1 News articles that begin with a melodramatic vignette make critical readers cry. That initial paragraph to the effect of "Awwww, look at the poor widdle bayy-bee" is a red flag to anybody with an interest in facts. When you see that crap you know there's no point in going any further.

Even more repellant is the thought of what sort of idiot comprises the target market for this garbage. I'm picturing in my mind's eye some moon-eyed old lady or teen mother, a total sucker who can be talked into anything, utterly convinced that a single untreated case of spinal bifida constitutes a significant problem in war-ravaged Iraq. These people vote. Scary stuff.

2 You know what's scarier? people who are so cynical of any good news, or deeds by our Soldiers, that they feel the need to bad mouth it at any turn.
This is the fruits of the seeds sown by our Soldiers who have tried to get her treated in the U.S. to help her live.
Much to everyones disappointment people such as yourself continue to yawn and wait for the news of a carbomb to make the Iraq "quagmire" talking point.
sickening.

3 Dave,

You're goddamn straight I'm cynical, and proud of it. The U.S. needs a lot more of us. Cynics don't let sob stories about gimpy babies and weepy mommies drive our policy judgments. We also tend not to wet our pants every time someone sparks up a pipe bomb in Baghdad.

Cynicism used to be a fashionable pose in this country. Then 9/11 happened, and I watched all the wannabes melt into blubbering puddles of impotent fear. I'll have you know that while Dan Rather was heralding "the death of cynicism" I was keeping the flame alive, cracking jokes. My best one:

Me: That was an impressive deed.
Boss: How could somebody do something like that?
Me: I guess they really believed they're going to Heaven for it.
Boss: Well, I don't think they're going where they thought they were going!
Me: Neither is anybody else on the plane.

The whole office laughed at this, and then accused me of not being funny. And this kind of funk ran through the whole country, from the little people on up to the Old Man himself, with Bush bleating out a prayer for God to defend us as if we don't have Marines for that! So far as I can tell, the only public figures who kept their testicles on and didn't surrender to hysterical emotionalism were Donald Rumsfeld, Rudolph Giuliani, and Ann Coulter (which is all the more remarkable when you consider that only one of these has a functioning prostate gland).

If we lose our nerve and turn tail in Iraq because IEDs are scary and they make servicemen's mommies cry, people like me won't be the ones responsible. Pretending the occupation is about "saving the children" won't stiffen the public's spine either.

4 >>>Cynics don't let sob stories about gimpy babies and weepy mommies drive our policy judgments.

Then why are you a Liberal? Liberals policy is entirely anecdote-driven.

And regarding cynics being "needed", I've found cynicism amongst the Liberal proles is entirely one-sided. You cynics were sucking Clinton's cock when he was bombing milk factories and Kosovo without U.N. authorization. Now THAT'S cynical.

5 I'm in awe, at how the murder of some 3,000 of your fellow countrymen provided you the gumption to provide some good old rib-tickling funnies for your co-workers.

One could only hope, that no one snuffs out one of your loved ones like a candle, and that no one provides a real funny knee-slapper about it for you. I'm sorry people were scared, and saddened in the deadliest terrorist attack on American soil, however not everyone looked at it as a twisted form of entertainment, evidently unlike yourself.

I'm sure it's hard for someone such as yourself to look at Soldiers as anything but death-dealing robots, that we unleash till we put them back in their cage, but they are your fellow countrymen who have children, emotions and ideals, and most genuinely wish to help the people of Iraq.

6 Carlos,

I was against any U.S. involvement in former Yugoslavia. As the U.S. has no interests there I was cynically content to watch all the warring factions spill each other's guts. It created a refugee problem for Europe, but we were in no way put out by it, so we should have let them handle it.

For similar reasons I was against the first Gulf War. So Iraq strolls in and kicks over an anemic little oil monarchy. Why should we care who turns the spigot when we fill our tankers with Kuwaiti crude?

7 Dave, Shannon simply has a dry sense of humor, which is really the best psychological survival mechanism there is. SF guys, almost to the man, have a dry sense of humor, which allows them to face the hazards they do without going insane.
The reason the comment about the airplane was funny to some people was because it was true. I don't think Shannon's really a liberal like Michael Mooron et al, but rather he seems to be more independant minded, like me, although I'm not sure what the hell he's talking about at times. Too many people, conservatives and liberals, let urban legends and their emotions control what they think and do, but some of us, a very few, tend to think for ourselves, and are hated for it by pretty much everyone else, which is fine with us if that's the way it has to be.

8 Im:
I am British, and I am well versed in the "stiff upper lip" routine, and am often termed as having a "dry sense of humor" by American's around me. However I did not find the need to create a stand-up comedy routine to my fellow colleagues around the unfolding events on September 11th.
I enjoy your comments here, due to the fact you can draw the moonbats out, like moths to an open flame with a single post, and much like yourself I am no fan of the current Administration, however I agree on their strong stance against radical Islam, this character however comes out swinging like a moonbat on some posts, and nods his head like a novelty dog in a car window in others. hard to make anything of it.

9 And regarding Shannon's office "humor".

Disgusting.

10 I'm with you, Dave, on this one. Shannon can find no good in anything, and cynic is not what he is, regardless of what he says. I have another word to describe him, but I'll hold off for now. Let's just say you nailed him.

11 I understand your sentiments, but Shannon does make some valid points now and then, and should not be dismissed out of hand.

12 Shannon:

One can be cynical and still display optimism through these kind acts toward children in Iraq. Contrary to what you imply here that "weepy mommies" are being used to drive policy, the focus should be on a different aspect of the story. It's called "winning hearts and minds" as merely a secondary means of gaining support. Or simply just doing the right thing. And there's nothing wrong with it. One can only hope that these children will grow up in a democracy which will cause them to reject the hateful or intolerant ways of some of the older population in Iraq.

While cynicism is healthy, it can be a hindrance when the whole world is looked at from that viewpoint.

As far as your attempt at office humor, I'm trying to figure out why anyone laughed. It was true maybe, but not funny. Unless of course it was simply nervous laughter. Which is understandable - sort of. I've laughed at innappropriate things at times.

13 The important thing to remember Oyster is that he said everyone else laughed, but did he mean for them too? I kinda doubt it. Also, he's right about the weepy mommies thing, as emotion is a dangerous foundation on which to build policy.

14 Yes, I agree. What I don't agree with is that people are using this to to determine how they feel about the war or any other actions we take. We bitch non-stop about all the negativity coming forth and when a good story gets told some cynic says "Don't buy it." C'mon. It's just a story about some good being done. That's all.

15 Which is why I'm going to follow it, and continue to post about it.

Now for some real cynicism. There are roughly 280 million people in this country, of which Shannon makes up one.

So who cares what he thinks anyway.

Like the Sith Master repeatedly has said:

Dude, it's just a blog.

16 All those terrorist attack casualties put together are less than the monthly violent deaths in your own country, monthly death toll being about 1/50 of yours. Fix your own problems before going crazy about the "horrible destructive forces" lurking in the desert.
Terrorist problems were completely voluntary, your Saddam, your Bin Laden, your greed, your brainless urge to oppose freedom of everyone else, your fault.

17 Good point Oyster. Cynicism has its uses and its proper place, but I like the baby Noor story myself, although I'm not sure they were doing her a favor by saving her life, considering that she will likely never walk and may be retarded due to fluid on the brain. Through their acts of humanity, they've sentenced her to a miserable life. Like they say, the road to hell is paved with the best of intentions.

18 Finn, go away. I didn't miss you while you were gone. There are plenty of moonbat blogs for you to go to and spout your ignorant opinions. Try Indymedia or Democratic Underground, they are perfect for moonbats with tin foil hats like you.

19 Tin foil hats intensify most frequencies reserved for government and military usage, despite their ability to weaken regular frequencies...
Indymedia and Democratic Underground, I'll probably check those out, just that this blog has become a habit in moments of boredom and endless wrath towards unification of the world into a retarded western media&popularculture empire.