taliban leader is saying so

This is great news if they follow through with it. The only problem with this is that the Taliban are demanding 21 talibani prisoners be released while they give back the rest of the S. Korean Christian hostages that were taken weeks ago. The Taliban is being more forthright with the situation and are basically saying that all of this is going to happen as long as their Talibani prisoners are released as well.

S.Korea was quite a bit more cautious about it.

“A quick release is a good thing but we don’t see that the possibility of the quick release is high,” a South Korean official in Seoul told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, citing the sensitivity of the issue.

Here’s the gist of what is happening as far as negotiations.

Four South Korean officials and two top Taliban leaders met in person Saturday for a second round of talks over the fate of the 21 members of a church group held hostage for three weeks.

This is, despite the fact I don’t like to hear about people “negotiating with the enemy”, actually good news and i’m relieved to hear that there is at least some progress going on in this situation. Bashir is acting a bit too upbeat for this to just be a change of heart, so im guessing that the pressure of a military action rescue is making him a bit uneasy. Attempts to rescue them have been made already and I’m sure the Taliban are feeling the heat. However, despite this somewhat good progress report I have to point out that Bashir is a complete douchetool and that his statement pretty much contradicts what we already know is happening.

“They are healthy and happy and secure,” Bashir said of the Korean captives.

Which, of course, is complete and utter bullcrap. Need we be reminded already that two of the hostages, both male, have already been killed? I seriously doubt that an organization that prides itself on how murderous and imposing it can be is making hostages feel “Healthy, Happy, and Secure”.

I just wish this whole ordeal would be over with. In case your not familiar with the situation here’s the rundown.

The kidnapping of the 23 Koreans — the largest group of foreign hostages taken in Afghanistan since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion — underscores the rise of the Taliban’s power in rural Afghanistan the last two years, a time of increasing violence driven by a rise in suicide blasts and roadside bombings.

The remaining captives — volunteers from a church group who planned to do health work in Afghanistan — include 16 women and five men. Two male captives were executed by gunfire.

Keep the remaining hostages in your prayers. Things are looking up, but they aren’t out of the woods yet.