April 14th Update of Mitch Bytes

"Mitch Bytes" Very scary times we live in these days with this O'Reilly /McCarthyism that's sweeping America

Barry Mitchell on Iraq 'Of course like most Americans, I can't seem to sleep anymore'

Really thought it would be over by now. One week, two weeks tops. Cakewalk.com. Weren't they supposed to quit? Reminds me of the classic line from "Animal House" after they destroy the pledge's car and Tim Matheson tells the kid 'Ya messed up, ya trusted us'.

Was totally convinced leaders like Cheney and Rumsfeld wouldn't send our troops into conflict without the quickest of victories surely at hand. After all, what was the rush if it wasn't an iron clad cinch. And now much to our chagrin two weeks later we're sending over an extra 120,000 troops, which Rumsfeld tells us (with a straight face I might add), was all part of the war plan. Yeah, right, that's like starting the NCAA Final with 5 guys and mid-way through the second period calling the subs at the hotel room to high tail to the arena ASAP. General Franks and Brooks versus Schwarzkopf and Powell, you make the call.

And for the record let me state emphatically everyone in America supports the US and coalition troops 110% and prays for their safe and speedy return on an hourly basis. Empathetic to the nth power. We want them to come home physically and mentally sound, better then when they left if that's feasible.

But not to question or criticize the Bush administration during time of war? That would be totally hypocritical and entirely contradictory to the basic principle of freedom of speech. Let's face it, that's what us back seat driver slash Monday morning quarterbacks do best. We have political analysts that have never run for office, sports commentators that never picked up a ball, movie critics that can't take a picture, English teachers that can't write, the list as they say is endless.

Of course like most Americans, I can't seem to sleep anymore. Finding it very difficult to enjoy the mundanities of life such as shopping, going to dinner, movies, vacationing while the bravest young men and women are overseas fighting countless enemies and overcoming obstacles such as sandstorms and desert heat. And then if I manage to tear away from war coverage for a minute I feel guilty if I have a good time. Just feel we should be doing something on mass here at home like selling war bonds, sewing blankets, collecting aluminum.

Didn't they do that in WWII? Agree totally with the administration that the outcome is not in doubt, we will prevail. Firmly believed going after that golden target of opportunity at the onset, albeit a fleeting window, shooting straight for the jugular. Sure it threw off our shock and awe timing at first, but as you know it is a very flexible plan. Thought it was great knocking out the opponent before they even stepped into the ring. Insider information at its best. Confident Hussein and his sons were taken out that first night. Following day video really looked like a haggard Saddam, but in the next version he came across as a totally different person. Much can be said for body doubles. Unfortunately I think in the process the Iraqi informant somehow got caught in the attack as well or else Rumsfeld and throng would have had the sufficient evidence needed to go public.

Iraq simply has nothing left militarily. Think the final camel straw came with the recent comments from the Minister of Defense pleading for Arab attorneys to rally together and sue the coalition for war crimes.

Based on that statement, there is absolutely no way in hell they can now use any weapons of mass destruction. They've checkmated themselves with such an accusation and now that General Franks doesn't have that threat to worry about anymore well... Predicting we will begin to step up the campaign dramatically in the ensuing days ahead and the one month victory, momentarily derailed, is again surely within sight. We will remove the oppressive regime and Iraqi citizens will eventually be appreciative over time.

Still feel it we would help in the realm of PR if we had someone like Arafat or King Abdullah standing next to Bush and Blair on the podium. Or maybe George could do an MTV unplugged spot with Cat Stevens aka Yusuf Islam, introduce his new version of "Peace Train" now available on mp3. Think Al Jazeera would run that on a continuous loop? Probably not.

Cause when ya get right down to the bottom line, most Arab nations really don't like us these days. Hate might be an understatement. The next few months will be critical. We've stirred up the hornet’s nest and even though we're bigger, stronger, wiser, and smarter, still stings when ya get stung. And with the homeland war on terror in a constant state of flux, sounds somewhat foreboding. To quote our old friend Tom Ridge, really need to be vigilant, report any suspicious behavior no matter how inconsequential it may seem, and be very wary of your surroundings.

All that being said the underlying kicker we can never forget in this whole nerve wracking endless scenario is the fact that these fanatics will actually kill themselves in the hopes of killing, maiming, destroying, and terrorizing as many innocent victims as possible. That's a good day for them.

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Update April 14th 2003

Enough already with the weapons of mass destruction. They're there alright, we'll find them. Every intelligence agency from here to East Gibip can't be wrong. And the one in a million chance we never find them so what, we liberated 25 million people. Is that so bad?

More importantly, just heard a rumor ABC is canceling Jeanine Garofalo's new television series due to her opposition to war/protest comments. Seems to always come down to the almighty dollar. Corporate world rules. Guess ABC/Disney has to rethink every move since the Boy in the Bubble fiasco and Bill Maher's idiotic coward comments post 9/11. Suffice to say, Walt Disney is rolling over in his cryogenics right about now. To cancel Jeanine would go against every grain in his body. Not to mention freedom of speech, ideas, creativity.

Every Sunday night Walt sat on the corner of that desk and told me (on NBC ironically enough) to keep believing in my dreams and aspirations and one day they would eventually come true. No fairy tale, pinoke. After all, the man went bankrupt twice with that stupid talking animated mouse concept. People hate mice, petrified of the rodents and Walt wanted to make a feature film no less. Then a theme park. What was he nuts? But he wouldn't quit on his ideological beliefs to do what he believed in no matter what the consequences or corporate money felt at the time. To go out on the limb providing what he felt was the finest in quality entertainment. Not even gonna bring up the scene in Bambi (5 year olds put the paper down now) where the mother's killed, very controversial to this day. That was the magic of pioneers like Disney. And Uncle Miltie, Sid Ceasar, Mel Brooks, Carson. Ya think they cared what Texaco thought when they dressed like women or made fun of virtually every ethnic group in existence. Belushi, Ackroyd, Chase, Radnor would satirize and criticize any hot topic of the day without thinking twice. Michael Moore's oscar escapade might be pushing the venue a bit too far.

Then again... Never even knew Jeanine had a series slated for development, kind of lost interest in comediennes after the brilliance of Carol Burnett and Lily Tomlin but if ABC thought she had the talent pre-Iraq then why postpone now? Could it be the ole advertising ka-ching! Thank you Ellen DeGeneres. Very scary times we live in these days with this O'Reilly/McCarthyism that's sweeping America. Deadlier then SARS in the long run. For the gazillionth time I'm sure Jeanine like every true blooded American loves the young men and women overseas risking their lives overseas to keep us free and prays for their health, well being, safety, and speedy return on an hourly basis. But perhaps like the United Nations and 30% of our nation, she had a small problem with the Bush administration's game plan. War with Iraq resulted from failure. Twelve years of failed diplomatic means that eventually led to our invasion. Kind of like divorce, failure half of us can relate to, unfortunately.

When a marriage ends in divorce, it's the failure of two people to share and communicate with one another. Same bloody analogy. Main thing that keeps bothering me about Iraq, that speculatively may upset people like Jeanine, Robbins, Sarandon, Asner...is not the fact that Hussein was a despicable dictator that hopefully has been killed but that weapons of mass destruction was not our sole criteria for attack. I mean, we're talking about liberating Syria already and we're still liberating Iraq. Sounds a bit perplexing, overwhelming, and at the same time suspicious, like we're looking for a fight. Dare I mention the corporate world again?

Could go on for hours, like what's in it for Tony Blair or why do American corporations keep winning bids to re-build Iraq or how friends of President Bush, Sr. keep coming out of the woodwork, but what's very disturbing in fitting the puzzle pieces is the man I considered to be the most intelligent and trustworthy of the White House throng, none other then Secretary of State, Colin Powell. What happened to Colin? For so many months he was gung ho on a peaceful resolution, differences could be ironed out amicably through diplomatic channels and United Nation resolutions like 1441. There was no need for violence. We'd keep conducting searches and eventually all the weapons would be turned over and destroyed. He seemed to be out on the Bush administration limb not unlike Walt Disney and then all of a sudden...he changed his tune. Wonder what happened? Woke up one day with a revelation or did something or someone get to him in that whole David Mamet realm of life? Time will tell. And time to get going. Just heard the CIA/FBI knocking on my door, but that's okay. They'll be others to take my place. Wherever you turn, they'll be a Mitch Byte, Tom Joad. Never an original thought, newest indian name.

© Barry Mitchell - April 2003
<junctures@yahoo.com

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