Posted 11:57 AM by David Gonterman

An update and some war support

Before I rant, I'd like to show an update. Dispite the crash on MTGO's server--thinking they can do a 4098-player tourney for free, fat chance--I was able to get a couple smaller--but still free--tournaments in yesterday. I didn't win anything, but I did some much needed boost to my crappy ratings, as well as some feedback on how to tune my UG Madness deck. As for this site, I'll be able to get back to the strips later on tonight, tomorrow at the latest. The two next Planeswalker strip as well as the next BakaBreakers strip are scanned in and waiting to be colored.

Now for the topic of this rant, something that could be called "Desert Storm, act II". I expected that the United States will catch some heck over this, and I wasn't disappointed. (Hell, the US can impose Shaira Law and wipe Israel off the map, and they'll still have people parking passenger planes into buildings by people demanding Yankee heads. That will give you a clue on my attitude on America's bad rep.) As I was thinking about what our side's goals are, my mind thinks back to what me and Ivan Mayne talked about during Dubya's first international crisis.

Remember that spy plane and the Hot-Dogging Chinese pilot who thought he could earn a Darlington Stripe at 15,000 feet and live? (If you know NASCAR, you'll get this wisecrack) The spy plane wasn't there because of the people of China, nor their government, I said. (The people of China is as wary of a US-China confrontation as your Average Joe Yankee, and dispite being Parinoid in my standards, I doubt that the Chinese Government wants it too. The former just wants to live their lives in peace, while the latter just wants their countries to have some order. We might debate on the methods, but I won't argue over what they want.) The spy plane was there because of the possibility of one or two people who would want to do the world (and thus the US) harm for their goals whatever they are. Even though they were in a global effort of viligance, I doubt that they'd find one in China.

Twelve years ago, they found exactly what I'm talking about in Saddam Husein. You're talking about a guy who is not above gassing his own people, taking
neighboring countries for personal power, accepting humanitarian aid to build armored palaces, considers "Occupied Land" as the square yard an
Israeli is over at the time, thumbed his nose at UN orders to give up weapons that make nukes look like popguns, and he's not above putting human
shields in those targets we're bombing and them pin the blame on the US, even to the point of filing lawsuits and dragging people into an international court that would do more than make the Pledge of Alegiance unconstitutional.

That, and he cheered at the Columbia Disaster. (This would be asking for at least a nuke from me? Remember what Palenstine did on September 11, 2001? Don't get me started on those non-persons.)

If you ask me, it should be the United Nations doing this disarmament by force, not a US-lead coalition. Unfortunately, there are too many people in
the UN without the intestinal fortitude to enforce their own rules, something that should be a requirement in places of leadership. Sometimes the hard choice must be made, like baking up Hans the Weapons Inspector with the Tank Police. Running international organizations is not the place for limp wrists and soft-cooked spines. Or countries who'd surrender to a pea shooter. Unfortunately, it was not the case, and I'm very saddened to report that. It's unfortunate that the only world leaders with balls on this planet are the most hated.

To me, this war is not about Oil, Terrorism, Imperialism, Regieme Change, WMDs, a 12-year grudge, or any other reasons mentioned for or against this war. It's all about Saddam Huseain's Karma. It's about the things that are done going back to the person who did them. It's a form of Justice that transcends any rule of law or legal court in any nation, and it can use men to act as naturally as it can use natural forces. Go back up 2-3 paragraphs in this post. Saddam's got a lot of bad Karma that's long past due. Karma has demanded this action for quite some time now, and if it must be done by a less than desired agent, so be it.

I wish for a swift and honorable fight. I want whatever that needs to be done be done quickly, although I want the combantants to take care not to take on oo many casualities. I also wish for those to keep from lowering themselves to los talon mentality. There's this line spoken by Sean Connerly in the Untouchables that says what his character would deal with the mob: "They come with a knife, you bring a gun, you take out ten of them for every one of yours." This is a level I hope that the colalition doesn't stoop down to. Even though they are indeed wrearing the Black Hats in this conflict--and they're the Invaders this time--they shouldn't do anything like wontonly sweep down civilians and vipe out any and all vestiges of life and community there. It would be very tempting to wipe Bagdad off the map. That shouldn't be done. (Note: Human Shields do not count as 'Innocent Casulaties' on the colalition's side. Since it is _Saddam_ who put them there, that technically puts the blood on _Saddam's_ hands, not the colalition's; he just used the US to kill them.)

I wish for a war where great care is taken.

I wish for a war that is fought honorably.

I wish for Karma to be served.

And after this is over, I wish for a peacefull world than before said war.

It is my hope that all four comes true.

And it isn't just me. Here's a poem Ivan sent me, written by Paul Anka...

Many men came here as soldiers
Many men will pass this way
Many men will count the hours
As they live the longest day
Many men are tired and weary
Many men are here to stay
Many men won't see the sunset
When it ends the longest day
The longest day the longest day
This will be the longest day
Filled with hopes and filled with fears
Filled with blood and sweat and tears
Many men the mighty thousands
Many men to victory
Marching on right into battle
In the longest day in history.

May the Longest Day lead to a more Peacefull, and Safer, Night.

An update and some war support

I'll be skipping this week, folks...

Murphy's Law. It's an absolute

Drat and Double Drat!!

The Weekend offering: