Three very scary things this AM...

[TreasonousBastard]

India making noises at Pakistan over the train attacks.

North Korea ignoring China's influence over it's missiles (leading Japan to rethink its pacifism)

And, Israel widening the Gaza invasion to Lebanon, announcing a blockade.

So, maybe there is something to this rapture business.

Can't accuse the pantload who's turning the White House turd brown of actually causing this sort of thing around the world, but as the last remaining superpower boasting of wars on terrorism and bringing peace and democracy to the world via Pax Americana, we have left this terrifying, uncontrolled, violence is at a tipping point and it has no reason to slow down all by itself.

This absolutely has to be laid at the feet of the crew of fools and felons living under the illusion that they are actually running this country and influencing worlds affairs. The legacy of the Bush administration and Republican congress may simply be that conservatives are not fit to govern.

And, while we may not fear nuclear war with Russia, we might be looking at another conventional World War, with the enemy not so easily defined. Or defeated.

"Great job, Brownie"

[Nimrod2005]

1. Rice should resign...

[gatorboy]

41. Resign? Didn't they just give her a raise?

That's the beauty of this administration. The worse they fuck up, the higher the rewards. Hell, considering the world situations, I'd predict she is awarded five medals of freedom!

[Sherman A1]

2. The all should resign

[ixion]

11. they should all be in a cell in the Hague

IMO.

[fasttense]

3. I know the US is only one country but it almost seems like the rest of

the world is acting out our dysfunctional and polarized politics.

[Tesha]

28. So (to quote Randy Newman) "Let's drop the big one now".

(And I have no idea which smiley to put after that,
because we obviously have Americans who think that
way, some of them in very high office.)

Tesha

[The Backlash Cometh]

34. Very good read of the situation. They also know that the US is about

to lose its super-power status so that is leaving a great deal of uncertainty.

[aquart]

4. These are natural responses to the new perception of America as weak.

Bush has destroyed our image as a superpower and revealed our military as weak, corrupt, and ineffectual.

This has created a power vacuum and other nations are rushing to fill it.

An absolutely predictable course of events.

[TreasonousBastard]

6. Bismarck took the old Prussian concept of...

the myth of invincibility never actually being put to the test and by forging alliances and "suggesting alternatives" he was essentially able to bluff his way through to maintaining stability without having to actually go to war. (As much as I despise Reagan, he got that part right. As did most of our Presidents.)

Alas, a vain and foolish Kaiser decided he was smarter than his Chancellor, and never got the idea right after firing Bismarck-- giving us WWI.

There have been Alexanders and Napoleans and Hitlers thoughout history, but how many more of our wars were just from stupidity?

[Scribe]

17. Did you ever hear of The War of Jenkin's ear? It really happened.

In 1738, Captain Robert Jenkins appeared before Parliament with his ear, which he claimed had been cut off by the Spanish when they boarded his ship seven years earlier. War was declared in 1739. One site describes it as the wackiest war in history. I don't know how many died.

[aquart]

49. In Bush's case, it's from sleeping in class.

International Relations 101: a WEAK nation must have an immediate, STRONG, AGGRESSIVE response to ANY incursion. See: Israel.

Bush has had the US reacting like a WEAK nation. This has altered our image. We are now perceived to be WEAK.

Bush, like so many idiots here, believes that Israel's aggressive response to attack is a sign of strength. Because it's so forceful. A STRONG nation has other options. A WEAK one doesn't.

Bush has made us weak by only reacting to situations as a weak nation would.

[DELUSIONAL]

8. In DEFENSE -- America is very strong

Only an idiot would try to invade and occupy America.

The invader and occupier is always weak -- unless 99% of the occupants are exterminated (as happened to the indigenous inhabitants of the New World).

As an invader and occupier -- our military is weak, corrupt and ineffectual.

But if our military were used just for defense -- defense of the home front -- home territory -- the territorial imperative -- this would be a different matter.

The Defense Department is no longer -- Defense -- it is again the department of WAR -- and aggressive expansionist war is not a winning position.

[Tesha]

30. We have a lot of weapons, but we're not strong.

The 9/11 attack proved that while we may have a lot
of weapons, we're not strong, not the least bit.

A strong country would have recognized this gnat bite
for what it was, gotten up, brushed itself off, gotten
back to business, and immediately rebuilt the Twin Towers
right were they were, as if nothing (that really mattered)
had ever happened.

Instead, we entered a fugue state that persists to this
very day, destroying our democracy in some sort of weird
auto-immune reaction that induced a sort of national
anaphalactic shock that may yet prove fatal.

We're not strong.

We're whiny wimps with nukes.

Tesha

[B3Nut]

38. Damn...nailed the head on the hit.

Someone needs to save that. 9/11=gnat bite. That's brilliant.

Alleged terrorists wielding alleged boxcutters smash two buildings, and the entire nation falls apart. You know, that alone and the reactions of the government after it make me suspect that those who posit that there is some degree of complicity be it through negligence, LIHOP, or MIHOP to varying degrees have a point or two. The reaction was completely out of proportion to what occurred, as horrible and harrowing as it was (especially for people in NYC, and the poor souls who perished, bless their souls.) As you say, instead of getting up and getting right back to work they created this climate of fear which allowed them to indulge in a power grab. It's infuriating.

God help us all.

Todd in Beerbratistan

[ChairmanAgnostic]

43. tesha, a brilliant description

the "real americans" are now a former shadow of ourselves. Home of the brave? hardly. Land of the free? not in the very near future.

[tavalon]

46. It's the "with nukes" part that sucks

I don't trust the people "running" our country not to use them.

[aquart]

50. Exactly. We gave the weakest possible response to 9/11.

We couldn't have has a worse leader at that critical moment.

Not to mention that the nukes are useless since other nations have them. USELESS.

[aquart]

55. I'll agree to that.

At least, I hope it's still true. But we aren't prepared for global warming. We expect things to continue with huge abundance in our fields.....how are we prepared for a biblical seven years of famine?

What happens if we lose not just New Orleans, but most of our coastal cities?

Is our heartland prepared to take refugees from New York, Boston, Miami, and all points in between?

If other nations are experiencing the same catastrophe of assets, desperate people will be on the move. We may be prepared to defend against our past enemies, but what about our future ones?

[theHandpuppet]

10. Very good points, aquart

But I wonder how fast the neocons can find a way to blame this on the Clenis rather than admit to their own disastrous foreign policies.

[Lerkfish]

27. Brilliant observation, btw. I would only amend it with this

Bush has destroyed our image as a superpower and revealed our military as weak, corrupt, and ineffectual AND dangerous.

This has created a power vacuum and other nations are rushing to fill it.

An absolutely predictable course of events.


--------- even a pellet gun can be dangerous in the wrong hands.

[LastDemocratInSC]

56. BINGO! You win the big prize for getting it right.

[izzie]

5. I think it is the same old story. It hardly ever stops---really

As kids we had to sit and hear the news with my father and that was back in the 30's and we saw it in the news reels. My father liked the news so we had to know something about it. He always had me use the Wall St. J. for my school news events so I had to read the front page any how. Some war, some place has always been in the news.

[DELUSIONAL]

7. And while the rich guys party -- people die

Why is it that bush has these photo ops while people are dying??

That photo op with the school children when he sat and did nothing -- because he wasn't the one in control.

Then he ate cake and played the guitar -- and people in New Orleans died and couldn't get out.

His life is a photo op -- not much else.

And your observations are correct -- there has always been a war -- and it always ends by negotiation and talking. (the last bit was Randi Rhodes insight).

[Robbien]

9. With all the bombs dropping in the ME, what are the chances

Iran will willingly stop trying to strenghten its weapons?

This is a mess.

[Rosemary2205]

12. I know I'm going to get flamed for this

No, I don't like people killing each other. No, I don't approve of Iraq. No, I would not be happy if our genuine friends and allies around the world got into a war and we had to go help.

But the fact is, my life is a challenge. Sure, I count my blessings every day. I am not poor by any means (meaning I can (barely) afford telephone and air conditioning) but I live a VERY MODEST and my mobility problems create a challenge. My 2nd hand wheelchair van is always breaking down. My father is dying by inches from cancer, my neighborhood is struggling not to turn into another Flint MI.

To be brutally honest, as long as I have bread on the table, a roof over my head and I'm not dodging bullets in my own home then I'm happy. It's really difficult for me to really be that upset about Israelis and Palestinians killing each other. It's hard to care if India and Pakistan decide to duke it out some more.

I want to care, I do. -- but I only have so much of me.

[annabanana]

14. not going to flame you...

There are many many people (some on this board) who's lives present serious challenges. (One of our dear DUers actually died at his console.) But we MUST, as Americans, look to what we leave behind us. The world of our children and their children depends on our caring about what does not (necessarily) touch us personally.

I am sorry about your father. It is very hard and very sad to have to be on that journey. I hope you have loving support around you, and I will remember him in my prayers.

[acmejack]

15. kick

[Rosemary2205]

25. Leaving a better world

I wish I had enough of me to get my nose between the Israelis and Lebanese and Palestinians and Iranians and Syrians and whoever else they plan to duke it out with.

But honestly, just keeping track of who can I buy from (IOW they aren't F'ing up the planet somewheres), and what can I buy (made in America, by a union, of recycled material, biodegradable, etc etc), and making sure my fellow Americans get decent food and clean water and a roof and decent education and health care. And don't forget the VA - support the troops. And in the meantime there's encouraging organ donation and gay rights and increasing opportunities for women and keeping women's reproductive rights, and fighting pediphiles and and and.

I just don't see how anyone can DO IT ALL. Work 60 hrs a week, spend all that energy trying to be a good citizen of the planet, be a good daughter, wife, mom, and all that entails, and still have time to genuinely and truly get actively involved in what Israel and Iran plan to do to each other.

I'm sorry, but I don't have enough of me for everyone.

[DemonFighterLives]

32. I understand completely where you are coming from

I drift between being all fired up to take down the PNAC'ers and moving to an Undisclosed Location to live out the remaining years in peace where terrorists are non-existent.
Life is really too short to let some little monkeyman destroy your life or your planet for you. ----Ah, destroying the planet could affect you and I or especially the next generation, so I'm back to fighting them off.
dubby makes my head spin! :crazy:

[BeFree]

42. That is why...

..we have a Democratic republic. The idea is that we hire (elect) people to do the work necessary, and we trust they will keep bad things from gaining the upper hand.

Well, we did pretty good for a long time. And when a president became a crook, we had enough honest people to get him to resign. (Nixon)

What we have now is the sad fact the the people in power were not elected - it was stolen - and we don't have enough honest people in power to make it right. Its why we invaded Iraq: it was stolen. Its why our image around the world is blemished: it was stolen. It all comes down to the fact that power in our Democratic republic was stolen.

If you can do anything, help us return the country to honesty in elections.

[The2ndWheel]

16. It's a problem of scale

Both in terms of the entity involved(in these cases the state), and the level of destruction that could come from it.

[Dead_Parrot]

35. You won't get get flamed for that

We're all doing what we can to keep the lights on, bread on the table and bullets from the window. Whilst I might mention you're doing better than the the average human (you have A/C?!) it sounds like you're doing the normal hand to mouth for us in the 'civilised' world.

Stay warm, safe and well fed, grab some popcorn and watch the world collapse. Do what you can, but that's always limited. Don't beat yourself up over it. :)

[butterfly77]

53. It will be here soon...

[fordnut]

13. Send Bushco to Iraq

Drop them out of a plane and let the Iraqi`s deal with them

[DoYouEverWonder]

18. I'm sure the Neocons are delighted

this is what they've been striving for. Chaos in the Middle East is good for their 'business'.

[WePurrsevere]

19. There have always been "wars and rumors of wars". Much of this has

escalated out of control because of not only incorrect action but the lack of action, understanding and real diplomacy on the part of BushCo.

Along with his foolishly destabilizing the ME, ignoring S. Korea, etc I also believe that the world watching what happened in NO after Katrina has done great harm to our reputation as a truly "super" power and while this "cat" seems to the world to be living in it's own little bubble the "mice" have decided it's time to "play" and get into pissing contests with real guns and explosives.

(with apologies to my feline friends for using them as a metaphor for our country under this neo-CON coup. :puke: )

[Olney Blue]

20. "Conservatives not fit to govern"

True statement.

[iamahaingttta]

21. Pandora's Box was opened on purpose...

They knew what would happen. They did it on purpose. They know and I know and now you will know that 2007 and 2008 will be the bloodiest years in human history. This is their project to kill off as many people on the planet as possible. There are too many humans and they know that it's more profitable (for them) to kill people than to educate them and help them all to lead good healthy lives. World War IV is in process, and it will kill off a billion or two human beings. Get used to it.

It's time for people to quit whining and figure out how to survive the next few years. We're in the winter part of the cycle, make your plans for when spring comes...

[bdamomma]

39. they have definitely opened a pandora's box

we are dealing with right wing authoritarians who will not stop, they believe in pre emptive war, that among other things was one of our biggest mistakes. Bush has promoted this and has already said Israelis have the right to protect themselves, so much for diplomacy, now we have more innocent people being killed and for what????????????

[leftchick]

22. we have the WORST Secretary of State in this Nations History

at the very worst possible time. :scared:

[paparush]

23. 'Murkah is setting the standard..

Preemptive war.
War based on bald faced lies.
War with strong religious undertones.

We're world leaders all right...

[cantstandbush]

24. Why can't you accuse Bush of causing all of this? His failure to

reign in Israel over their shameful response in Gaza (a ruse no doubt to open a wider ME war since the US looks like it is not going to attack Iran), Bush's almost encouragement of Israel to attack inside Lebanon calling for the immediate release of the soldiers being held instead of trying to intervene with Egypt to negotiate a deal for all prisoners, his continued blathering about the evil government of N. Korea instead of trying to deal behind closed doors with that nut. I lay it all at Bush's feet and the feet of the neocon cabal that controls our government ... especially the WH and Congress.

[DemonFighterLives]

29. this is about what I was going to say

The whole world is much less stable since dubby stole power.

His standing idly by when he took office has led to more bloodshed for Israel and Palestine.

His pulling away from the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty and the Test Ban Treaty has led more and more countries into the nuclear arms race- allowing India and Pakistan to develop them and at the same time cutting shady deals with Musharraf to take Osama Bin Ladin into his country.

His calling out of the Axis of Evil countries and then proceeding to bomb one of them back to the stone age- leaving the other two to pick a course of their own. No Diplomacy Practiced whatsoever.

:nuke:
:argh:

[lectrobyte]

36. You took the words out of my mouth. If he is the "leader of the

free world" as he likes to spout every now and then, how about some leadership? One could make the case that India and Pakistan have always been at each other's throats, but N. Korea could have been handled much much better (see any other president of the last 20 years), and Israel is, to a certain extent, our client state.

[Fermezlabush]

26. Remember Richard Perle sabotaging the ME peace talks? For BFEE?

Just as Clinton was about to get an agreement? The plan is working out.

[The Backlash Cometh]

31. Pre-emptive Strike was ALWAYS Bush's idea. THAT's his legacy.

He taught the world that if you have weapons, use them. Forget diplomacy.

[npincus]

33. B*sh sat on his ass in Sept. 2000 when the Intifada began and grew

ignored the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, did nothing to intervene and that was the beginning of the end.

[mnhtnbb]

51. Bush wasn't President in Sept 2000.

[npincus]

54. meant to say "after"

not "in"- oopsy

[Virginia Dare]

37. Oil prices heading to record highs.....

Dick and Chimp pissing their pants with joy.

[mmonk]

40. Once the US decided to run the world

as official policy and acting on it in an international beligerent style instead of genuine work through international means, this scenario was inevitable especially in conjunction with it's high debt, reduced capacity economic ideology.

[AndyA]

44. I blame what is happening in the world today on George W. Bush

He has undermined America's credibility and reputation around the world, he has put us in a position where we are being crushed by huge deficits, our troops are stretched too thin, worn out, and lack the motivation and inspiration they need due to poor leadership, which goes all the way to The White House.

Countries that used to fear retaliation by the United States now see us as not such a big deal. They feel confident in flexing their muscles as they move to make their mark on the world.

We have a weak government, led by weak people with no morals or ethics. They are cowards, none of the top brass serving their country, and in fact doing everything possible to get out of serving their country. They are traitors and they should be prosecuted for the war crimes they have committed.

All roads lead back to The White House. What a disgrace and embarrassment our government is.

[mnhtnbb]

52. Plenty of blame to go around. Let Cheney, Rice, Rummy, Powell

share. And don't forget to give some to Richard Perle and Wolfowitz, too.

[IronLionZion]

45. What widening? Israel is at war with Lebanon

and bombed the Beirut airport.

India won't do anything to Pakistan, but they should be more like Israel.

North Korea has limited abilities. I wish they would mess with China just to see what happens.

[mistertrickster]

47. I lived in Japan for a couple of years. Folks, you don't want these

people to seriously re-arm. They are the most conformist people in the world. This is not a stereotype--it is a VIRTUE in Japanese culture. They not only admit it, they take pride in it.

If you call Japanese culture "conformist," they say, "thank you for understanding us."

A culture taught to take pride in following orders and conforming to the group is not a culture you want as a hegemonic world power.

Not that we're so much better, but at least we argue about it while we're doing it . . .

[nashville_brook]

48. Space Shuttle is also having trouble...

press conference in a few mins...

just to add to the 'joy' -- (sigh)