And If That Doesn’t Work, I’ve Got A Red Ryder BB Gun

Things are going to be slow this week because of my annual case of bronchitis, but I hope I’ll have another toon up on Friday. In the meantime, for your perusal, another bit of surrealism from that third world country, Florida. It seems, with the huge Cuban population in Miami, local politics is completely dependent on whether you’re anti-Castro or rabidly anti-Castro. (AFP) Armed cartoonist bursts into Miami newspaper office

Henry Kissinger: Last Turkey In The Shop?

(AP) Kissinger: Iraq military win impossible

(Reuters) Kissinger says U.S. victory in Iraq is impossible

(AFP) Kissinger calls for international conference on Iraq

Gee, I didn’t know Henry Kissinger had become a Democrat 😀 Oh, wait a moment, maybe being a realist is fashionable for Republicans nowadays? In any case, “military” victory was always impossible in Iraq, because Democracy can’t be imposed at gunpoint. Overthrowing Saddam Hussein–THAT was accomplishable. After that? The military should have stayed available for no more than a year while the IRAQIS THEMSELVES organized a government to which we should have THROWN MONEY. But, BushCo had to impose a constitution that made no sense and while we did throw money, we didn’t give it to the Iraqis but to American companies who squandered it. We can still throw money at the problem–we have an obligation to. But we can’t impose our will on them. We were supposed to liberate them, not conquer them. But conquer is how our leaders handled it.

But what the heck, it’s Thanksgiving. Fred’n’Bert have been gathering chestnuts for the last two weeks for the stuffing and we intend to have a good weekend. See You on Monday.

Lack Of Unity In The Democratic Party? And Your Point Is?

Hoyer claims no ‘bad blood’ with Pelosi

The news has been making all sorts of dire statements about Democratic disunity (aided by the chuckling of Republicans), but hey, the Democrats have NEVER had monolithic unity. You sign up for the Republicans, you drink the kool-aid, you have to stay in line. What Will Rogers said back some 70-80 years ago is as true today as it was then: “I don’t belong to an organized political party, I’m a Democrat.” The strength of the Democratic party is that it doesn’t have monolithic unity–that it encompasses many different viewpoints and many different causes. There’s room for debate. The Republicans are a coalition of money interests, rightwing Christians and “we’re the rulers of the world” neo-cons. These are all points of view that brook no compromise with their own agendas. So instead of seeing imminent Democratic failure because they aren’t Republicans, relax–they’re just doing their thing.

And yes, I know the song that Bert is playing is actually “Cheyenne, Cheyenne, Hop on my pony.” But I don’t think anyone’s heard that sung for at least 30 years. But I KNOW y’all have seen the Daffy Duck cartoon where he’s riding Porky Pig and singing “I’m a cowboy, yessir, I am.” Among other things. HOOHOO! HOOHOO!

Cheyenne, Cheyenne, hop on my pony
There’s room here for two, dear, and after the ceremony
We’ll both ride home as one, as one
On my pony from old Cheyenne