Another Fall Saturday...

Here are a couple of things from yesterday and the day before that I never quite got around to mentioning, being ate-up with all things moto as I was for the last few. First, via Lex, an innovative bit of tactics being implemented in both Afghanistan and Iraq: “Army Enlists Anthropology in War Zones.” This is mostly a good news story, and appears to be quite a success. But every silver lining is wrapped in a dark cloud:

Hugh Gusterson, an anthropology professor at George Mason University, and 10 other anthropologists are circulating an online pledge calling for anthropologists to boycott the teams, particularly in Iraq.

“While often presented by its proponents as work that builds a more secure world,” the pledge says, “at base, it contributes instead to a brutal war of occupation which has entailed massive casualties.”

Ah, but there’s more, much more than that, in the “pledge:”

US military and intelligence agencies and military contractors have identified “cultural knowledge,” “ethnographic intelligence,” and “human terrain mapping” as essential to US-led military intervention in Iraq and other parts of the Middle East. Consequently, these agencies have mounted a drive to recruit professional anthropologists as employees and consultants. While often presented by its proponents as work that builds a more secure world, protects US soldiers on the battlefield, or promotes cross-cultural understanding, at base it contributes instead to a brutal war of occupation which has entailed massive casualties. By so doing, such work breaches relations of openness and trust with the people anthropologists work with around the world and, directly or indirectly, enables the occupation of one country by another. In addition, much of this work is covert. Anthropological support for such an enterprise is at odds with the humane ideals of our discipline as well as professional standards.

“Brutal war of occupation,” indeed. And God Forbid some well-meaning anthropologist would want to actually minimize casualties, as noted in the Times article, and contribute to something as arcane and passé as “victory,” eh? Retired blogger turned commenter Cassie hits the nail dead on the head when she says:

What a bunch of poseurs. I suspect their real problem with all of this is that they have committed the cardinal sin of leaving the realm of the abstract and theoretical for the applied.

Scary place, that real world.

*sigh*

What she said. Dang, but I loves me some pithiness.

The other thing worth mentioning? Just a follow-up from my rant the other day wherein I noted the supremely orchestrated Democrat “outrage” against Mr. Limbaugh was but another ploy to facilitate the re-implementation of the Fairness Doctrine. From the October 3 edition of The Hill:

House Republicans are threatening to launch a discharge petition on legislation that would ensure the future prosperity of conservative radio talk-show hosts but is expected to face opposition from Democratic leaders. On Monday evening, Republicans filed a rule with the House Rules Committee laying the groundwork for a petition that would force action on protecting radio from government regulation later this fall.

The move comes at a time when Democrats have launched a coordinated attack on conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh, accusing him of disparaging American troops critical of the Iraq war as “phony soldiers.”

Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) has said broadcasters should be required to give listeners both sides of political issues so voters can make informed decisions.

Conservatives fear that forcing stations to make equal time for liberal talk radio would cut into profits so severely that radio executives would choose to scale back on conservative programming to avoid rising costs and interference from the government.

The Democrats are serious about this…the re-enactment of the Fairness Doctrine. Talk radio, specifically right-wing talk radio, has been a thorn in their collective sides for years. The failure of Air America and other Lefty outlets to generate the kind of following Mr. Limbaugh has just pisses them off to no end. And it appears they have absolutely no qualms about limiting free speech through legislation in order to even things up…the market be damned. It’s not about what you want, Gentle Reader, it’s what they want.

Today’s Pic: Another shot from that series of sunrise pics I took yesterday morning. Yesterday you got #23, today you get #25. The two photos were taken but seconds apart; the difference lies in the exposure - today's pic is at 1/500th of a second, yesterday's was 1/1600th of a second. Both photos were shot at f 4.5.

And now, Gentle Reader, it’s Saturday, so it just HAS to be football. And lots of it. I don’t have a dog in any of today’s fights, but that’s never stopped me from enjoying the games. But…just for Becky’s sake: “Hook ‘Em Horns!!” and something to the effect of “Go Tigers!” Or whatever those Coon-Asses say. (Sorry, Pat… I just can’t bring myself to the point of cheering for the Buckeyes. I’m sure you understand.)