16-06-2005 18:51									#31
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AP

"BAGHDAD, Iraq - Senior members of a Shiite-dominated committee drafting Iraq's new constitution reached a compromise Thursday with Sunni Arab groups on the number of representatives the minority will have on the body drafting the charter.

The agreement broke weeks of deadlock between the 55-member committee and Sunni Arabs over the size of their representation.

The stalemate had threatened to derail Iraq's political process as it was about to enter its final stretch, with two key nationwide votes later this year — a constitutional referendum and a general election.

Under the deal, 15 Sunni Arabs would join two members of the minority already sitting on the committee. An additional 10 Sunni Arabs would join, but only in an advisory capacity.

News of the deal was announced by two lawmakers who sit on the committee — Shiite Bahaa al-Aaraji and Sunni Arab Adnan al-Janabi. Both have led contacts with the Sunni Arab community over the size of their participation in the constitutional process.

They also attended a meeting Thursday with 70 representatives of the Sunni community over the issue.

The United States and the European Union have called for the inclusion of the Sunni Arabs in the drafting of the constitution to ensure the credibility and success of the process."

	16-06-2005 21:17									#32
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Friedman isn't too bad, and calling him Center-Left and a Clinton Democrat (didn't that used to be called moderate Republican ) isn't too far off the mark. Yes he repeats the obvious stuff, however that is sadly lacking in many columns (i.e. other columnists who make moronic assertions, aka Cal Thomas et al). When you look at the majority of syndicated columns out there he's not too bad. He generally doesn't make moronic statments, and even when he is wrong he generally has a good series of reasons which he is willing to discuss intelligently. Sort of like LoTM.

	16-06-2005 21:33									#33
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quote: Originally posted by DanS Tom Friedman is a lefty, AFAIK.

Officially, Freidman is a liberal. If you ever read his work though, he's either a very right-wing liberal or a very left-wing conservative. He has been exceedingly pro-Bush on this war since before it started. He wanted a war about which America could feel proud again. Whenever I read Freidman, I wonder how he can get away with calling himself a liberal, but that's really the liberals problem.

	16-06-2005 22:33									#34
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quote: Originally posted by shawnmmcc Friedman isn't too bad, and calling him Center-Left and a Clinton Democrat (didn't that used to be called moderate Republican ) isn't too far off the mark. Yes he repeats the obvious stuff, however that is sadly lacking in many columns (i.e. other columnists who make moronic assertions, aka Cal Thomas et al). When you look at the majority of syndicated columns out there he's not too bad. He generally doesn't make moronic statments, and even when he is wrong he generally has a good series of reasons which he is willing to discuss intelligently. Sort of like LoTM.

im really quite honored, both by the specifics, and by the general comparison to Mr. Friedman.

	17-06-2005 05:55									#35
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quote: Maybe it is too late, but before we give up on Iraq, why not actually try to do it right? Double the American boots on the ground and redouble the diplomatic effort to bring in those Sunnis who want to be part of the process and fight to the death those who don't.

Why? Why are we over there on land they own trying to kill them for not wanting Kurds and/or Shiites making their decisions? Imagine that, we want to impose rulers upon them and they are fighting us? Can you imagine the US going in and killing Kurds and Shiites for resisting Saddam's rule? Well, we did give the bastard alot of help back when he was at his bloodiest.

There was and is only 1 solution to Iraq - abolish it as a country. The damn Brits (God, how many times do we see these problems stemming from colonial Europe) fabricated a country out of 3 peoples so the strife would distract them away from the Brits and the oil. Partition the damn country into Turdistan, Sunnyland, and
Sh!ttyland and tell them we'll come in and whoop 'em if they invade each other. Had we told Saddam what would happen if he invaded his neighbors, we wouldn't be in this mess.

	17-06-2005 05:59									#36
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quote: Turdistan, Sunnyland, and Sh!ttyland

I agree. Much h8 to artifical borders.

	17-06-2005 06:04									#37
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Btw, its weird how Friedman is becoming more pessimistic and I'm more optimistic. I think those people, inspite of their anger over the past are so tired of violence they will work this out. I just wonder if the insurgency would die down faster if we left after an Iraqi army is in place. But I also suspect many of the rulers in this country want Iraq for semi-permanent bases for future wars with Iran and maybe Syria. Got make the world safe for our Jewish brothers

	17-06-2005 06:09									#38
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Oops, that second post doesn't count as my 1 solution, just a better mess than we see now.

	17-06-2005 06:55									#39
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If that NY Press review is accurate, Friedman's book looks positively putrid. Ugh! If he writes as bad throughout as he does in their cited selections, it's amazing to me anyone would read his drivel at all.

	17-06-2005 07:43									#40
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quote: Originally posted by lord of the mark im really quite honored, both by the specifics, and by the general comparison to Mr. Friedman.

It's your relentless optimism. That's what made me laugh.

	17-06-2005 08:04									#41
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quote: Originally posted by Boris Godunov If that NY Press review is accurate, Friedman's book looks positively putrid. Ugh! If he writes as bad throughout as he does in their cited selections, it's amazing to me anyone would read his drivel at all.

He does. I haven't read the new one, but I subjected myself to The Lexus and the Olive Tree when I was preparing for the Foreign Service exam. I don't know which I resent more: paying for it, or devoting 10-15 hours of my life to reading it. Either way, what a freaking waste. My undergraduates (well, a few of them) wrote more insightful and readable stuff.

	17-06-2005 09:22									#42
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quote: Originally posted by Oerdin The administration still hasn't gotten serious about Vietnamisation... er, Iraqisation. The Iraqi Army is still around 50k last I heard where as five years ago it was around 1 million. Sure, those 1 million weren't worth much but it supplied a lot of jobs and it kept people loyal to the government. Hiring a 500k Army would soak up a lot of pissed off unemployed people and it would ally an aweful lot of tribes with the central government. That would cost money and would be intelligent though so I'm sure Bush won't do it.

I agree 100%

	17-06-2005 09:38									#43
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quote: Originally posted by Agathon He's a fatuous oaf. He shouldn't be writing for The New York Times. He should be somewhere more suited to fatuous oafs, like the ACS Off Topic Forum.

ah - its role reversal you're really after

there, there, one day you might be a syndicated columnist too

	17-06-2005 09:57									#44
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quote: Originally posted by Alexander's Horse ah - its role reversal you're really after there, there, one day you might be a syndicated columnist too

I'd rather die than be a journalist.

A journalist is someone with no expertise who spends his days writing about things that require expertise to understand them.

	17-06-2005 10:21									#45
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I believe you, I really do

	17-06-2005 10:52									#46
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quote: Originally posted by Agathon Until I am simultaneously sipping a broon ale, watching Newcastle win the league and cup double, and am receiving a tag team blow job from Natalie Portman and Alicia Silverstone I will remain displeased. Hmph!

I'd be displeased too, Alicia Silverstone is an idiot.

	17-06-2005 10:54									#47
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quote: Originally posted by Agathon He's a fatuous oaf. He shouldn't be writing for The New York Times. He should be somewhere more suited to fatuous oafs, like the ACS Off Topic Forum.

Compared to Krugman (also a NYT columnist) he looks like a genius, and there is no disputing his total superiority in intellectual honesty.

	17-06-2005 10:56									#48
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quote: Originally posted by Sikander Compared to Krugman (also a NYT columnist) he looks like a genius, and there is no disputing his total superiority in intellectual honesty.

Well that goes without saying.

	17-06-2005 10:58									#49
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Yeah, being better than Krugman is hardly worth mentioning.

	17-06-2005 10:59									#50
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Ah, Krugman detractors.

I prefer Krugman over Friedman, in both arguements and sensibility , and specially writing styles, because Friedman is not the smoothest writer.

	17-06-2005 11:01									#51
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quote: I prefer Krugman over Friedman

We can tell.

	17-06-2005 11:02									#52
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But we all know you are a secret Safire groupie.

	17-06-2005 11:05									#53
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Hell no. If I have to pick a NYT columnist, I'd have to go with Brooks or Friedman.

	17-06-2005 13:59									#54
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quote: Originally posted by GePap But we all know you are a secret Safire groupie.

I liked Safire, though he was more of a reporter than a commentator.

	17-06-2005 14:27									#55
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quote: Originally posted by Agathon I have high expectations. Not all of us have the consolation of five personal bathrooms.

If I got Alicia Silverstone into the deal, I'd be perfectly happy with just two bathrooms.

(She'd have a further two, of course.)

	17-06-2005 14:52									#56
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quote: Originally posted by Sikander I'd be displeased too, Alicia Silverstone is an idiot.

And her intellect really matters in this situation.

	17-06-2005 15:19									#57
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quote: Originally posted by Agathon And her intellect really matters in this situation.

If she had magically teleported on to my dong and I had no previous knowledge that she was dense then it wouldn't matter. But once the cat is out of the bag, it's hard to get it back in. Stupid is just not sexy.

	17-06-2005 15:40									#58
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quote: Originally posted by Sikander If she had magically teleported on to my dong and I had no previous knowledge that she was dense then it wouldn't matter. But once the cat is out of the bag, it's hard to get it back in. Stupid is just not sexy.

You are no man!!!

	17-06-2005 18:42									#59
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quote: Originally posted by Drake Tungsten Hell no. If I have to pick a NYT columnist, I'd have to go with Brooks or Friedman.

Now Brooks is a better writer than Friedman, and better than most columnists out there. But not only am I closer to Friedmans views than Brooks, I find Brooks rather more fatous than Friedman, who is quite serious. No hes not always insightful. Thats the problem with this whole regular column thing, how can you have insights multiple times a week? Friedman has had a FEW, big insights over the years.

Krugman was, IIUC, once a really brilliant Urban/Regional Economist who made some major contributions. But he wasnt a macroeconomist, and now he mainly only writes on macroeconomics or politics. What a waste of talent.

I really cant stand George Will though. (to get to WaPo, rather than NYT)

	17-06-2005 19:03									#60
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Herbert pwnz all others.

Krugman's good too, but I generally prefer Herbert's columns.