Hello, I have a question.
Does USA have American troops in Africa training the Christians against the muslins? Thank-you..

Going back to the American war of independence, what do you think Washington would have said if his advisors had told him to fight the English in their own back-yard instead of his back-yard.

Rachel 500,000 Iraqi kids died under UN sanctions and something of the order of 650,000 Iraqis have died since the 'coalition' unlawfully invaded a sovereign nation. Why not ask the 1,150,000 dead Iraqis what they think?
If the USA and it's coalition is guilty of killing that many people or even half or a quarter that figure then they too are mass murderers and terrorists: more so than any Bin Laden or Al Quaeda.

What a gas!

Who would have guessed increased troop levels theater is really about "Freedom Farts" for Iran?

Our Fartin' Prez GW, has an Urge to America 'Rip One' in the Middle East! Let Freedom Rip!

In a classic piece of black humour---Sheila Samples, an Oklahoma writer and a former civilian US Army Public Information Officer deftly and humourously outlines our current President's 'real talents' and asks the question:

"Will Stinky Cut The Big One?"

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article15994.htm

So Will Tehran be the First Frat Boy's and Windbag-In-Chief be the Prez's new Windy City?

"In his Aug. 20 U.S. New & World Report "Washington Whispers" under the heading "Animal House in the West Wing," Paul Bedard wrote that Bush not only loves to cuss, but "... the first frat boy loves flatulence jokes...can't get enough of fart jokes. He's also known to cut a few for laughs, especially when greeting new young aides..."

I note with stupifaction that Ms. Rice has done her sums and has concluded that the Iraq adventure has been worth the price paid in lives and treasure. Is it just that the treasure part will be borne by future generations of Americans and that the lives part is primarily Iraqui and therefore nicely out of sight.
No. No one claiming the stature of Secretary of State can make such a claim without looking foolish and partisan. But perhaps Ms. Rice is right in one sense. Everyone associated with this global debacle has profited mightily. Ms. Rice leapt from being a very mediocre National Security Advisor to becoming a completely inept Secretary of State who will get the big book deal and the warm embrace of some presitgious university once her calamitous term ends. Mr. Bush gets his two term "war president" medals and can dine out for the rest of his life on his laughable version of Churchillian resolve; Cheney gets eight years of being President with having to work very hard; Wolfawitz (sp?) in humanitarian clothing gets the World Bank; Rummie will get his Freedom Medal and on it goes. Perhaps it is not so hard to understand how Ms. Rice thinks it was all worth it.

Do you think Cheney is adamently against gay marriage

Sully,

I have been pointing out for some time now the hypocrisy of the Religious Right for their duplicity with respect to Gay Rights and same-sex marriages.

Why? At the same time that the RR was castigating same-sex marriages and gay rights, the same group openly supported a ticket with a man a heartbeat away from the Presidency who clearly had no problems with it, and who believed in State's Rights.

Dr. Dobsen (psychologist) and company are in a pickle, because they know better than the political positions that they are advocating.

Should we as Americans be against gay people and same-sexed marriages? Yes, just as soon as all of the other Christians, live up to the standards that they have set for every other American citizen, that they do no adhere to themselves; ask Ted Haggart about that!

Gay people are American citizens. The gay issue is a civil rights issue, and Cheney knows that, Ted Haggart knew that and the rest of America will soon have to acknowledge that. America will have to decide soon whether gay Americans are American citizens or whether gay citizens should have their citizenship stripped away. That is what it comes down to!

Should gays openly-serve in the military? Gays are American citizens, and they are entitled to the same rights and freedoms as all Americans are, just ask Vice President Cheney and his daughter?

"our tendency to see a military solution to everything is not only wrong but has had profound negative effects."

Amen, brother Arkin. Amen.

Well, its a very, very hard Question. More Troops, not more Troops. Can more and more and more Troops change the Problems? The REAL Problems? I dont think so. Merry Christmas. Timo Tasche, Germany

Iraq war at $4.5 billion/month or $100,000/minute NOT COUNTING LARGE-SCALE RECONSTRUCTION. Will someone please tell wooden-headed, lead-butted Bush that LARGE SCALE RECONSTRUCTION is where the money must go, not to more military. You don't calm chaos with bombs and bullets, you calm chaos by making people's lives livable.

The Rev wrote:
--Who was it Nixon or Reagan who once said that their questionable actions were okay because they were the President at the time?--

Actually I think it was Bush saying he could do anything to protect the American public (like break the FISA law and spy on Americans). But it could have been Nixon or Reagan. They're republicans too and thus have contempt for the constitution and rule of law when they have friends to enrich and vendettas to complete.

--Still, away with the killer-cons (and many of them call themselves Christians)!--

Well, they tell Christians they are Christians. They really don't care what any other religious group thinks. Its all to obtain votes. Do you think Cheney is adamently against gay marriage? Do you thik Rove prays to God? I remember a reporter asking Quail what he would do if his daughter got pregnant. He said there were options. Options! These politicians, dems and reps, sing their songs hoping to attract the largest crowd. Nixon's southern strategy is one good example but there are others. Today its the reps christian strategy, the dems immigrant strategy, etc, etc, etc. At the end of the day its only the American people who are fooled and things no one ever thought were on the agenda are getting done, like invading Iraq, which we now know Bush&Co were thinking about since the mid-90s but never mentioned while they were talking about gay marriage, tax cuts and how democrats would ruin America.

Laughing Out Loud at the accusation that Arkin is a "Clinton-type" who went to Canada during Vietnam.

Bush got a cush Air Guard job in TX with the Dallas Cowboys and some (Dem and Rep) silver spoon kids during Nam. Cheney got deferment after deferment.

The Bush administration is full of ChickenHawks!

Putin and his cronies will soon be replaced with a strong ally of the USA who will cooperate with regard to oil exports, all commodity raw materials trading inclusive of Gold reserves, monetary transfer & currency stability, technology transfer, international weapons sales, and war on Islamic Fascism, total defeat of worldwide Vatican/Illuminati/Jesuit economic and financial control, and Space Command & Control.

Without Russia's support, the dominos fall in the other direction, i.e., minimally armed Iran, Iraq, Venezuela, N. Korea, Syria, Hezzbolah, Hamas.

Not completely true Rev. Congressmen are not exempt from laws that are Treason, Felonies or "Breaches of the Peace". Congressman Jefferson for example...

Yes Sully, but remember the reaction of Speaker Hastert, Pelosi and others after the FBI came calling. They all believed that the FBI (Executive Branch) had usurped its power; Congress believed that they had that loophole covered and that they had protected themselves already from such an occurence.

And I am not convinced that they still do not believe it. Otherwise, your point is also well taken.

At that time both sides had to back off given that the election was coming up and because of all of the scandals that had taken place on both sides of the aisle. However, that issue I am certain will be quietly revisted in due time!

Is it amazing that the Executive and Legislative branches both do so much to attempt to skate above the laws themselves.
Who was it Nixon or Reagan who once said that their questionable actions were okay because they were the President at the time?

Still, away with the killer-cons (and many of them call themselves Christians)!

As a naval officer and a veteran of the iraq conflict, More ground troops AREN'T needed. We have more than enough military in the country right now. Many people say that we don't need to pull out, which I neutral on, but when you hear the voice of america's young men on the ground needing air support, Your opinions on the war and political affiliations are out the window. When I was above the city of Tikrit in spring of 2005 I heard a man who I went to college with get killed by an insurgents bullet as he relayed coordinates to me to help save his platoon.

Some people say we need more "Bullet Sponges" but what happens when your friends and family are the "sponges"

We need the will of the Iraqi people to win, and we have the potential to do it. Around 90% of Iraq has the will but internal terrorism is blame.

WILLIAM M. ARKIN,
You must be mentally disabled... Do you know anyone in the military? Or are you one of those Clinton-types who fled to Canada during Nam? Sorry to be so blunt, but your article seems incredibly biased. Maybe you could try some actual reporting instead of just spouting off your opinions. That may be asking too much, seeing how the entire media is run/owned by Democrats. You obviously don't even know the progress that is being made in that country and how much we and they are benefitting from this war. You, sir, should stick to something more your speed... Maybe sports?

--Killer-cons--

Rev, you crack me up sometimes...

The Rev wrote:
--Upon arriving in Washington DC, I was immediately informed that Congress as-a-rule exempts itself from the Laws and statutes that it creates and imposes on other Americans and other American institutions. I was stunned to find, soon after that what I was told was true!--

Not completely true Rev. Congressmen are not exempt from laws that are Treason, Felonies or "Breaches of the Peace". Congressman Jefferson for example would not be exempt from a bribery conviction if the $90K in his freezer was a bribe. You can also ask former congressman Duke Cunningham who is sitting in jail whether he was exempt from his bribery conviction.

But there are provisions of other law that Congress does exempt itself from. One example is anti-discrimination laws. Such exemptions are criticized and are probably the Congress using its constitutional power to avoid legislation the rest of the US is made to follow, so the criticism is valid IMHO. But we need to be careful if we want the Congress to be completely under all law. That provision in the constitution was put there for a purpose. It is there to prevent the executive or judicial branches from using their powers of enforcement or subpeona to intimidate or influence the Congress. In the case of Jefferson, it was ok to arrest him but questionable for the FBI and DOJ to take papers out of his House office. Imagine if Rove were waiting back at DOJ to review what they found. Imagine how Nixon would have used his executive powers on congress if they were not exempt.

So Rev, be careful. You have a point but we don't want to throw the baby out with the bath water...

Bush and the Con's...

Bush, and the neoconservatives who hated Clinton, showed up on the scene about 8 years ago. Their mantra was, time and purpose. For they said that they had a purpose and if we would simply give them the time, they would straighten all of what ailed America and the world.

Well, we gave them time, complete control of the Federal Government and even a second term, and look at the mess that the world and the United is in today; it is much worse than it was before.

And what is their excuse for their failed purposes? Well, if we had just done it right, they say, by putting in more troops (we did) and if we had killed more innocent people (we did), the problem would have ben solved. The fact is that the problem has worsened exponentially.

When will the killer-cons realize that you do not solve problems by simply killing people? When will the killer-cons stop criticizing, disparaging and labeling people as Liberals and simply admit that their purpose, and their braintrust were all dismal failures?

Killer-cons are an even admitted embarassment to the true conservatives in America!

No more Troops for Iraq, and no more Killer-cons for America...!

CARRIER OF TRUTH:

So are you saying that if we were to eliminate every Muslim from the face of the earth, that there would be peace on earth? It would appear that you are sadly misinformed.

Christians have a very violent history themselves; the late Pope John Paul did not apologize for nought. In fact lately, it has been American Christian Soldiers who have supported and encouraged Mr. Bush to carry out their eschatalogical intentions in the current east-west fray!

The overwhelming majority of Muslims are simply peace loving people, and most of the nations that they inhabit do not possess massive weapons of mass destruction arsenals.

And excuse me, which nation is currently occuping two other nations? You guessed it, the pseudo-Christian nation of America!

If we get out of Iraq, which I'd love to do, where do we fight the terrorists?

Posted by: tomhopkins3450

We could begin right here in America, and beging the fight to stop American terrorism abroad!

You won't understand this Tom, but American terrorism is the real problem; the rest of the world is simply reacting to it!

The Problem With America....

I did a 4-year business tour in Washington DC myself several years ago. Upon arriving in Washington DC, I was immediately informed that Congress as-a-rule exempts itself from the Laws and statutes that it creates and imposes on other Americans and other American institutions. I was stunned to find, soon after that what I was told was true!

[Even the Seat of the Federal Government, ran by Congress, insists on remaining autonomous, even in deference to the 600,000 citizens of DC, most of who desire statehood, and for now a Congressional Representative. The fact is that the Federal Government prefers not to be bound by some conflict that might arise if it was to allow D.C. to become a state, and therefore it continues to reject the idea of Statehood D.C., and DC having a Congressional Representative with legitimate voting power in Congress].

Given my experiences in Washington D.C. and with many of our Representatives, I realized that it was not only Congress, but the United States of America itself that exempts itself from the Laws or requirements that it imposes on other nations. For example in the current crises, we will not speak with certain nations until they stop developing nuclear capacities, however, we will retain all of our nuclear technology and weapons. Folks that is not what any reasonable person or state would refer to as principled negotiations; on the other hand that is what most would refer to as a double-standard.

But Americans are accustomed to that, the United States has been masterful at inveigling the United Nations (for which it lacks any respect for by the way), by using its power as a permanent member in the United Nations Security Council to pass resolutions that bind other nations/holds them to nefarious double-standards, and prevents them from engaging in the same behaviors as the United States has been notorious for engaging in.

For example, the United States of America can possess weapons of mass destruction, invade other nations, spy on other nations, terrorize other nations as well as interfere in the internal affairs of other nations; however, America will not tolerate most other nations from doing the same. And if any of those nations, other than America's friends, were to impose the American imposed rules or requirements, those nations often face negative sanctions and some have experienced illegal invasions and occupations. .

Sadly, most Americans have accepted this double-standard as being normal, albeit the same Americans would even reject the appearance of any other extra-national organization or state that would try to impose similar double-standards upon the United States. Not much will change in the world, particularly in nations like Iraq until the American people and our leaders decide to step back from these venal and innocuous double-standards, and our attempts to impose the will of 5% of the world's population, American Apartheid, on the rest of the world. Isn't it bad enough that America did the same thing to black Americans? When will America learn, for the world is no longer accepting of the American double-standard either?

We don't require more troops for Iraq, and we don't need more nuclear weapons or to contain the Russians. The first thing that America needs to do is stop seeing other nations as a problem and deal with the American problem, double-standards,then the issue in Iraq would be solved.

CARRIER OF no TRUTH wrote:
--This war started long before September 11th. This actually started before Ishmael & Isaac, this even predates Cain & Abel in Genesis. Certainly that chaffs those who think they came from a monkey.--

Monkeys have wars too. Time for you to read a book other than the bible.

--However every country that has allowed Musleum theology to take root has experienced cival war & mass killings. Some of you would do well to study history instead of taking the word from the media as truth.--

Hmmm, I had no idea the US was a muslim nation in 1861. And I guess you'd blame two world wars started in christian europe on the muslims too?

--We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities & powers & rulers of darkness in high places-Ephesians 6:12.--

Well then why did Bush invade using guns and bombs which I believe are designed to tear apart flesh and spill blood? Maybe what he should have done what I think is your advice and use diplomacy to start a war of principles, education to inform the Iraqi population and encourage them to throw out Saddam on their own. Why did Bush consider it his (our) job to throw out Saddam by attacking flesh and blood?

--America's blessings, strength & roots are in the GOD of CHRISTIANITY, Not FREEDOM OF RELIGION as defined by political & media liars seeking to fulfill their own lust & agendas. WAKE UP AMERICA YOU ARE ABOUT TO FALL...--

What gives you the freedom of speech to voice your opinions on this blog, in the newspaper, on a street corner or in front of the White House is not christianity but the Constitution of the United States of America. Wake up and get your head out of the clouds. Religion has killed more people by promising the killers paradise than any other method. You should read your bible and understand that Jesus would not be for this war, would not be for continuing this war, would pray heavily for its victims AND its killers on all sides. Some christians today talk a lot about war, about supporting invasions of nations that did nothing to them, about supporting a president that has lied to achieve his goals. I think its time many of them to go to church and prayed for their own souls.

This war started long before September 11th. This actually started before Ishmael & Isaac, this even predates Cain & Abel in Genesis. Certainly that chaffs those who think they came from a monkey. However every country that has allowed Musleum theology to take root has experienced cival war & mass killings. Some of you would do well to study history instead of taking the word from the media as truth. We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities & powers & rulers of darkness in high places-Ephesians 6:12. America's blessings, strength & roots are in the GOD of CHRISTIANITY, Not FREEDOM OF RELIGION as defined by political & media liars seeking to fulfill their own lust & agendas. WAKE UP AMERICA YOU ARE ABOUT TO FALL...

petergm22000 wrote:
--Write to your congressman urging him or her to support the call by Rep. Dennis Kucinich for a cutoff of funds for military operations in Iraq.--

HA! Kucinich, HA! He's a joke! You think he knows anything about funds? Anything about finance? Anything about money and how to cut it off or make it flow? Anything about war? HA! Guess you're too young to remember where Dennis the Menace comes from. Here's a little history: http://www.realchange.org/kucinich.htm

Dennis is one of those people that has screwed up so much he should simply be ignored ... like Bush. What comes out of his mouth is not worth listening too. His credibility is nil.

600 000 iraqi civilians dead - and counting
3000 us soldiers dead - and counting
how many us soldiers wounded?
reasons for invasion have been proven a lie
rebuilding of iraq is a failure
civil war has resulted
sectarian violence in iraq at all-time high
anti-us feeling worldwide at all-time high

but he boys! at least we got to spend a few billions to keep the mil.-industrial complex grooving on!
By all means send more troops, bring back the draft! Whatever it takes to stay on top! We want bigger guns and more oil!
More prisons (preferrably abroad to avoid some inconveniencies) and higher walls.
To guarantee safety at home hard-earned freedoms will be left at the door, together with fingerprints and eyescans. This will be done willingly, because there is nothing to hide, especially if it keeps the country safe. Don't forget that this is all in the interest of the people! Stop asking meaningless, awkward questions! Stop doubting the good intentions of your government, they know better.

Just listen to the ones with the biggest guns or the most money, they're always looking after your best interest are they not? Just look around: who made sure that there are thousands of tv-channels to watch, hundreds of colors to choose from for the new and improved suv, a new oil-wielding project in national parks, hell the government will even make sure everybody can go to the moon pretty soon, so stop asking and start trusting: sign up now! Why take the risk of letting other cultures exist? Why not take measures? You never now what others might do if you don't control them. And besides, somebody has to do it, right? Who knows what might happen if every country starts to decide for themselves? No, we better keep an eye on them, just to be safe. And may i propose something else: considering the magnitude of the results of the current government, why not change the constitution and let our president serve our interest for just one more term? i dream of more but i don't want to push it :)

Take Bush at his word, he won't de-escalate regardless of the policical pressure. Instead, he will escalate, probably pulling a specific mission out of his butt (like "neutralizing" the Medin Army by leveling parts of Baghdad) to sell his troop surge to the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Al Sadr's coalition (JAM) is currently boycotting the Iraqi parliment, denying them a quorum, preventing an oil privitization bill from passing (that no major oil producer would agree to willingly).

Don't worry, when the temporary troop surge has passed and the regular Army and Marines are spent, Bush will ("reluctantly") call up the reserves for more deployments. Again, take Bush at his word: 2007 will bring hard choices and sacrifice (for the families of reservists, not for Bush's rich campaign contributors or his chicken hawk supporters).

What does victory mean to those who send military to shed blood, destroy and dilapidate other countries and to seize their assets? It means nothing else than wiping them out so as to assert these militarist bigots. What they think victory is their naked aggression sweeping everything in its sway.

Where does he plan to get these soldiers. Draft? The muslims hate America so it does not matter if we stay or go. I say leave the weapons and leave, THEY'LL KILL THEMSELVES FOR US. By increasing our military and sending them to any muslim nation only makes them fell more significant. They are not. They are wallowing in hatred for being themselves and not giving their children a future and the more we try to help them the more they will hate us. Its time to let our selves move on.

Have you ever met a person who is adamantly against pollution of the environment, wants to curb CO2 emissions, wants more investment into developing alternative source of energy, etc. etc?

And then, after the recital, he/she jumps into a huge and expensive gas-gobbling SUV and drives away!

It doesn't really matter if you did not because this is a metaphor on public opinion in America about the war in Iraq.

The implicit assumption is that if we pull out, the rest of the world will also do nothing. You don't get it. The rest of the world is sitting on the sidelines until Bush admits defeat and we get out. At that point the lure of oil will prove so strong that other nations will invest for a host of reasons. And they may actually be welcomed, because they are not the "Devil" (ahs he is called in many parts there) himself, GW Bush. But neither can America orchestrate the second phase, or it will be seen as a continuance of the first. However, it can announce a timetable of withdrawal tht is real and fixed, and then allow things to take their course, and not get in the way of other efforts as they arise. Bush needs to realize that as the world's gardener his thumb is not at all a "green" one -- quite the opposite. And if he is not a gardener, but a warmonger -- like so many seem to be these days out of short-sightedness and a vindictive selfish personality -- then he ought to just step down.

Forget Bush, impeach Cheney, Bush Boy is NOTHING without Cheney!

There seem to be a lot of "either or" comments here. um... you folks are the uninformed.

RE-DEPLOY the troops, is among several other options and it means just that... to "redeploy" them where they are actually accomplishing something.

The real issue is that Bush is simply a son-of-a-CIA, double-speak family and really just not that bright. I think his old business partner, Osama bin Laden, whom Bush grew up with and vacationed with, is actually the smarter man and has been manipulating Bush this whole time.
Bush has played right into Osama's desire to raise a Jihad army against the US and it is working!
Bush is too arrogant and stubborn to back down = Checkmate! Osama can just sit back, pop out a video now and then to keep Bush on track, and enjoy the show.

We need people who can reason and find a solution that IS NOT JUST MILITARY!! ISG report has already stated this.
The Generals have also already said that more troops will not help.
Bush has to get off his high horse and TALK to those who are neighbors of Iraq. Imposing democracy on people who know nothing of democracy will not work!! Plus, they have to want it! They don't. The majority at this time want REVENGE against anybody that gets in their way of more REVENGE! And if you think we can just beat others into submission to get our way, then you who share that authoritarian ideology are the weak willed and led sheep who are letting our constitution be undone here in the USA. It's time to wake up people.
We must let go of "Hunter- Gatherer" mentality and face the reality of a shrinking bio-diverse planet- The Hunt IS over! Time to make nice and live in peace or live in pieces... your choice.

This is really pretty simple - Get over our fear of Nuclear power plants in the US, turn coal (which we have more of than Saudia has oil) into gas at $40 at barrel, become the "Microsoft" of thin film solar tehcnology. And, let the Middle East turn back into a giant bucket of sand with no money, no computers, no internet. Let them all live there lives in a cave if that is what they choose to. If we stop "stealing" there oil for $79 a barrel and $370 billion in regional security they will get JUST WHAT THEY SAY THEY WANT....now that is Democratcy.

Four misconceptions:

"Iraq is our responsibility." Why Iraq, and not Darfur? How big do we have to grow our military to police the entire world and how much will that cost? Where do our responsibilities end? I say here and now. Maybe we could help the out of work Ford workers first.

"We're fighting a war on Terror in Iraq." No we were fighting a war against Saddam Hussein. Now we are refereeing a civil war. The war on Terror was in Afghanistan. Terror is a tactic used in every war.

"If we withdraw troops Iraq will destabilize." And since Shock and Awe, when has Iraq been stable; when have Iraqis felt secure? It is already unstable and we do not appear to be able to fix that.

"We will spend more money fighting future wars if we leave now." Wait a minute, this is the most expensive war ever, our country is trillions in debt. I'm not sure we could spend more...

Three misconceptions:

"We're fighting a war on Terror in Iraq." No we were fighting a war against Saddam Hussein. Now we are refereeing a civil war. The war on Terror was in Afghanistan. Terror is a tactic used in every war.

"If we withdraw troops Iraq will destabilize." And since Shock and Awe, when has Iraq been stable; when have Iraqis felt secure? It is already unstable and we do not appear to be able to fix that.

"We will spend more money fighting future wars if we leave now." Wait a minute, this is the most expensive war ever, our country is trillions in debt. I'm not sure we could spend more...

The people in the middle east can endure the most horrendous pain & suffering on a daily basis that we can't even imagine.They are much tougher in every way than we are.Simply much better conditioned, this is why they will survive.

How can anyone NOT see that the increase in military size has been a part of the plan for years? Mr. Arkin, please read up on the Cheny agenda - you'll see that this is just one more stepping stone in a much bigger plan. Oh, and in case you're wondering, 9/11 was an inside job that made this step possible... just search video.google.com for 9/11 and see what you find. I went there for fun one night to laugh at the conspiracy theorists and I challenge you to try it too. Just for a laugh. Go ahead. Find out what they are saying by listening to them. Then try to laugh.

==Tommy Franks was fighting for his parents right to procreate in Vietnam==

This sounds kind of weird.

I don't know why Mr.Franks' parents wanted to procreate in Vietnam. But I am pretty sure this wasn't the main reason for the war.

Maybe its time to take off the Superpower hat and spurs and sit down around some round tables with those Middle East neighbors to see what we can agree on vis a vis the Iraqi "problem." Prez "GW Bush"( W for Warpresident), doesnt want to stop being the DECIDER and controller of the free world's fate. Whether he calls it the War on Terror or the Great Crusade - its obvious that ongoing military campaigns ( Iraqi, Afghani) are failing if not already failures. Surely the USG has more options to consider than going back to the ranch and pulling out - a few more gunhands for a surge period. GW & the neocons are only looking at the surge option simply because they know that if they proposed what they REALLY want - an added force level of 30-50K troops in Region permanently - that the Congress and the sleeping public would call for impeachment. The Pentagon could probably pull from ROK forces, naval forces and maybe even callback retirees ( to fill in CONUS slots) to find 50K gunhands but it would show to the world that there are indeed limits to our capabilities & power. And heavens knows we dont want that!
Point #1 - We don't want to always want to pick up the military option first.
Point #2 - We need to reduce our ego and start talking to Iran - Syria, Turkey and anybody else about areas that we can agree on.
Point #3 - If we continue on this slow path of deterioration ( which doesnt stop for Study Groups) we will have a regional meltdown that we better prepare for mentally now.

While you all argue details, people die. While your Republican vs Democratic rhetoric spews, people die.

I curse you all to suffer the same way this season as the innocent bystanders in IRAQ and Afghanistan. I wish for all sides to feel the agony of death, while living on, to learn from their profound ignorance of pain.

In this, I pray that GOD will deliver punishment equally to all sides.

Ahmen, so mote it be.

Equally suffer? Give me the New Orleans suffering any day of the year over Iraqi sufferings!

A.P. -- If I was in the military with you, I'd made real sure you were the first person i shot.

Bumbing Tommy Franks? Sad how some fat slob of a "columnist" can call someone with a decorated career "bumbling". While this "bumbling" Tommy Franks was fighting for his parents right to procreate in Vietnam, learning how to walk again after an amputation, this sad puke can write columns from the safety of his home and bash military leaders. Too bad there isn't a draft in this country to burn some of the fat, hatred, and sloveness out of pukes like him.

Interesting that after years of screw ups there are still people who think the junta in Washington has any idea!
This confirm every civilized countries' opinion that Americans are really that stupid.

Should the 110th Democratic Congress continue to feed the presidents' obsession with Iraq by continued funding full or partially military operations there,they will share co-equal responsibility for the consequences,and no new ammended war powers resolution will absolve them.Write to your congressman urging him or her to support the call by Rep. Dennis Kucinich for a cutoff of funds for military operations in Iraq.There is enough money in the pipeline for an orderly withdrawal of the troops,SO THEY WILL NOT BE HURT.Some in Congress say a cutoff would hurt the troops!That old moldy message was used to fund the Vietnam war for years!A cutoff of funds is the ONLY way to end the wastefull and unproductive military adventure in Iraq.History repeats unless we are willing to learn its'lessons.

My concern is whether or not the American citizenry CAN effectively oppose the policy on Iraq. The election seems not to have mattered. Are we now in fact ruled by the Bush people as a military oligarchy, or is there any way of stopping this madness?

As the War in viet Nam was drifting towards a loss, we were told by our leaders, of both parties, that to withdraw would be bad. Withdrawing from Viet Nam, we were told would lead to the dominos falling in SE Asia and a world wide rise of Communism. So we continued to escalate.

Well folks , eventually the losses became too great to bear, and we pulled out. How many dominos fell into the Communist camp? None. How much world prestige did we lose, and what were the results of that? Nothing. At the end of the day, once we got out of that quagmire, we wound up as the leading super power in the world.

Today our leaders, again of both parties, tell us that to leave Iraq would damage us in the eyes of the world, and lead to regional chaos. This time Islamic dominos would fall , and we would be faced with a huge Islamic power intent on destroying us.

See how these old dogs never learn new tricks when the old ones still work?

The question I would like answered is..
Where's Osama?
Paul N. Sidio

You cant fight the guerillas with conventional army

Americans are so naive it's pathetic! Nothing is as it seems."Jr." isn't dumb and inept.He's doing exactly what the people who pull his strings want him to do.The three big goals for the military industrial complex;money,power and total power.Not enough Americans have died yet.58,000 died in Vietnam before the country had enough backbone to just say no.But if I were profiting from war I'd want a never-ending war too."The War on Terror" is a great marketing tool! "Jr." got his Madison Avenue monies' worth on that one!Let's face it.This is going to go on from now on...You'd have to be part of "the shadow government" to know the Real plans. Or,just don't be so naive. Our neighbors to the south (who seem to appreciate our country and what it stands for more than we who take it for granted because we're born in to it),have struggled and fought for seventy years under a semi-totalitarian corrupt government. And that's one reason they come here.Life,liberty and the pursuit of happiness! But guess what people? Our government is becoming as corrupt and vicious,only on a grander scale!The powers that be are playing a three-card Monty on us.While we're distracted by Terrorism and "spreading democracy",our very "American" way of life is being threatened from within.Dismantle The Constitution,put the greatest wealth and power in the hands of the few,with an "unquestionly Patriotic" military/police force at the beck and call of a commander and chief in "time of war" and yeah!What you gonna do when they come for you? They killed Kennedy right before our eyes and buried the evidence for 75 years.And no one's done anything about it. Afghanistan/Iraq is just phase two of Vietnam/Cambodia.Phase three is coming up real soon!Make no mistake.Iran/Syria/Turkey/Korea,etc.,etc.(Come to think of it,I could have made a fortune as a gun-runner/arms dealer if the Big Boys didn't already have a monopoly on that,too!) Besides,they'll be taking away our right to bear arms,freedom of speech,etc.before too long.You can't even protest a speech by "Jr." now,without getting arrested.Maybe the Mexicans will help us appreciate the meaning of "Viva LA Revolucion!!" "When in the course of human events,..."

You cant fight the guerillas with conventional army

W's intelligence has nothing to do with the current issue at hand. He is not alone, he has a vice president, has a full cabinet of ministers, and has access to any think tank available in this country. He and the current administration were not acting solely on their own brains when they started this war. So it is relatively safe to say that America must be facing a (potential) problem 5 years ago (911 is not even relevant), and is still facing the same problem today (otherwise we will pull out), and Iraq is simply part of the scheme to neutralize that problem. The problem I can only surmise that when time goes by and no action taken, America would gradually lose a higher hand internationally on this planet which she has been enjoying for quite a few decades. Without taking down Iran, the middle east would not be considered secured, and mission cannot be called "accomplished". Even if Iraq turns out the way we like it, it's only part of the job done. Instead of asking ourselves what we should do and should not, maybe it is time to ask ourselves the million $ question: what can we do? If the Russians and Chinese are determined not to let Iran fall, our middle east strategy is not going to be a mission we can accomplish. We simply don't have the power to do it. It looks to me that the best strategy to get the most out of this nightmare is to withdraw completely, simply tell the international community that we tried and lost lives to install democracy there, but we could not finish the job. If the Russians, Europeans or the Chinese want to get a kick out of Iraq, be our guest. If they find middle east is a potato too hot for them to handle, they have no where to turn to and the UN will have to ask for our help, only then we can go in again, and only THEN we can hope to get the most of this sloppy situation.

Ian wrote:
-- The ramifications of a pull-out at this time is utter stupidity. So please, stop Bush wacking. He's doing what is necessary, though it's a hard pill to swallow.--

Ian, you need to stop watching Fox News which presents the options as either-or instead of the many possibilities of which only one is increased troops and only one other is to pull out. There is about 100 other options in between. You and the other Fox drones need to understand that redeployment is not a code word for everyone coming home for Xmas. It means redeploy! Move troops around to be more effective, change the strategy from assuming everyone with a gun is a terrorist (Bush's fantasy) to one where we recognize that the Sunni and Shia are having a civil war and they shoot at us because we are seen as protecting an enemy (the new iraqi government) or an enemy asset. Lets get out of the way and let them have their civil war. We could be doing a lot more by patrolling the Iranian/Iraqi border keeping smugglers out or heading into Afganistan to capture Ladiboy. I will guarantee that Bush has no idea what an increase in troops would do, where they would be deployed or what measures should be used to determine their effectiveness. Its really sad, this president has given up and is grasping at straws and is too afraid to consider anything that might make his legacy appear bad.

The American people caused this. They need to apologize to the rest of America and the world for allowing this administration to exist, for providing it with a compliant Congress and worst of all ignoring the evidence when it was available before the 2004 election and reelecting the bonehead and the criminal congressional leaders. Maybe we should stop all cars with Bush/Cheney-2004 bumperstickers and write them tickets for, oh, $10,000 each. That might cover about 1% of the cost of this fiasco but unfortunately will not help those killed and maimed in Bush's war of choice.

Good article, Mr. Arkin, except that you said " these guys can't see past today's events." Correction. They refuse to see anything but their agenda which the American public is squarely against, and has been for some time. And, they insist on running their agenda no matter the bloodletting to America, because while America is losing, they are gaining in personal financial power(think the Carlyle Group). Comes down to money versus an America acting on the basis of shining the glorious light of freedom to all the world. So much for America as a bright and shining example to the world, thanks to our ignominious leaders. Those that sell out America for a few pieces of silver deserve the end of a "Judas", certainly not our vote, fame and fortune.

So we can't remove our troops until Iraq is stable? I think Jesus and Muhammad just laughed and pulled out their Lazy Boy chairs. I hope the "Fountain of Youth" is discovered because we won't see peace in the Middle East in our lifetime.

The region is just too volatile at this stage in its history. Although, some could reasonably argue it's been volatile for a long time and it's delusional to expect an American occupation to change it anytime soon. It's interesting for the history books.

The use of force by an external power to promote democracy without a desire to conquer. Interesting. The Native Americans would have preferred that deal. It's interesting how this works. The US will let people vote but if the people elect someone that is unfavorable to the US then we compel the people vote again until we like the elected person.

Good article, nice touch. I cannot believe the White House wants to send more troops. The military is over stretched so their solution is to over stretch it some more, as if this "do over" will make any difference.
Happy Holidays, everyone...

==Well the cause of terrorism is the overall crumminess of society in the middle east with despots and malitias and raving mad men and the like. Killing as many of them as possible is one way to get at the root cause of terrorism==

I am not sure mass mayhem, urban warfare and wholesale destruction is going to do much to curb terrorism and address its causes. Iraq had a crummy society before the war and no terrorism, now it has crummy society and terrorism. Too bad the men in the White House think like you.

Before commiting more troops to Iraq, Bush needs to ask himself, "What would Jesus do?"

The US spends as much on its military as the rest of the world put together. Naturally a government run by arms dealers and their placemen thinks that's not enough. What's amazing is that the American people seem to agree, despite the clearest evidence of the limits, indeed the counter-productiveness, of using military power to deal with every problem. Especially problems that didn't exist, like Iraq. A bigger military will only feed Washington's megalomania. Give Wsshington bigger armed forces and in return Washington will give you bigger deficits, bigger enemies, and bigger wars.

The problem is simple. Our country, our government, are still run by a bunch of outdated egos who think with their penis instead of their brain.

Just a quick note. The US won the war in Iraq in a matter of days( didnt you all see the Mission Accomplished banner on the carrier that day?) The problem is that once we were in control George and Dick's masters decided that they needed more time at the trough before we got out(Haliburton, Bechtel). Now as they pull out we can discuss an exit strategy. Make no mistake we will leave and let the chips fall where they may. The next round will be how all the hardware we have used up needs to be replaced at twice the cost. In WWII a good portion of the war was financed by the sale of war bonds. For all you hardliners who want endless war why dont you send a check to the pentagon to cover this debacle? Better yet why dont we give folks a chance to opt out of services to finance the war. If you like the war you get no Medicare, Social Security, police or fire protection, access to public education, drive on the roads, or anything else that the money should be spent on. I think that the right, for all of its anti-government rhetoric, see the government as some sort of parent. You want it to hurt the people you are afraid of and buy you cool new toys and pay for your education and medical care and never tell you no. Time to grow up neocons. You had your chance to show that your ideas had merit and you blew it. If America ever had any moral authority you have squandered it. The real enemies of civilization are finally being recognized. Global warming and environmental degradation are the threat not Islamofascists (patent pending).

soc

p.s. Crystal is a striper's name

Perhaps we will now see "Shock And Awe" Part 2. Oh, and expect the draft to be brought back.

War without end, my friends. War without end.

I think its pretty self evident that pulling out of Iraq will be disasterous. Democrats are supposed to be compassionate and caring yet they seem to be advocating a "throw your kid in the deep-end to teach him how to swim" approach to Iraq. Only the deep-end is filled with scraggly bearded chaps with automatic weapons. While admittedly the Army Brass are a bunch of useless tools (and be honest when was the last time top army brass weren't a bunch of useless tools?) tucking tail and heading for home, or "redeploying" (i.e. lobbing cruise missles and shells from the safety of the nearest U.S. base) is not the way to win a war. Before Iraq everyone said we need to attack the root causes of terrorism. Well the cause of terrorism is the overall crumminess of society in the middle east with despots and malitias and raving mad men and the like. Killing as many of them as possible is one way to get at the root cause of terrorism. You know what the root cause of WWII was? Nazis. And killing a bunch of them went a long way to keeping Europe peaceful. The real problem has been Donald Rumsfeld low-balling the war. I thought we learned this lesson in Vietnam, you don't fight a war on the cheap because it quickly becomes even more costly! So put the troops in, anyone with an ounce of knowledge in military history understands that 20 guys with a billion dollars in hightech junk cannot accomplish what a battalion of light infantry can. Put the men in, impose order, kill or otherwise marginalize the radicals and demonstrate that America won't be enduced to abandon a major tenant of its foreign policy buy murderous fanatics. If we let a few thousand chumps in Iraq push us around you think Kim Il Jong will listen to anything we have to say? If two wars against third string countries is enough to "break the army" then I'm here to tell you something is seriously wrong.

Nothing could be worse than the terrorism of the Bush government that is filled with hacks and people who don't think. That is why its so incompetent. Want to stop terrorism, then get rid of the jerks who make foolish policies that tick off half the world. What we need is to have the troops returned home now, have the public kick the butt of Congress for letting this travesty of a policy go on, and find some other way to invest our resources.

Like his father at the end of his term, the younger Bush shows the signs of the insulated post cold war elder statesman.
Readers may recall the photo op of George Herbert 'discovering' the technology of bar coding at a local supermarket. This represented the crest of his popularity. Clearly, Americans wondered, "Is this man representing me?"
Now surrounded by his father's advisors and confidants, the younger Bush has drawn the idealogical wagon train around himself.
I was living in the UK during the attacks of September 11th. I watched with horror as friends and colleagues in the financial industry perished with so many innocent souls.
Now living in the US, I believe this man is that naive to have not learned anything from history, some of it very recent. I believe he does not understand the rapidly changing dynamic of the international stage. The United States will some day, not be able to police the world! Someday, this responsibility will fall on other nations. Perhaps this time has come.
If we view the entire Middle-East as a group of nations who are jockeying for their own financial interests, not a stretch of reality, then how might we alter our efforts to use their interests to change the current course of events?
I believe the motivations are financial. The ruling elite struggle for power and then oppress those who do not have it. This is not new. It happens and has happened throughout history in other parts of the world. Why should this region be different? The real threat is that through oil, the oppressors have access to real wealth. Great enough wealth to threaten and blackmail the developed world.
It is no secret that significant short positions were established in Airline stocks prior to the attacks of September.
We were able to indentify the activity at my hedge fund after the fact by analyzing simple time and sales data for the exchanges.
Play the real game! If we concentrate on taking away the money, the antagonists go back to running guns and drugs. Stop defending the antiquated infrastructure of oil. The worlds climate has sent the warning. We have grown out of the age of petroleum based growth.
If the US threaten to withdraw, and begins to reduce its presence, the region will be drawn into a Sunni /Shiite war. This is something that neither Iran nor Saudi Arabia desire. It will however demand that much from their finances that the US will achieve a lasting security for itself. We will also save money to reinvest in our own aged petroleum based infrastructure.
Ahh, but the current president represents the interests of that infrastructure.
I believe that the president is fighting for his pride. We all know that when the battle is reduced to the saving of ones pride, the battle has been lost.

USA's retarded president may be right for once & see what happens..
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You don't have to look far on google news to see headlines like these "Out of touch president wants more troops", "All I Want for Christmas is a Larger Army, Says Bush".

No doubt that liberal papers are having a blast. This idiotic war is his fault but this time he may actually be trying to right his wrongs. A "burst" or large military presence is required to ensure stability for Iraqi civilians. This has been on the minds of may field officers and the've spoken about it countless number of times. Telling the insurgents from civilians is another matter but may also be mitigated by increase in troops. If USA is to decrease it's number of troops or leave alltogether you are going to get territory ripe for take over like Afghanistan in the 80's. Also, the deluded (or maybe just looking to better their financial situation) iraquis that have been helping the invasion are as good as dead. The Iraqi military will be destroyed.

So what does USA have to lose by adding more troops? It's image in the middle east? Hah.

Only one good solution to this nonsense folks. BUY GOLD & SILVER to protect your wealth. The gov't is nothing short of a bunch of Nazi's in my opinion.

What ever happened to NEGOTIATIONS...All Presidents have use them except this one...even the terrorists if done right could do this.

Bill,
You took some serious bashing for this article but you deserve it like everyone else that doesn't think before they talk.
We have to be successful in Iraq for you to sit in your little posh apartment and continue being over paid for writing this crap. It is common sense that if we let these terrorists win we will be paying ten times what we are now to fight new wars and recreate what the terrorists destroy in future attacks. You need to get another line of work!

The real main reason we are in Iraq was best summarized by the current President Bush we he made the comment "they tried to assassinate my Daddy!"

Yes Ian,

But the calamity has already been caused -- spilled milk, water over the dam, you name it. By staying there it just makes things worse day by day. The insurgency increased 8-fold over the last year. At that rate, in one more year, it will be 64 times as strong as it was one year ago. Military solution? We went there to save Iraq, and we can't save it by destroying it. The people there are fed up with us. They are upset and joining the insurgency in increasing numbers. Pulling out is an ugly scenario, but pulling out one year from now will be even worse. That is why you see so much Bush bashing here -- the mistake is not pulling out now, the mistake was starting it to begine with.

To pull out of Iraq would be a big mistake. Simple as that. You cannot leave the region that way it is now. Someone else will fill the void when the USA leaves... and THEN it will be worse than you could possibly imagine. Think about it... for a second. The ramifications of a pull-out at this time is utter stupidity. So please, stop Bush wacking. He's doing what is necessary, though it's a hard pill to swallow.

Morals NEVER fed my family. Food did and I bought that food with money.

Victory in Iraq , what does that mean ? and what does the American tax payer get from that victory . Which will have cost them 1/2 trillion dollars.

Next time we the US attacks a soveriegn nation, it better be worth while. Attacking IRAQ was an American disaster with untold consequences for decades to come.

Hey reneck Mr Bush you should resign.

At one time I thought you were an evil man, now I know you are.

Plua you are also a very stupid man.

The USA deserves better

Thank you, Galactic Cannibal.

Makes one wonder, doesn't it?

Beau people like you are the reason people in the Rest of the World hate Americans

The trouble with making comparisons of Iraq with WWII -- "Well, gol darn't, they tried to appease Hitler, and there you see what happened..." -- is that this "reasoning" can be used to support any military adventure at all In history we can find examples of moments when it was wise for a given country to engage in war, just as we can also find examples where the decision was made unwisely. The present case has to be evaluated on its own particular merits. Now we have Baker saying that it will be a calamity if we lose -- but that should have been obvious at the beginning of this war, which it seems we got ourselves into in a state of oneiric irresponsibility after 9/11 -- that in so doing we actually increased our level of danger, which, after all is what the terrorists wanted/want. When they (terrorists) strike again, no doubt the warmongers will hold sway in the US once again, and the whole thing will spiral out of control. Not a pretty future, but that is what happened, and we are so close to the edge even now there can be no doubt that the terrorists can continue to manipulate us in this way. Does anyone doubt this analysis? Does anyone imagine there will not be another terrorist attack? Does anyone doubt that this will tip the (still teetering) scales toward more warmongering on our part? Will not this just cause a greater rift, more fundamentalist hatred on both sides? And continue, continue. The only way out is to play it smart, go for calm, orderly international cooperation (there are so many well-meaning people out there, even if they have some differences from us) and slowly but surely the thing will settle down. Unfortunately, like I said, the US does not have the collective emotional maturity to see the way clearly over the long run and I am afraid we are doomed to be easily duped in this 3rd-milennium trap.

What country are all of you lunatics from?

The post by Beau is quite instructive. It seems that throughout America's storied and illustrious history, this nation has had a talent for approaching difficult and complex problems in a very simple and straightforward way: "If there is a problem that is particularly vexing, why, just get a gun and SHOOT the problem. THAT will certainly make it go away, now, WON't it?"

Jojo the Clown's post also makes an instructive observation, but one which shows a tad more depth. Namely, how is it that this administration has seen fit to get so emotionally committed to the poor Iraqi's that were deprived of democracy while turning a blind eye and a deaf ear to the horrible situation in Darfur? Hmmm...perhaps this war in Iraq has NOTHING to do with ANY of the goals or aims stated by the U S "leadership". Perhaps the REAL goals and aims are something completely DIFFERENT. Now, I wonder what THAT might be? I'll bet there are thousands of history books that might address THAT question, but, HEY...a gun is a lot easier to fire than a book is to read and understand. Bye bye, now.

Hey Crystal, maybe it might be a good idea for you to get a passport, travel to different countries and find out first hand why Bush is so hated and how he has destroyed diplomatic relations the world over...instead of relying on the blinders you were suckered into buying from Fox News.

It was truly amusing to have Crystal tell us to study our past history with all the accomplishments by Busch?The senior that sired this Moron that we are now stuck with.?I don't care how he weeps as a hurt father facing a public that rejects his son.A son that needed to be constantly bailed out of defunct ventures.
College education,hahaha!!!
National Guard none attendence,
Oil Co,( that even took the Saudis to help out)
drunk driving tickets and records and now the biggest liar that makes everything up as he goes along.He made us the laughing stock of the world.!!
I pray that our nation can survive this
SON OF A BUSCH!!!

Bush maintains, Victory is attainable!!! . . . No it is not, yes it is, No it is not, yes it is . . . . But if VICTORY is attainable, what will we win? Al Sadir as Prime Minister, or Iraq as an ally of Iran??? . . . Nobody, repeat, nobody is talking about what a victory will bring. . . .

The big problem is that Americans see themselves as somehow very special, and they are cowards. What is the probelm with being 2nd or 3rd greatest? Are you afraid (shivering in your little boots) that someone is really going to invade your country and subjugate you? Hah! Just like we, the most powerful country in the world can't invade and subjugate a little country like Iraq. Wake up -- the real danger in the world is that terrorists attack to manipulate us into acting just like we have been acting for the past 5 years -- do you really think they expect us to just roll over and play dead? No, they want us to restrict our own freedoms, start meaningless cowardly wars, condone torture, spread chaos in international relations, and act like jerks. Left and right just don't get it. Just cowards of a different stripe, but cowards all the same.

Crystal--Are you smoking crack again?

Hey Crystal,
What fictional dreamland are you in? Why don't you do a little research and see what a disaster Bush and his cronies have been to America?

Why is it that the libs get to take over the headlines of every newspaper? It's no wonder the uninformed have voted in so many democrats. They are fed opinionated garbage everytime they pickup the paper or turn on the news. With the way things are headed, I'm going to buy myself a semi-auto rifle (before they are re-banned by libs) to protect myself and my family from the foreign invasion of countries that see how weak our demo-influenced country has become.

The anger and hatred that Sunnis and Shia feel for one another is hundreds of years old and is not going to be set aside by Christian or Jewish mediators. Wherever these two religious groups co-exist in large numbers in Muslim countries, there are small clashes yearly, usually centered around Muharram. Ethnic cleansing in Iraq will probably not occur on the scale that is happening in Darfur (which we the all powerful US is happily ignoring). But a subjugation of the minority group (the Sunnis in Iraq) will probably occur, following the withdrawal of the US. But the real reason the US stays on is the need to create a pseudo-democratic puppet regime that is US friendly and can replace the ever-willing (in the past) Saddam as a check for Irans interests in the region. I concur with the post above that the Mujahideen from the anti-soviet days in Afghanistan and the Madrassas in Pakistan (all evil Terror cells today) were created with funding and support from the United States in a time when Radical Islam was seen as a smaller threat to the evil soviet empire.

We can't pull out now ...Bush needs to protect the oil interests of his family & friends... after all...
OIL IS THICKER THAN BLOOD!

Bush & his "Political Parrots" (aka Limpaw, O'Smiley, etc ) will spend next weeks convincing Americans to send more troops, using "experts" to convince those that form their views watching entertainment news.
Patriotic Americans need to stop being used by power brokers that pledge allegiance to other countries & large corporations.

People! Don't get yourselves all upset! Don't worry. The folks that brought us all this nightmare aren't going to listen to any of us. They have their own agenda, and it doesn't include universal education, realistic and workable healthcare for our citizens, a healthy environment, safeguarding the rights of the individual as prescribed by the U S Constitution, protection of the public welfare from the rapacious actions of corporations, etc etc.

Those in power never willingly relinquish that power. The monied super elite that own and operate the world economy just do whatever they damned well please. If anyone poses a REAL threat, the threat is ELIMINATED. It doesn't matter WHO the perceived threat is. Have a nice illusion, everyone.

Globalization of the world economy is a code phrase. It means the super rich get to plunder and pillage with impunity. Bye bye, now.

We are already over extending ourselves as a nation......reading things like this makes me sick to my stomach. There is no recovery from a failure this miserable.

QUESTIONS are like suggestions:
- What is a peace department (do they exist)?
- Could the UN and NGO's take half of the US's Defense budget to rebuild and assist Iraq, New York, Gazza etc?
- Could the same rebuilding and assist teams (reported, supported and advanced) come to the US to help Katrina, Tsunami and other disasters?
- Could the long term plan include sustainable environment, health, education, localized economy and tolerant culturally diverse communities?
- Could any of this lead to democracy or peace?
- Could we actually start platforming and electing directly (post UN) for diverse planetary leadership, programs and budgets?
- How should we spell HUMANITY in the Manifesto? "humanifesto.org"

What if, after we leave, we see a kind of Rwanda-type ethnic cleansing?

Do we turn around and go back? Or keep on sailing?

Hey everyone would agree that the mess that US finds itself in ,is completely self created.When the whole world advised the US against it(Read Attack on Iraq) the people(US Citizens) whole heartedly suported Pres Bush's policy of Aggression. Now the US should not beat a hasty retreat infact,it should make a candid admission of it's foreign policy on IRAQ being a complete failure & must seek the UN's help & seek assistance from European,Middle-Eastern & asian countries like India to contribute forces for an International Stabilisation Force.

MR Bush and his NEOCON administration for some reasons disconnect from GOD for their new instructions what to do next with IRAQ and when to Bomb Iran. GOD please help America.

"You're going to need more troops", Ret. General Colin Powell, then acting Secretary of State, just prior to the invasion of Iraq.

We invade a country in a part of the world in which are hated. We invade a country which has two sworn enemies of the United States on its immediate borders (Iran and Syria). And we invade with a force nowhere near large enough to secure the interior of the country, meaning secure borders are but a whisper of a dream.

History will recognize this as one of the great blunders of all time - Bush will be remembered as THE most ignorant President in US history.

Now... NOW? Yes, now he wants to increase troop strength.

In the immortal words of Homer Simpson - DOH!

Crystal is right, actually.

Most of the non-contents and bush-haters in America are overly influenced by pop-culture rather than truth.

It's unfortunate, but rest assured there are those who KNOW the truth when they see it, who will never give in to the unity-defying tactics of our enemies.

For the rest of you who KNOW the lie, and embrace it, here's a tip: They're called "books". Turn off your TV and read them. Why not focus your energy toward making the world a better place, rather than on hateful activities such as regurgitating the lies you've been force fed via your TV?

Think about it?

OK! We are at the lower levels, like on the street, do not have the facts. OK! We just respond to what we think on the matter and what we think is what we read plus our beliefs and back ground. Just about all these articles will be forgotten shortly when a new star appears in the press and everyone runs to comment. Thank you for reading this. The beer was good. Just let our government work on it. OK?

gabbagabbahey

Anybody catch Tom Friedman's comment on Meet the Press this Sunday past. When questioned on his thought about Cheney's praise of Rumsfeld as "the greatest Secretary of Defense EVER" Friedman replied something like: well if that's true it would make the President the biggest fool ever for dismissing him in time of war or the Vice President the biggest liar ever.

Gee, I think evidence exists that both are true.

Sorry, but the follow the leader Mantra of the military I serve in is not going to work. We all know they screwed up going into Iraq. If we were intent on stopping WMD/Terrorism we would have taken on Iran (#1 SPONSOR of Terroism and author of Kobar Towers) or option 2 we would have taken on North Korea..Iraq was an easy (so they thought) way to prove the macho Toby Keith Song "we'll put a boot in your ass, it's the American way"...There are more elements to power than just military and this administration can't even get the military option right....Afgahnistan is failing, Somalia is failing, Iran and KN are building nukes and we are playing the same old hand....9/11 HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IRAQ...the next 9/11 will and it will be on their head because of all the pissed of people in the world...If we really want to honor the 9/11 victims we should go into the Pak/Afghan area and get the son of #@$#%3 that did it...oh yeah there;s no oil there.....

Wow, there is nothing like free speech!

I wonder what the world would be like if it didn't exist, don't you? What if one country would not tolerate any other form of government except for a theocracy of their choosing? And further, what if said country decided it would call to arms all other like minded countries to unite against all those who refuse to submit to their terms? And finally, what if those brothers in arms came from countries that were led by dictators (everyone of them) so that the civilians that lived there were forced to take up arms no matter what they really wanted for themselves.

Do you think if those countries were of like mind and had the economy to support such an effort they would be likely to succeed in their quest?

Why, they could even test the nerve of their enemies by launching a "terrorist" attack and symbolically destroying their enemies most precious economic icons, to see how "world opinion" would react.

Perhaps if no one tried to stop them they could develop weapons and the manufacturing base to support their cause. And given enough time and money (have you seen the price of oil today?), they might just be able to achieve their goals. Of course, they may just make some alliances with a few strategic partners that share in the goal of toppling "western" power. Maybe countries that have military technology, an enormous manufacturing base and perhaps oil reserves to boot. It's a plausible strategy, at least...

Of course, any country that tried to stop them would be ridiculed and seen as an arrogant Imperial aggressor, whose motivations were clearly greed and self satisfying vanity. Which naturally it must be, because that could be the only possible explanation for launching a war in the Middle East. Right?

Or is it more likely that the United States is indeed just looking out for its best interest (our best interest). We and our trading partners need oil to remain economically viable. That's just a fact of our economic existence. We didn't get to be number one in world GDP for being slackers who didn't look after our own best interest did we?

But that doesn't mean we have to start a war to keep our economy going does it? We could use diplomatic means to accomplish the same thing, right? Just because the countries that produce some 60% of the world oil are run by dictators, doesn't mean we can't use diplomatic means to settle our differences. Only, how do you negotiate with dictators? Are they inclined to respond to diplomacy? Let's see, Hitler? Stalin? Castro? Kim? Prince Saud? It seems that in today's world, diplomacy is either "bought or fought", never won by reason, logic nor even compassion.

American ideals are fraught with exceptions. We want peace, but we start wars. We want all mankind to share in our riches, but they cannot afford them. We want love, but we breed hate. What is wrong with America? Nothing is wrong, we are defending ourselves from a potentially devastating threat to our economic future. But you can't say that is why we are at war, because saying so sounds so damn immoral. And maybe it is. Or maybe it is just a fact of life. We Americans, and our trading partners, must have assurances that the 60 % of the world's oil supply doesn't suddenly dry up because one dictator decides that we are Satan. Impossible you say? I thought the blowing up the World Trade Center was impossible too.

If or when the United States finds a nuclear weapon of some type used against any of our cities, what's our response to be? Contemporary American thinking can be amazingly fickle. What American President would dare respond militarily, what Congress would dare vote to finance a military response, if the "attackers" could be identified, then defeated and/or killed. We might find ourselves relying on faulty inteligence, yet again.

If or when the United States finds a nuclear weapon of some type used against any of our cities, what would the immediate and long-term loss of life be (using best and worst-case scenarios)?

We hear and read what radical rednecks and elitists say the current war on terrorism has cost in terms of both American lives lost and the cost to our economy (by way of contrast, consider the number of lives lost and the cost of the annual carnage on America's roads). If/when a nuke goes off on U.S. soil, the loss of life and the damage to our economy will be greater by many orders of magnitude. These same critics will likely demand to know why something wasn't done to prevent it from happening. They may even demand a (gasp) military response.

At the moment, however, we should note that we are battling terrorists on someone else's soil. This is always a good thing. Perhaps we should focus not on 'ending' our war against terror, but on 're-shaping it. Pulling out of Iraq in the face of overwhelming fullisades of terrorist IEDs may not be in our National interest.

Once upon a time, the American people had more backbone than I'm now seeing. Once upon a time, we were a great people.

Anyway, the nuke scenario is worst-case thinking. It probably won't happen. But even if it does happen, it will probably kill you, not me, so why should I get upset?

So we take Clinton out because he lied about getting a blow job which was harmless to us yet the Bush Administration is wasting tons of money, killing people (soldiers), dividing the nation, when the nation needs them they give us their back (Katrina), they also lied to us, UN, and the world and what do we do............NOTHING, isn't this bigger and worse, shouldn't we IMPEACH BUSH, we need a real president

And Crystal,

The level to which you have bought into Bushco's policy of endless fear is, well, frightening. Chew on this: in the 1980s, as the Soviets invaded Afghanistan, the United States grew concerned. Resource wealth was evident there even in those days, not to mention the fact that we still held to our little .domino effect. theory. As such, the CIA and Pakistani ISI recruited, trained, funded, and armed thousands of radical Islamists and jihadis intent on pushing out the Soviet .infidels. . Out of this group emerged what we know today as al-Qaeda, and anyone who thinks these so-called terrorist organizations are in any way uninflitrated by the CIA and ISI is simply in denial. We could order the death of your much-feared Zawhiri tomorrow if needed.

So basically, al-Qaeda, the same group that has you and other conservatives ready to wet themselves at a moment's notice, poses little to no threat to anything but infrastructure in the Middle East and Africa.

Terrorism is today's communism. The right hates it, the left coddles it. It's all part of a grand myth to keep people like you afraid and willing to support crazy military endeavors all over the earth.

Terrorism is false. 9.11 happened with the foreknowledge and support of the US, Israeli, and Pakistani governments. So did you vaunted 1993 bombing. One day, maybe, you'll realize that your every political motivation is based on a falsehood. You, like so many others, have been fooled - and currently you serve as little more than a tool of Bush and company. For shame.

CRYSTAL: Instead of talking so much s*h*i*t you should start doing some research cuz honey, I have no idea what world your living on but it's not this one that's for sure, you are such a blind republican. Read up, do some research.
The first thing that the administration not only bush but the WHOLE government should have and should do is understand the people of Iraq, no matter what we do were not going to win unless we understand them.

Hey one shot, and all you other conservative supporters - forgotten so soon the so-called reasons for going to Iraq in the first place? Is our mission today in any way comparable to what Bush, Powell, Cheney and Rumsfeld lied to us about? Why, exactly, are we giving up billions every week for this war? Why are our young men and women, along with so much of the innocent Iraqi citizenry, dying every day? WMD? That was it right?

Every one of you does your best to forget the lies, but in your heart of hearts you can't justify this war or its idiotic mission. Who among the cons really wants to spend hundreds of billions to spread democracy to a Middle Eastern country? Usually the only American dollars funnelling in there are for oil and Israeli weapons.

Before you try and defend this horrible debacle, think about what we're even doing there. An awful lot of tlak about hydrocarbons and oil infrastructure recently, no? Of course, most conservatives support the idea of a war for oil, so this may fall on deaf ears...

Bush is right: the military needs to be reset! Let's start with the Commander in Chief swiftly followed by his assorted like-thinking band of warmongers, thugs, liars and all-round boobs.

How many more people, American and Iraqi have to die before their "realignment of the Middle East" for American special interests is finally set aside. The simple reality is that it is not our Middle East to realign?

I believe that leaving Iraq at this time would be a bad idea. If we suddenly pulled out I dont think the Iraqi government would be strong enough to defend itself from elements that would like to take control of Iraq. Then the country would be no better off before Sadam and all the lives lost there would have been for nothing. We could debate if we should have gone to war in the first place. However the fact is were there and we need to deal with it.
Now about increasing troop levels... America likes to fight safe wars, minimizing troop levels in rationalizing it will cost less lives lost. In the end all this does is prolong the engagement and more lives are lost. If you really want to win a war you go in with overwhelming force. Thats why we need more troops, not less. In any case its clear what we have been doing hasnt been working and needs to change.

Oh man I'm still laughing about what Crystal said, "Bush is a truly smart man"....HA HA HA!!!!!

Brian wrote:
--I'd love to see how the news would have looked if todays media were in 1944. "Why can't we just talk to Hitler? Bring our troops home, wah wah wah"--

Hmm, well we got Hitler (actually the Russians found him dead) and then we went home. Well, we got Saddam a few years ago. Why the hell are we not home yet?

ok war mongers...just sit back and watch the folly of king george and co. let me know how it all turns out for you and your kids.

lol

Crystal wrote:
--Hey Sully, Do you know who Al Zaqawi was? Why don't you ask some troops who have been to Iraq about the children who are going to school now, couldn't before, and ask the victim's families of 9/11 should we fight back. --

I know who Al-Zarqawi was. Was he the reason we invaded Iraq?

Were the kids not going to school before the invasion?

Do the 9/11 families blame Iraq for the WTC attack? Do you believe Iraq had anything to do with the WTC attack?

Re: "More Troops? Come on" The fact is that our military is stretched past the breaking point, and dismissing that point by simply saying we can solve the problem with an immediate withdrawal from Iraq is not a solution under the current administration.

Want an example? We have a family member who volunteered to serve as a Army officer; when his initial active duty commitment was over, he was held over for an extra year so he could do a second tour in Iraq; after 5 years of stellar service he returned to civilian life. A year later, he's being recalled to active duty for another 19 months. Similar stories abound - there simply aren't enough trained personnel to get the job done.

WOW! Another Bush bashing commentary from another one of the uninformed Liberal "elite". Continue to show me why I'm proud to be on the correct side instead of the reactionary left.

I'd love to see how the news would have looked if todays media were in 1944. "Why can't we just talk to Hitler? Bring our troops home, wah wah wah"

hmmmmmmmmmmmmm...

a bigger war should really help destroy America!

also! our printing presses can go on day and night! finance the illusion, ya know.

To Arkin,
You seem very comfortable, or soothed I should say throughout your nay saying. Though I must say, I read nothing of any real solution, other than trying to create some farcical super team which would bring everyone to reasonable notion, and we'd all bow to you. Would your different military be anything like the department of peace?
If I were anywhere near a journalist position over the last three months, I would have lost any of my remaining self respect for the outcome the tainted, and miserably reported election resulted in.
The bias rantings have become the salvation of the left, which those in the know realize will most certainly weaken the resolve of the AMerican military, and subsequently the vital defense of our dear country. You sir, speak of the visionless, only because your vision isn't even yours.
And please tell me of your real military understandings, I won't expect much.

--Can you say "draft".--

The kids today are very angry with the republicans, not for Iraq but for New Orleans. They may not understand the complexities of wars but they do understand watching the US government sit on its hands while people suffered and died and they can imagine a home being lost or damaged and having to live on the streets waiting for the government to arrive ... NOT. Of the kids I have talked to none will forget what they saw on their TVs. It was a very powerful moment for them and they are getting older and will be voting in large numbers in 2012. If their memories serve them well the republicans should have no elected officials by then. The mood is that solid in the kids today.

Now, add a draft and you will see riots that will make Bush wish he was Johnson in 1968. In other words, a draft would be political suicide. Knowing these lousy republicans I don;t expect a draft but do expect to see them allow undocumented aliens to join the military in exchange for citizenship and if that doesn't get enough soldiers then to hire more contractors. People may not want to go to Iraq when making military salaries but will get in line to make contractor salaries. Just ask anyone over in Iraq now. Its tough to be placing your life on the line while the guy next to you doing the same is making 10 times as much. Just watch for new companies to spring up around the beltway offering contractor soldiers for $120K each and watch Bush hire as many as he can. "Whatever it takes".

Hey Sully, Do you know who Al Zaqawi was? Why don't you ask some troops who have been to Iraq about the children who are going to school now, couldn't before, and ask the victim's families of 9/11 should we fight back. You have your head in the clouds thinking they will sit and chat with us infidels. Do you remember 1993 when they attaked the trade centers then or what about the USS Cole? Do you think that ws ok too? You need to find your Patriotic side.

Here is another article written to bash how war is to be done. Getting out of Iraq would do nothing for the face of America or Iraq. I love how everyone seems to be a War analyst these days. All of the neigh sayers need to read about history and what happened in the past especially in the early part of WWII. All of the same things are happening again. There are folks here at home that don't even know who the Vice president is but they seem to know better about the decisions in Iraq. Pick up a book and read some history.

Can someone tell me what the goal is so that we can determine if we are winning or losing? I have no idea at this point.

I thought the initial purpose for the US was to get rid of WMD (there were none so we succeeded). Then it was to get rid of Saddam (we did that). So it seems that we have succeeded at both, so we won? What are we still doing there then?

Again, "What constitutes winning?" because from my vantage point we already "won".

So now the recruiters can stop turning away the droves of highly-qualified, over-educated, non-obese young men and women who want to join up?

Can you say "draft".

Crystal wrote:
--To all of the Bush bashers, read a little about history and see how you got the freedom to say things you know nothing about. After that, read about Bush's history and all that he has worked for and accomplished.--

OK, so I'm stupid. Please tell me how I got my freedom. Did the colonists attack Cuba because they were preparing to attack the colonies? Did they attack Africa because there was an immediate threat the Africans were planning to send drone ships over loaded with explosives?

And Bush, please let us know his accomplishments other than dividing this nation along religious lines, starting a war of choice while UN inspectors were on the ground trying to prove his assertions of WMD, and saving the US from gays being married. Oh, you'll probably tout how taxes have gone down, even during this lousy war. Is that a smart thing to do Crystal? Would you spend 2 billion a week, reduce you r income and borrow heavily? Crystal, the national debt has ballooned. The Clinton balanced budget is now far from balanced. So please let me and others know about this great man's accomplishments. Oh, and the great republican congress' too. Lets see, how many bills did they pass this session? How many are in jail? Hmm, maybe if I close my eyes and cover my ears it will all seem lovely but unfortunately I live in the real world.

Cowards create many reasons that justify their chicken-heartedness. Did Anne Winn every consider serving America in the military? No, that would have been serving the evil "military-industrial complex", can't do THAT. Lets her off the hook...

That MIC argument was expounded by Dr. Rose ages ago. Very popular in the anti-Vietnam war crowd. So it's old, true and a big so what. Of course, sneaky capitalists in the MIC must be watched or they'll bribe everyone in sight to sell their weapons. Yawn...human nature, what a shock.

Everyone who hates Bush...
Everyone who loves Bush...
locked into an easy, simple-minded, tunnel-vision point of view that twists the data into mush.

All you talkers might consider doing.

Bush lovers, into the military.
Bush haters, into humanitarian service.
As for me, been there, dues paid.

Hey Crystal (or any of you other knee-jerk posters), can you tell us the difference between Shiites and Sunnis?

crystal wrote:
-- If the media would report the truth, then maybe some of you would stop trying to sing a love song with the terroist and remember that they started this war.--

Please explain where the terrorists were in Iraq and why we needed to invade to stop them. It appears you are yet