We’ve heard it before. When Prime Minister Maliki was in, they shouted “Progress!” Saddam captured — we may be turning a corner. So many times they’ve held up false symbols of progress in Iraq.

Now this new De-Baathification law is supposedly a sign of progress in Iraq. Instead, the Washington Post points out that it’s a mess and could actually lead to a purge of Sunnis from the majority-Shiite government. Correct me if I’m wrong, but this seems like the exact opposite of political reconciliation, which was the stated strategic goal of the surge until it became inconvenient.

“This is a bomb on the road of reconciliation,” said Kareem, a former director general in the ministry. “This law does not bring anything new. This does not serve national reconciliation that all Iraqis are hoping for. On the contrary, it envisions hostility, hatred, discrimination and sectarian strife.”

I’ll remain skeptical about the surge, unlike some of the recent presidential primary debate moderators. I’ve been fooled too many times about Iraq already.

I watched an all-new episode of Law & Order on NBC tonight. I rather enjoyed it. However, I loved Sam Waterston in his old role; this new guy isn’t half as good. So damn you, Fred Thompson for changing the cast of Law & Order. You ruined it for a half-hearted run at the presidency? What’s up with that?

I think you can trust my judgment on enjoying this particular episode of Law & Order, but there’s a reason you might not find it too trustworthy. I had previously watched part of that new shitty-ass game show Moment of Truth. What a piece of trash! It’s so freaking fake! Anything is good compared to that show.

Part of the blame must lie on Regis Philbin. Who Wants to Be a Millionaire changed the aesthetics of game shows. Compare Drew Carey’s two game shows. The Price is Right is all bright and glitzy. It has a pre-Millionaire look. The Power of 10 is all dark. I blame you, Regis, for the way Moment of Truth looks, which I find really, really annoying.

Can I really blame Regis Philbin for this? After all, he didn’t design the game. I think the game wouldn’t have been half as popular without Regis, and thus wouldn’t have been as powerful an influence. It’s the same reason I blame the genius Robert E. Lee for the Civil War. (Just kidding.)

Millionaire is even partially responsible for ruining American Gladiators; you can definitely see how Millionaire affected the aesthetics of American Gladiators. The worst part of the new American Gladiators, though, is the player profiles. I don’t give a shit about how much you want to win this, or your stupid sob story. This may make me sound un-American, but I’ll take Ninja Warrior over the new American Gladiators any day of the week. Ninja Warrior is grueling; it is a true test of amazing physical ability. The old American Gladiators is great though. You can sometimes catch it on ESPN Classic.

In conclusion, Fred Thompson ruined Law & Order, and Regis Philbin ruined American Gladiators. Sorry Fred, sorry Reg, love ya both, but it’s true.