So a lot of callers and commenters on the blog are challenging Pete to come up with a definition of success or a plan for success in Iraq.

One that has been put forward is imposing a 3-state division between Sunni Arabs, Shia Arabs and Kurds. While it’s true, as John from Cleveland noted on the show, that the UK created what is now Iraq after World War I, that was a long time ago, and it’s not like there were three distinct states that were separated then. Since then, the populations have mixed, especially in the Baghdad area, and most of the oil is concentrated in the South (Shia area) and the North (Kurdish area), leaving the majority of Sunni with little or no access to those resources. Besides, a LOT of Iraqis do believe in a unified Iraq, and in case we give a shit what they say, only elites among Kurds and Shia Arabs seem to be in favor of division, and then only some. How would you feel if some invader decided to divide the US or Canada?

How about this for an idea. Right now we’re spending $12 billion per month on our war in Iraq. That’s a LOT of money. What if we decided to save ourselves some money and dangle a figure like $4 billion a month in front of Iraqi leaders to stop the infighting, stop fretting over oil, and just get their shit together and build industries? That is so much money, with so much to go around, it’s hard to believe they’d turn it down. We would save, our young people would stop dying and killing. A huge mess would remain. But Iraqis want the US forces to leave, Americans want them to leave. It’s not okay to just abandon Iraq after creating this mess, but we need to get out, so my plan is to set up a bunch of tables and give them a shit-ton of money and head the fuck out.

What’s your idea?

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Here’s a link to the summary of media coverage I referenced on the air a little while ago. It is from an anti-war source, and a lot of it is anecdotal, but some of it is based on studies of the media, and the source is impeccably honest. It’s a long document, but if you read it or skim it and don’t come out feeling like we were not only duped but fucked by the media, let me know.

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No huge surprise that Pete was inspired by Obama’s speech, since he was already leaning that way. Obama distanced himself from some specific views of the controversial Rev. Jeremiah Wright, but he didn’t dismiss or condemn Wright altogether. And Obama finally got into the issue of race with a national audience, and he seemed to take it head on. One great outcome for this, in my mind, would be to reopen the discussion about race in America. The struggle has not ended. A further achievement would be if white people and black people realize that only by coming together can we address a lot of the common problems the faced by the majority of both races.

At the same time, it makes no sense to me that electing Barack Obama as president will actually be the manifestation of that coming together. Maybe a President Obama could change the minds of Americans on these matters, but I think it’s unlikely, given that institutions throughout our society are geared to divide us. Our economy, in particular, is designed for competition, not solidarity, and it has always inflamed rather than curbed the systemic racism that plagues our society. From slavery to segregation to union-based bigotry, “divide and conquer” is an inherent part of our system. Any candidate that doesn’t want to address those deep-seated problems head on, as systemic problems, is doomed to fail in the long run (though he or she may well win an election based on the rhetoric of “unity”).

My point is that only we — everyday people — are going to be able to make the changes needed to confront racism. It can’t be done from the top down, no matter a leader’s charisma. And we’re up against a system that exploits us and pits us against each other. Having a president that acknowledges racism as a huge problem would be great. But are everyday Americans ahead of or behind Obama on that matter? Will today’s speech stir us to step up?

On Dr. Wright himself, I guess I don’t get what all the hubbub was about. I don’t agree with everything I’ve heard the guy say, in terms of sentiments or even factual claims, but his perspective is more reassuring to me than anything I’ve ever heard from a major presidential candidate. The guy seems more real to me than a John McCain or a Barack Obama. He seems to get it. He tells it like it is, which is something McCain and Obama are credited with — but if their view is “how it is,” I guess we don’t agree on what “it” is…

The phone lines are lit up, so let’s sound off here and maybe Pete will read some of the comments on the air.

Update: Pete’s guest today was Rev. Romal Toon of Clergy Strategic Alliances.

Update: Here’s a YouTube clip of Sean Hannity vs. Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

Update: Oh, and I guess a link to the video and transcript of Obama’s speech would be handy.

Fact Check: I believe Steve from Boston was referencing this moment at a John McCain campaign event, when McCain went into hysterics after a supporter called Hillary Clinton “the bitch.”

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Pete talked about SO MUCH on the show today, I had trouble picking out anything to blog about in particular. So let’s hear from you, the listeners/readers, on the topics covered today, including the war (of course), the mortgage crisis, gas prices, the stimulus package, and the prospect of Blogcasters Joe and Alex arm-wrestling on the air.

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The only people more upset about the St. Patrick’s Day parade than Pete are out “Irish” gays and lesbians. Protesters upset at their annual exclusion from participation in the St. Pat’s parade in New York (and elsewhere) say they just want to express their pride in being queer and Irish. But I suspect a lot of them aren’t even Irish, they’re just ultra-gay people who want to be involved in the one event that is gayer than their own Gay Pride parade. So are all Irish people gay, or just the ones who march in the parade?

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Pete’s last guest, Steven Waldman, had a lot of very fascinating things to say. Here’s a link to BeliefNet, which has tons of annoying ads but also a huge variety of content, including the Founding Faith archive. There wasn’t much time for calls, so if you want to respond to anything Pete or Steven said, fire away in the comments section.

Check back here over the weekend as we’ll be looking to instigate more discussion. We’re always eager to hear your views while the show’s not on the air.

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We try to entertain while we confuse and inform, but sometimes we only manage to confuse and inform. These links aren’t entertaining, but maybe they’ll curb some of the confusion…

CongressPedia explanation of earmarks

The Sunlight Foundation’s massive database of earmarks and neat-o earmarks map

ProkBusters — an interesting site that goes after government waste of all types

Shit, even I’m bored now. You can Google the rest ya lazy bastards…

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Doug is always a great guest because, like Pete, you never quite know what he’s going to say. There’s a ton of great, hilarious political (and non-political) Stanhope humor on the Web. Here are some links:

Doug Stanhope thinks your taxes shouldn’t have to pay for his inevitable lung cancer.

Doug’s Official Site

Tons of Stanhope clips on YouTube

WikiPedia entry

Stanhope for President

Update: Doug and Pete got into it over such issues as health care as a right, corporations and the free market, affirmative action, overpopulation, and so many other topics. I’m a big Stanhope fan, but I was really glad we got to go after him on the libertarian stances, about which he could not have been a better sport, which is the sign of a truly decent person, whatever the views. The phone lines were lit up the whole time, so if you didn’t get through, let’s hear it right now and here.

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So now the interview has played. I heard it when you did. It was a really great look into Colbert’s mind, but I was personally a little disappointed. The fast back-and-forth moments were the best by far.

Pete asked some of the questions I wrote for him, but nothing about Dungeons and Dragons, which has me kind of sad. What did you all think? What do you want to know about Stephen Colbert.

Update: Lots of places have picked up on the interview. Here are some links:

From Colbert fan site No Fact Zone:
Pre-interview post
Post-interview post

Somebody ripped the full audio and put it up at ZShare.

Still more coverage…

Third Party Watch
OrbitCast
Sirius Backstage
Punchline Magazine

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So Pete and Sean spilled some bizarre dreams for dream analyst Dr. Kelly Bulkeley to ponder. The doctor was a good sport. I suspect he was holding some stuff back, but we’ll never know.

We’ve all had nutty dreams. I was recently attacked by Craftsman tools (mostly wrenches and screwdrivers) while in my parents’ garage trying to fix a go-cart. The tools just came flying at me and I had to dodge them. And they kept coming and coming. It was like something out of the Evil Dead movies.

Got a weird dream? Why not share it (semi-anonymously) with the world. Then your fellow listeners can analyze them for you…

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