He says 21,500 new troops will help quell violence, hasten homecoming
WASHINGTON (NBC News)- Defying public opinion polls and newly empowered Democratic lawmakers, President Bush told Americans Wednesday that he is dispatching 21,500 additional U.S. troops to Iraq. And in a rare admission, he said he made a mistake by not deploying more forces sooner.
“The situation in Iraq is unacceptable to the American people, and it is unacceptable to me,” Bush said in a televised address from the White House. “Where mistakes have been made, the responsibility rests with me.”
With American patience running thin over his handling of the war, Bush said he would put greater pressure on Iraqis to restore order in Baghdad and used blunt language to warn Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki that “America’s commitment is not open-ended.”
“If the Iraqi government does not follow through on its promises, it will lose the support of the American people, and it will lose the support of the Iraqi people,” Bush said.
Bush said his new strategy, in which Iraqis will try to take responsibility for security in all 18 provinces by November rather than just three now, “will not yield an immediate end to suicide bombings” and other violence.
But he said the increased military presence would help break the cycle of violence gripping Iraq and “hasten the day our troops begin coming home.”
Bush said that 17,500 troops would go to Baghdad and 4,000 to the volatile Anbar province, Senior administration officials said before the president spoke that the first wave of troops is expected to arrive in five days, with others joining about 130,000 U.S. troops already in Iraq in the coming weeks.
Bush’s decision will push the American presence in Iraq toward its highest level and puts him on a collision course with the new Democratic Congress.
Democrats: Strategy bound to fail
Democratic congressional leaders said shortly after Bush spoke that Bush’s failure to impose a deadline on the Iraqis to assume responsibility for their own security doomed the initiative to failure.
“Iraqi political leaders will not take the necessary steps to achieve a political resolution to the sectarian problems in their country until they understand that the U.S. commitment is not open-ended,” said the statement by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Democratic Whip Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md. “Escalating our military involvement in Iraq sends precisely the wrong message and we oppose it.” Click here for the full report.
Ngayon pa umamin si Bush na mali siya. Too late ang “I’m sorry” niya tulad ni Arroyo noon. If a presidential US election is to be held today, any opponent would easily beat Bush. Noon pa alam na niya mali siya pero ayaw umamin at nagsinungaling. His usual excuses like national security and terrorism are no longer acceptable to the American people and the world. Tulad niya, laging dahilan ni Arroyo ang Communists, rebelde, Abu Sayyaf at kung anu-ano pang palusot para lang manatili sa puwesto. Clearly, Arroyo is Bush’s counterpart. Baka nga si Bush ang nagturo kay Arroyo ng “I’m sorry” o si Arroyo ang nagturo kay Bush ngayon? Whatever, we feel sorry to have such two lousy leaders.
Yung strategy daw ang mali, hindi ang invasion. That’s why he is adding more troops.
Bush wants to have his own “Vietnam”. They never learn their lesson.
Ka Ellen, malinaw na palusot. Hindi siya ang mali kundi ang strategy. Then, he could blame his political and military strategists for the mess. Blame anyone except him. Isn’t Arroyo following Bush’s style? Arroyo blames every living creature except herself and her family. We also need to keep a close watch on Somalia. Bush is now shifting his attention on this African nation. The US is supporting the Somalian warlords against Islamists in Ethiopa. Al Queda and terrorists na naman ang palusot niya. Delikado doon dahil baka doon mag-umpisa ang major conflict sa Africa.
Some of the earlier news in the US of in reaction to Bush’s version of “I am sorry”.
1. Republican Congressman Predicts Bush Impeachment
Says US close to dictatorship.
2. Bush Impeachment – The Illinois State Legislature is Preparing to Drop a Bombshell
3. Developing News; California Becomes Second State to Introduce Bush Impeachment
4. Developing: Vermont lawmakers to call for Bush impeachment.
Fortunately,the Democrats in both houses will stop this mad man, who still thinks killing 650 or more Iraqis is justified!
In a way, Bush has been useful to expose the ulterior motive of the US of A when it adopted its so-called “National Security Act” in 1947 that gave way to US international spying in the guise of policing the world for peace and prosperity, and the creation of secret combinations that God has warned mankind about.
I wonder how many Americans are still sold out to this Iraqi BS. For more, read the articles at this site: http://www.informationclearinghouse.info
More troops to Iraqi will not appease the dead, who may be fidgetting in their graves seeking for justice for their untimely death.
Yes, Ellen, these Americans never learn, especially because they are always right even when they are not!
The idiot thinks that this is just a matter of tribal war between Suunis and Shiites that he brags he can easily quell.
What is most revolting in Bush’s speech is his usual inuendoes and search for people to blame for his nincompooping like his accusations on neighboring Syria and Iran even when he was evidently most cautious not to directly mention them or their leaders as in the case of Iran which is now developing its own nuclear capability.
He still has a year more to go and convince his younger brother to grab the presidency. Oh, no!
Bush the Dummy should actually be impeached for his “sorry” BS!
One thing Bush has going for him is that he has succeeded in forcing the battlefront of the war against terrorism away from the US homeland. Of course while he may have saved the infrastructure, the cost in American lives is becoming unacceptable. Again, this is debatable given the viciousness of 9/11. Don’t get me wrong, I’m no Bush lover. I think he’s the dumbest US President ever. Well, if Kerry had been elected, HE would have been the dumbest ever. Sorry, I couldn’t resist that.
Si Bush mahilig mag go around the bush. Dapat diyan ipasagasa sa tren.
acpiccio:
From reading the different opinion around the world, we can’t be sure that Iraq had anything to do with 9/11 can we?
Iraq has definitely nothing to do with 9/11. Iba ang pakay ng Amerika sa Iraq. Invasion on Iraq was planned way before 9/11.
“Where mistakes have been made, the responsibility rests with me.”
Maganda ang sinabi ni Bush, I think this will go into the collection of quotable quotes from US presidents.
I hope the Glue have the courage na gayahin si Bush, tutal idol naman niya and say the same thing, hindi yong puro turo-turo at iwas pusoy palagi.
magkatulad nga ang dalawa, pero walang kadalaan at kapwa hindi marunong mahiya sa taong bayan!
wwnl, I agree that Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11, which I never said. But it definitely is one of the battlefronts in America’s war against terrorism.
Iraq became one of the battlefronts in the war against terrorism precisely because of America’s invasion. By invading, the Americans just created a problem for themselves (and the whole world).
Bush to add more troops? Aba, ganyan din si Ate Glo di ba?
Tingnan nyo, marami siyang additional deployed troops..Sabi niya kay Esperon,Yung dagdag,yung dagdag..Hayun di para na rin tayong Iraq? Kaliwa,kanan may sumasabog..Ah, umpisa lang yan..Sige dagdagan mo pa..Lukaret
acpiccio:
I go along with your view that Iraq became a battlefront against terrorism, but then again so has Mindanao. I don’t have much time for the American, they’re the one’s who want to police the world so no good them crying about it when its time to count the body bags. But in Mindano its not their body bags that’s being counted its the AFP bodybags. When have you heard of an American casualty on Mindanao!
What is “invasion” anyway? It’s not necessarily by force or military. Invasion can also be by religion and economy. For instance, many countries especially the third world were invaded by The Spaniards spreading Catholism. The US missionaries did the same by spreading Protestantism. The US on the other hand has been invaded by Japan and now China economically. Ngayon, sinasakop ng ibang malalaking bansa tulad ng America ang ibang mga bansa lalo na ang Middle East at mga Islamic states dahil daw sa terorismo. Many believed and this belief is now shared by more today that the invasion of Iraq was not about Saddam Hussein, WMD or catching the bad guys, it’s all about oil. Dahil po ito sa langis. Ngayon nasa Somalia na naman sila. Kunwari tinutulungan ang mga Somalians laban sa Ethiopa. Terrorism na naman ang ginagamit na dahilan. Ganyan din ang posibleng mangyari sa Pilipinas gamit ang Mindanao kontra rebelde at terorista.
From Rod Kapunan’s column:
Since the unilateral US invasion in March 2003, more than a hundred thousand Iraqis, mostly innocent civilians, have been butchered by US President Bush’s campaign to impose democracy in that country. Thus, for every Iraqi who has to fight for his survival, the momentum of the fighting has slowly been gaining ground in the Iraqi favor. One cannot exactly say victory is at hand, but the condition of prolonged guerrilla warfare is something the US, for all its sophisticated weapons and technology, cannot stomach.
Go to http://www.tribune.net.ph for the full column.
Florry:
Bush apologizing for his error in Iraq will not bring back the 650,000 or more innocent Iraqis killed by US bombs, etc. He should be tried and punished as a war criminal as a matter of fact.
I watched his state of the nation address in full. I was not impressed. Every word he said was full of politics, inuendoes and hypocrisy. It was not even his own speech because it must have been written for him that was why he stammered on parts that he possibly did not feel like saying but had to in order to appease his fellow Americans who wanted answers to what he had done so far.
I don’t see how this war on Iraq can stop with the deployment of more troops there, plus the fighting in nearby Africa (Somalia, etc. that the Americans are now bombing as well). The Iraqis will continue to fight them because they must. Iraq is their country and the Americans, the invaders not their friends, whom they should kick out even at the risk of being wiped out.
The Americans have become uglier with Bush as president as a matter of fact.
Read more on this war at http://www.informationclearinghouse.info
Bush’s legacy: The president who cried wolf
Only this president, only in this time, only with this dangerous, even messianic certitude, could answer a country demanding an exit strategy from Iraq, by offering an entrance strategy for Iran.
Only this president could look out over a vista of 3,008 dead and 22,834 wounded in Iraq, and finally say, “Where mistakes have been made, the responsibility rests with me” — only to follow that by proposing to repeat the identical mistake … in Iran.
By Keith Olbermann -Anchor, ‘Countdown’
Click here for the rest of the story.
Bush is in a classic catch-22 situation. Leaving Iraq now begs the question of what are the consequences?
Bush is increasingly getting out of step with the Americans. A poll by AP-IPSOS suggests that 70% opposed sending more troops to Iraq. His decision to send 21,500 combat troops drew skepticism and heavy fire not only from Democrats and some Republicans but across the Mideast. Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel even went to the extent of telling Condo Rice that Bushs’ plan is the most dangerous foreign policy blunder since Vietnam if it’s carried out.
The war in Iraq is becoming more and more like the Vietnam War. This war is not about quantity but quality. By this it means, the local fighters being familiar with the terrains and landscape of their country, have a massive advantage by engaging the Americans in guerilla warfare, hit and run tactics, not to mention suicide bombings and support of their own people. It’s a war between a regular army against militants, fundamentalist, nationalist and maybe even fanatics and inspite of pouring in additional thousands of combat troops, whatever the size, just like Vietnam, they can not win it.
Bush is a joke. He admitted an error in strategy instead of admitting that he should not have gone to Iraq in the first place. It has been exposed for the whole world to see, Iraq has no WMD and no Bin Ladin, his primary reasons for the invasion. Now it’s clear that he went to Iraq purely for business and “pleasure”. In that case even if the US army in Iraq will be wiped out, it doesn’t matter to him, who cares, he has nothing more at stake. If he wins, he can boast it as an accomplishment and victory; if he loses, it doesn’t bother him one bit; he is no longer qualified to be a candidate for the White House, and he already earned his keeps
Florry:
The Americans will not win in Iraq. Bush is making a big mistake even in wanting to strengthen the Shiites which has strong ties with Iran.
If he thinks that the Shiites in Iraq will be grateful to him, he surely is being stupid. On the other hand, he cannot and will never be able to win the Suunis whose leaders he had allowed to be hanged, etc., and for destroying their cities and towns out of his hatred for Saddam, who was in fact a US creation.
The Americans are the invaders. They will be defeated, no doubt about that. No invader of any land has ever succeeded dominating another country. Defeat is just a matter of time.
Majority of the Iraqis, Shiites and Suunis, despite the rivalry for supremacy, want the Americans out of Iraq soonest possible, but the Americans are not listening because of their greed for oil and power. As in Vietnam, they will be eventually defeated.
Bush may not be qualified for another take for the presidency, but he is urging his brother to run. The brother says “No” but nobody can tell what is really in his head, especially with Dubya likely to face the court in the Hague as a war criminal.
Signs of the times really when the world has been prophesied of being led by hypocrites with no scruples! I just wonder if Bush and Mrs. Pidal have hired the same speech writer! 🙁 Baka si Kashiwara, the brother-in-law of Ninoy!
acpiccio, i think the question as formulated is incomplete. The full question that Bush is asking is “Leaving Iraq now begs the question of what are the consequences for him?“. The majority of Americans realize that the war is lost. This escalation by Bush is an attempt to delay the inevitable so that withdrawal from Iraq will not happen on his watch and, as Olbermann says above, an attempt to change the game by drawing Iran and/or Syria into a larger war.
Re: Pres Bush’s ‘Surge’ doctrine
I don’t know if the American president has read any war strategy books. I doubt President Bush has read “On War” by Karl von Clauswitz or “The Art of War” wherein the great strategist Sun Tzu outlined his winning war stratagems: avoid a protracted war and only wage war in towns and cities as a last resort. I doubt too that Bush has heard of Clauswitz’ theory that planning for war must include knowing the the enemy’s power of resistance, i.e., the mental power to resist a superior invading force. But if ever Bush did, it seems he wants desperately to prove Sun Tzu and Clauswitz wrong.
Bush’s declaration of troop increase in Iraq to ‘defeat insurgency’ is nothing but hollow rhetoric aimed at shifting the responsibility for an eventual Vietnam-like war fiasco to the Democrats.
Bush’s term will be over soon. Bush, the neo-con, the bungling and bumbling US president whose brain has probably been half-destroyed by booze is one president who has no understanding of how to end wars or conflicts. His actions these last few years point to one direction: political victory or survival.
Our problem today is it seems nobody in Democrat-controlled Congress, save for Sen Ted Kennedy, has the balls to stop him by saying ‘Bush, you are wrong!’
I have no illusion about Bush’s inability (his depth of understanding of warfare possibly starts and ends in the warfare the likes that America saw 230 years ago and the wild-wild west kind of warfare) to see that the escalation could draw Syria and Iran into a larger and possibly, protracted war where Israel could come in quite officially.
Didn’t Bush say that he was determined to do something about Iran before his term was over? Could he in fact be creating a war scenario using the Shia-Sunny civil war in Iraq that would eventually draw Israel to a wider conflict?
With the more recent escalation in Iraq and the bombing of Somala, who knows, Bush is probably preparing the world for a greater war into which to draw the Israelis – with Iran and Syria. I hope Bush is not stupid enough to believe that he could bomb Iran to kingdom come and get away with it. Completely fatuous in the extreme if he even believes the world will not react, i.e., China, Pakistan, N Korea, Russaia, if he goes ahead with such a scheme.
Some worthwhile reads:
http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/index.php?menuID=1&subID=1039
Edward Luttwak: Bush’s plan for more troops is a chance to divide and rule
Alexander Cockburn: the plan is stupid and cruel
Matthew Carr: Bush’s blundering War on Terror
Bush’s strike in Somalia only helps al-Qaeda’s war
The media is softening us up for an attack on Iran
I also recommend one of my favorite American blog sites: http://www.the-vigil.blogspot.com/
Oh yeah? Quell violence and stop the civil war in Iraq? Hah!
Iraq will be the future, biggest American graveyard for a big portion of those 21,000+ troops.
ipag-adya nawang magkatotoo ang hula sa banal na kasulatan – ang malagim na wakas ng sanlibutan bunga ng walang patumanggang paggamit ng dahas ng mga bansang gustong maghari harian!
Mrivera, si Bush, bilang isang born again ay kabilang sa mga naniniwala sa mga nakasaad sa banal na kasulatan. Ang digmaan na kaniyang pinasimulan sa Gitnang Silangan ay ikinakagalak ng mga kapwa niyang mapanampalataya sa Estados Unidos dahil sa turing nila, ito ay maghuhudyat sa pangalawang pagbalik ni Hesukristo na kanilang tagapagligtas.
I think Bush, by triggering the apocalypse believes that he is facilitating the Second Coming. I also fear that he will be the first US President since Truman who will use nukes.
Some jokes about Bush’ New Plan on Iraq:
By Jay Leno
1. The good news: Last night President Bush admitted he’s made some mistakes in Iraq. The bad news: he’s planning on making the same mistakes again.
2. President Bush said he’s ordering a surge of troops in Iraq. The last time a president had a surge, he got impeached, didn’t he? Oh, I’m sorry. That was an urge.
According to David Letterman
Top Ten Features of Bush’s New Iraq Plan
10. Make the war best two-out-of-three
9. Blame it on that crazy New York gas leak
8. Convene blue-ribbon study group; ignore recommendations
7. Consult with Rumsfeld, who’s now working as a casino greeter
6. Sit on ass until January 2009; let Hillary figure it out
5. Send Cheney to Baghdad with a shotgun
4. Tax cuts for the rich
3. Put Giants coach Tom Coughlin in charge of enemy, watch them collapse
2. Raise money for escalation by robbing Mick Jagger’s apartment
1.Dig up Saddam and execute him again
=
Si Bush Born Again? Baka Born Again ni Bush Sr., ang tatay niya. Ipinanganak uli para ituloy ang pag-atake sa Middle East.
Joeseg, that’s one thing good about U.S. democracy. The can say thsoe jokes on TV. In our case, hanggang text and blog lang.
Ellen,
Re “…U.S. democracy. The can say those jokes on TV. In our case, hanggang text and blog lang.”
Is that right? You mean, journalists can’t lampoon Mike or Gloria Arroyo in print and broadcast media?
Ate Anna, hindi sa ilalim ni Arroyo. Pikon iyan at ayaw mapintasan. Ganyan ang ugali kasi ng Pilipino, pikon at pinipersonal. Kaya hindi puwede ang mga tulad nina Joey de Leon, Willie Revillame at ako. Bastos daw kami.
Artsee, thanks for pointing the pikon thinggy – heheh, aren’t we all lucky here you aren’t pikon?
On TV, no, no. Malacañang will put pressure on the media owner to fire anybody who dares insult Arroyo. And no network owner will risk having its franchise revoked. To think that martial law has long been dismantled in the Philippines!
In print, we do that. That’s why we have those libel suits.Although it was Mike Arroyo who filed the libel suits, he is doing that both for himself and for Gloria.
But how can Gloria revoke a franchise unilaterally? Franchises are like contracts, there are two sides to contending litigants if ever it reaches litigation.
The NTC has rules to guide their actions in terms of franchises after all Congress has veto or approving powers too in matters of franchising.
So why should broadcast media be so scared? Obviously, if NTC decides to pull out the plug (electronically speaking), that’s another story.
Kintanar (during Erap’s term under Jun Rivera as DOTC chief) bought all mobile, roving gadgets for NTC to be used for detecting illegal connections to telecom and other cell sites, etc., other than that, NTC should not even be listening to or have any say in the political contents of a broadcast medium (except of course when the medium uses its franchise to call for the violent overthrow of the Republic.)
Gosh, Gloria would die a thousand slow deaths if what British broadcast media do to Blair was done to her in Pinas.
Blair (and even the Monarchy) are lampooned endlessly in British media. Pity, Pinas media can’t do the same to Arroyo and members of her greedy fatso family.
Ate Anna, ako hindi pikon pero may iba dito pikon. Naniniwala ka bang bastos ako? Hanggang ngayon nagdurugo pa ang aking puso sa sermon ni Ate Ellen. Kaya nga minsan na lang ako sumasali. Kalalabas ko na naman sa ospital. May depression na pala ako tulad noon mga 1930s yata sa Amerika na tinawag na The Great Depression.
Ate Anna, ano ba ang NTC? National Teachers College?
In the US, even tabloids print Bush’s alcohol abuse and love angle with Condi Rice, and they are not sued by Dubya.
Iraq is Bush’s Vietnam!
Chi,
Bush’s spin masters are clever.
POTUS himself has just confirmed what many observers suspect is the American president’s real motive for his ‘Surge’ dogma, that it is really a tactic to shift responsibility for the war on Iraq fiasco on the Democrats who seem to be incapable of formulating an effective ‘counter-surge doctrine.’
The BBC reported that while Mr Bush acknowleged in his weekly radio address that members of Congress had a right to their views, he hit back by declaring that to oppose everything and propose nothing was irresponsible.
Realistically, what does Mr Bush expect Congress to do? For Congress to take over the conduct of the nation’s war affairs and act as the nation’s commander/s in chief?
POTUS must understand that he can’t bend the will of another nation and its people even at the barrel of a super gun made in U.S.A. – that it’s time for the most powerful (but unread) man to review the Clauswitz theory: factor the enemy’s power of resistance when planning an invasion, i.e., the power of a people to resist, mentally, physically a superior invading force must be considered before waging a war. Like it or not, Bush’s ‘Surge’ doctrine is a second Vietnam war in the making.
Your discussion about press and media freedom reminds me of the fight between Donalt Trump and Rosie. The exchange was played in the media for days. Grabe ang palitan ng mga insulto nila. Mga VIPs na ito pero pinayagan pa din sa media. Walang demandahan at tumahimik na. If it happened in the Philippines, lawsuit agad tulad ng ginawa ni Mike Arroyo.
Admiting Strategy Error, Bush Adds Iraq Troops.
Cowboy kaba Bush? Baka wala kang alam mag patakbo ng kabayo, He he he he ;)) sagana ka lang mag utos pero hindi mo pinag iisipan. Sensya ka na wala akong alam sa inglis at hindi ako cowboy. OFW po ako…..
Sa susunod sumanguni po muna kayo sa mga taga OFW para hindi kayo magkamali, Gaya na lang ng aming pekeng Pangulo ayaw na ng mga OFW sa kanya. Dahil ang aming pondo sa OWWA ay nilustay niya sa kanyang pangsariling interes.
Nakakahiya ka PEKENG PANGULO biro mo ang mga taga OFW sila na ang gumagawa ng paraan para makatumulong sa mga sinalanta ng bagyo at kung ano pang kalamidad. Ayaw na namin ibigay sayo ang aming donation, kaya binibigay na namin sa mga “NGO” …. Mahirap nang ibigay sayo “GLORIA DILA HUWAD” dahil mukha mo …… “MUKHANG SALAPI”
PATALSIKIN NA! SIPAIN NA! NGAYON NA! HUWAG MATAKOT SA TAONG KUMUKURAKOT SA KABAN NG BAYAN!
O, sige, Artsee, hindi ka bastos. Pilyo na lang .Mabait ka na ngayon, eh.
Hahaha! O sige, Artsee, huwag ka na sanang magtampo o magdamdam – ayan, pilyo ka na lang… (totoo naman kasi na may pagka pilyo ka eh!)
si artsee, mabait na? gustong gusto ng pusa namin ‘yan! he he heh.
Anna,
Bush’s troop “surge” strategy is so unpopular here that right after he made his speech on this, the Dubya went straight to Georgia to address the soldiers. Now he’s busy going around selling his surge tactics.
If I wanna see him in person (which I don’t care), I could easily do because he frequents our area. Fort Bragg is only less than 2 hrs from my home. Recently, he was in my town addresing the locals. As you know, biggest military facilities are in the South (NC, SC, GA).
As a brilliant militarist, you would definitely know that with or without the troop surge, Bush is a loser in this war. His approach is all muscles, doesn’t want to recognize that unless he pacifies and get on the table the warring ethnic groups, Iraq problems will find no permanent solutions.
With more than 3,000 dead American soldiers and the people being kept away with what’s actually been happening in Iraq, Bush is losing this war even at home.
cvj, ‘yan ang born again na walang pakundangan sa kapwa nilalang palibhasa ay hindi siya ang personal na nasa larangan. ipinapain ang mga kawawang kawal sa digmaang gawa gawa niya lamang.
Mrivera,
Hindi ako si cvj, si chi ako if you addressed this latest post of yours to me. Ang dali mong makalimot. Magagalit sa iyo si artsee niyan. Hahahah!
chi, i think mrivera was responding to my comment above (January 13 at 11:11 pm). mrivera, i agree. dapat ireklamo ng ibang born again si Bush at pati sila nadadamay.
Kabayang cvj, ano ba talaga ang isang Born Again? It’s too general. Malawak ang ibig sabihin ng Born Again o sa Pilipino ay “Bagong Tao”. I know it’s biblical but I don’t really know the meaning. Meroon kasing Born Again Catholics at may Born Again Christians daw (actually Protestants). Naging uso ito simula noong dekada 80.
mandirigma, ang pagkaintindi ko ay matuturing Born Again ang isang tao kung tatanggapin niya si Hesukristo na sariling tagapagligtas. (Iilan sa mga kapatid ko naging born again noong 80’s. Ang kuya ko nga ay pastor na sa America. Ang nanay at panganay na ate ko naman ay nanatiling katoliko-sarado.) Nabibilang dito ang Jesus Is Lord (JIL) ni Eddie Villanueva.
Ang katumbas ng born again sa simbahang katoliko naman ay mas madalas na tawaging renewed christian o charismatic christian. Kasama na dito ang mga miyembro ng Couples for Christ (CFC) na nagapasimula ng Gawad Kalinga. Siguro masasama na rin natin dito ang El Shaddai ni Mike Velarde.
I know Bro. Eddie Villanueva personally through a common friend. Okay na tao iyan. We used to communicate by e-mail. Maraming artista din ang kasapi sa JIL ano? Isa na si Connie Reyes. Ewan ko lang kung si Gary Valenciano din. Iyan ang mga kilala kong mga tunay na Born Again. Nakikita sa buhay at lifestyle nila.
Kung sana ganoon din ang mga kapwa Born Again nila sa Amerika. Siguro, karamihan sa kanila ay mabubuting tao rin, pero ang problema, nagpaloko o nagpadala sila kay Bush. Sila ang dahilan kung bakit nahalal muli si Bush noong 2004.
Oopps, sorry cvj.
Sa dami ng binasa ko after a 3 day vacation, medyo nalito.
naunawaan ko chi. ang bilis ng dagsa ng mga comments dito sa blog ni Ellen.
cvj,
Totoo ‘yang sinabi mo na nanalo lang si Bush dahil sa mga born again lalo na sa kanyang balwarte sa South na tinaguriang Gospel countries. Kaya iyang campain issues niya na traditional values ay nasira ng magkaroon ng sunod-sunod na eskandalo ang kanyang mga congressmen, ranging from lobbying, corruption at kabaklaan (nang harass ng congressional pager).
Anyway, hindi ko pa rin makuha kung bakit “born again” ang tawag sa kanila. Meron bang namatay na pananampalataya sa kanilang katauhan? Mas mahirap itong religion na pag-usapan kesa sa pulitika, pero magkapatid naman sila lalo sa Pinas.
Kaya sumikat at naging katanggap tanggap ang mga Born Again groups dahil sawa na yata ang mga tao sa mga organized religions. Accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior is all there to it. Huwag sana magalit ang mga kasapi ng mga malalaking grupong simbahan pero nagiging money making na kung minsan ang mga organized religious groups. Another is the control over the members. The threat of losing salvation or not being saved has become the practice of most churches. Iyan po ang dahilan kung bakit nagsimulang lumakas ang Born Again groups noon 80s. Meroon pa din ngayon pero napapansin kong balik na naman sa grupo-grupo. Ang pinakaayaw ko po ang Gospel of Prosperity na ginagawang pang-akit sa mga tao. But we need to respect one another’s belief and faith anyway.
Chi:
I wonder if Bush could get similar support in 2004 if the born-again pastor (?) had been exposed before the election and if he had been as bold to admit he committed a big mistake about Iraq.
I watched a better copy of Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 911 the other day. I thought they should show that movie in theatreas again, especially where Bush bulwarks were.
It is downloadable in all sites distributing bittorrents. I got a permit from Moore, who came to Tokyo for the ICTI, to reproduce his movie for free distribution to interested parties. He wants as many people to see it, and know about the sins and mistakes of Dubya, and any profit gained be used for movements against against tyrants and oppressors like Dubya, et al.
I have similar permit from the producers of Erap’s “To Live for the Masses.”
US troops’ ‘unconventional’ presence
By HERBERT DOCENA
NOW that the US Marine convicted of raping a Filipina is in the custody of US Embassy officials, the United States has announced that it will push through with the “Balikatan” training exercises involving US and Filipino troops scheduled next month. It had earlier cancelled the exercises to protest the Philippine courts’ refusal to release Lance Cpl. Daniel Smith to US authorities while his case is on appeal.
Yet unknown to many, a contingent of US Special Operations Forces that had been stationed in the southern Philippines since January 2002 is clearly staying on despite the “Balikatan” exercises’ cancellation.
While the US and Philippine governments maintain that these troops are not doing anything beyond training Filipino soldiers and conducting humanitarian projects, questions persist regarding their actual mission here. In 2002, a petition was lodged before the Philippine Supreme Court claiming the US troops about to be deployed here were going to war “under the guise of an exercise.” But while the Court agreed with the petitioners that US troops are indeed constitutionally banned from engaging in an “offensive war” in the Philippines, it held that whether they are actually going to do so was “a question of fact” that had to be proven first.
Yuko,
We saw Farenheit 911 twice on the big screen and we’re impressed with this docu of Michael Moore. Now, it is free on On Demand channel and was able to tape it. This is the kind of film that Pinoy should see.
I would like to see Erap’s docu and see for myself why the Great Switik is afraid of its public showing.
It’s only because the democrats won that Dubya was forced to admit his mistakes about Iraq. Kung republicans ang nanalo, never na aamin iyan.
Lately, the Dubya is confrontational. Latest news is that he and Cheney will go forward with the troop surge no matter how much congress opposes it. Pareho sila ni Glueria, no respect for the congress.
Kabayang Chi, hindi papayagan ng Malacanang na ipalabas sa public ang biopic ni President Erap until after election. Showing it would damage the administration and strengthen the opposition. Ayaw ni Arroyo niyan. What they would do is to delay the showing. Alam kong marami na ang nakapanood niyan but it’s different if it’s shown for public. Malaki ang impact sa election iyan kung mapanood ng tao.
Chi,
And Bush is taking advantage of the situation! Blimey! He’s doing things not for the right thing but for his own salvation in history.
Bush knows there’s not much their members can do except to be draconian on the Iraqi war budget front, that is if this at all possible, without incurring the wrath of the American people.
He realizes full well that a miscalculated move in this direction by members of Congress against Bush’s ‘Surge’ doctrine could be a double-edge political sword. The intention may be morally right but how will the nation take it politically? Americans might see a such a move by Congress as an act meant to punish their already beaten troops who not only continue to find themselves in harm’s way in Iraq but are also about to be doubly harmed by their own Congress. Not easy on Congress!
My take: POTUS and the seemingly ‘do lallying’ US Congress had better bite the bullet and decide fast! Set a definite time frame for getting US troops out of Iraq and respect it when it’s set up.
US troops’ presence there won’t make a dent in the Iraqi resolve to do things their way, not after what Bush and bungling American troops have done these last many years – wreaked more havoc, caused more Iraqi killings, provoked the civil war in Iraq and so on and so forth…
Fortunately, the actual conduct of Bush’s war on Iraq will now be handled by an experienced US combat general. Lieutenant-General David Petraeus, the New US general will copy British ‘softly-softly’ style according to The Times. So far, Petraeus has been the only US field commander who’s had some success in the US war on Iraq.
Tim Reid in Washington for The Times writes “A key lesson General Petraeus draws from Vietnam, compared to Malaya, is that the US Army is historically unprepared to fight insurgencies. The American military has overwhelming force for conventional combat but, without the British experience of empire, is intellectually unequipped to deal with the subtleties of guerrilla war. “
If only for his classical Roman sounding name, General Petraeus seems right for the part of leading the American imperial forces into battle.
cvj,
absolutely!
Seems the world’s bloodiest circus is about to be staged in the world’s largest coloseum: Iraq with on one side the gladiators (Iraqis) and on the other side Bush’s centurions under Petraeus.
We who are about to die salute you! Avé Dubya!
US troops engaging in actual combat in our country?
MANILA (AP) – U.S. troops have engaged in combat operations in the Philippines despite an arrangement limiting them to humanitarian work and training Filipino soldiers fighting al-Qaida-linked guerrillas, activists said Monday.
The activist group Focus on the Global South, citing U.S. military writings, doctrines and eyewitness accounts, called for an independent investigation into whether the alleged operations violated the Philippines’ constitution.
U.S. Embassy spokesman Matthew Lussenhop disputed the allegation.
“Visiting U.S. troops in the Philippines advise, assist, share information with their Philippine counterparts, but they do not engage in combat and they have no direct role in combat operations. Any combat operations are 100 percent Filipino,” he told The Associated Press.
Of course, they’re engaged in actual combat.
They’ve been doing that since 2002…
Unconstitutional? Yeah! So what, the unano asks.
As if Iraq ain’t enough of a battleground, Bush now taunts and provokes in the Gulf (with Blair for a partner).
“Allies ‘go after’ Iran as beefed-up naval force sails for Gulf ” headlines The Times. Richard Beeston, writes in his report “Britain is joining an American military campaign to blunt Iranian influence in Iraq and the Gulf.” Tehran sends out diplomatic feelers amid row over arrests reports the Guardian but US defence secretary, Robert Gates delivers a defiant message, “We are not leaving” on his first visit to NATO in Brussels.
I begin to fear we may actually see action against Iran. The page two comment “this is an accidental war waiting to happen” is so naive. “This is a difficult situation and if the West gets it wrong there will be a war because we provoked it” is nearer the mark.
What would the US do if two huge carriers were sent into the Gulf of Mexico by an enemy?
Just wrote something about this in http://www.hillblogger.blogspot.com/2007/01/what-would-us-do-if-two-huge-carriers.html
My reaction to the above comments? Not interested. Those were just recycled opinions from other commentors. Pero okay lang kahit kopya basta ba nakakatulong sa mga readers dito.
You are one lucky craphead – why, thank your lucky stars, you are learning something useful outside the scope of your multiple personality disordered habitat.
Anna,
Action against Iran. Iyan na ang hot topic of discussion dito ngayon. It seems US is going in that direction.
Hi Chi,
I know – it’s quite alarming really. Has booze burned Bush’s brain totally?
Totally, Anna. heh!