Time to Invade Nepal, Maybe Turkey Too

The Pakistani Taliban claimed credit today for the car bomb that fizzled last night on Times Square. No doubt Bill Kristol and other neo-conservatives will soon start calling for invasions of uninvolved countries like Nepal or Turkey.

Actually, India would be a better candidate.

The 9-11 attacks were launched by Saudi nationals and coordinated from al-Qaeda bases in Afghanistan. In response, the Bush administration invaded Iraq despite an enormous amount of evidence that al-Qaeda considered Saddam Hussein to be an enemy.

If the car bomb in NYC really was set by the Pakistani Taliban, the most likely country to be targeted by the neo-cons for invasion would be Pakistan's main enemy, India.

I guess India's lucky the bomb fizzled.

Limbaugh Still in NY

It looks like New York City will have to put off its parade. Four months ago, the right-wing radio host Rush Limbaugh announced that he was leaving the city over the imposition of a millionaire's tax and the City was planning a huge ticker tape parade to celebrate.

Back in March, Rush Limbaugh got a lot of attention when he vowed to sell his New York City apartment and cease broadcasting from Manhattan, in response to a planned tax increase for wealthy New York State residents. "I'm going to get out of there totally, 'cause this is just absurd, and it's ridiculous," he fumed.

New Yorkers were deliriously happy. Gov. David Paterson expressed the convictions of millions of New Yorkers when he said that “If I knew that would be the result . . . I would’ve thought about the taxes earlier." The celebration of Limbaugh's departure was going to be the biggest event in human history. The Thanksgiving-style floats, hundreds of bands, mummers from Philadelphia, and Mardi Gras celebrants from New Orleans and Brazil were going to stretch for at least 10 miles. The City was going to unleash the biggest fireworks in history of mankind and little children as young as age 6 would be allowed to drink all the booze they could get. The "Good-Riddance Rush" celebration was going to be bigger than the victory celebrations after WWII, Neil Armstrong landing on the moon, or the last Yankee World Series. It would have put President Kennedy's funeral to shame.

But it looks like the parade has to be called off. Given that Limbaugh has made no effort to sell his condo or move his second studio out of the New York City, it looks like the city has to graciously accept his presence for at least another year.

But the last word hasn't been spoken. Don't be surprised if New York State tries to force Limbaugh's hand by raising the millionaire's tax again.

Then they can have their parade.