Iraq today...

...if any one feature typifies the political left (all right, all right almost everyone who enters politics) it is hypocrisy. And it is blatant hypocrisy on display that will guarantee green/left unpopularity and eventual demise. The internet and the vast network of file sharing and communication means that the left can never again posture and pretend and get away with it for long.

George W. Bush in comfortable retirement in Texas has been one of the left's most hated political figures. Yet, it is the left who claim a copyright on concern for human rights for all, and like to think they are the true "progressives" amongst us.

Surely then the left must be rejoicing in the recent progressive developments in Iraq, and regretting their hatred for the man whose policies and political principles ensured Iraq's liberation from dictatorship. George W. Bush will go down in history as a liberator of Iraq, and his opponents will be seen in the cold light of historical, objective examination as choosing to side with tyranny and oppression.

A month by month analysis of present day Iraq is carried out by The Brookings Institute. Its latest report is a thorough and fascinating snapshot of Iraq today and the hopes of its people. Among other facts, it's worth noting that under Saddam Hussein, prior to the invasion; there were NO commercial television stations and NO independent newspapers. By 2006, 54 commercial TV stations were operating and 268 independent newspapers and magazines were in circulation.
In 2003, there were 833,000 telephone subscribers. Today, there are 17.7 million cellular subscribers and 1.3 million landline users, In 2003 there were 4,900 internet subscribers, compared to 820,00 in April 2009...

These facts, together with nationwide polling, indicate that confidence for the future and support for Iraqi democracy is strong and growing stronger. Clearly then, Bush's war in Iraq was a war of liberation from a tyrant who deserved his fate. Not a war of liberation however, that the hypocritical left like to recognise or acknowledge...

...more from The Brookings Institute here...H/T Eric, at The Pool Bar...

It's hard to censor the internet...

...and the outrage on the streets in Iran is testimony to the power of accessible information. The hundreds of thousands who have taken to the streets in Iran communicate via Facebook and Twitter and are energised and mobilised by today's technology. If they are successful in bringing democracy to Iran it will be due to their laptops and mobile phones, and of course a more stable Iraq next door. And if a more stable Iraq leads to democracy and stability in Iran, the G W Bush phobics may have to swallow a little of their pride, and give credit where it's due...some hope...more too, at The Pacific Gatepost here...
...and from The Resilient Earth...Earth's climate system is amazingly complex and modeling is fraught with pitfalls and danger for even the most experienced computer scientists. No climate model predicted the current downturn in global temperatures, though many are now scrambling to predict possible decades of unchanging or cooling climate “within the general warming trend.” Still, climate science remains enthralled by its computerized playthings. I have to echo Professor Pielke's question, how many years of wrong results are necessary before we reject the IPCC reports and the models they are based on? ...more here...
...and from Roy Spencer PhD...it is interesting that the modern belief that our carbon emissions have caused the climate system to rebel are not that different from ancient civilizations that made sacrifices to the gods of nature in their attempts to get nature to cooperate. Technology might have changed over time, but it seems human nature has remained the same.

Scenes from Iraq...

Over five years since it began, the war in Iraq continues, but with some recent notable progress. On Monday this week, American forces formally returned responsibility for the security of Anbar Province, at one time, the center of the Sunni insurgency, to the Iraqi Army and police force. Violence in the region has decreased dramatically - attacks down by 90% over the past two years. The continuing relative peace and order in the region remains a fragile scenario, with many former insurgents now acting as police, or as gunmen allied with American-backed "Awakening Councils". Here are some scenes from around Iraq (and a couple from here in the U.S.) over the past several months. (28 photos total)...the big picture here...