OMG! Bush has signed a secret deal with the Saudi Arabia to open military bases in America.

[originalpckelly]

How did you feel when you read that headline?

That's how the people of foreign countries probably feel when we open a military base in their country without the consent of their people.

Our foreign policy sounds like it's being formulated by a mob boss. "You need to get protection, you never know what might happen to your nice country."

That's probably why we're dealing with Libya and Pakistan and not Venezuela and Iran.

All four countries are either run by authoritarians (Pakistan/Venezuela) or full-blown dictatorships/totalitarian theocracy (Libya/Iran).

Why are we dealing with Libya? They played ball.

Why aren't we dealing with Iran? They didn't play ball.

[Skidmore]

1. LIke it or not, this is a good thing to send to Lou Dobbs.

He'll pick this one up and run with it.

Keith Olbermann would too.

[originalpckelly]

2. Oh you know the media would in a heartbeat...

and every conservative in America would be freaking out, but when we open a military base in a foreign country they can't seem to understand why people begin to not like us.

[me b zola]

22. I'm not sure that Dobbs would care...

Dobbs is stuck in the 50's and is a bit paranoid that the "red menace" is lurking in the shadows, waiting to strike. :dunce: I could be wrong, but it seems as though he would favor a strong global military presence.

[mmonk]

3. Part of the ownership society I take it.

[Lerkfish]

4. you meant this as an object lesson, but it is in fact partially true...in Fahrenheit 9/11

Moore filmed outside a saudi property, whose security was provided by our own secret service!!

the saudis own the bushes, which in turn means they sold the us to them.

[A HERETIC I AM]

5. To be fair, the property was the Saudi Embassy.....

and the fact that there was US Secret Service protection is not unusual. All Embassies are considered foreign soil, regardless of where they are. It is a tradition that goes back hundreds of years.

[Edweird]

7. Right, which means they can and should have saudi defense

not our secret service.

[A HERETIC I AM]

10. The Secret Service is providing security on the street, not inside...

I am pretty sure all embassies have security forces from their respective nations INSIDE the property but security out front on the street is the responsibility of the host government. Again, this is nothing unusual. I would guess your anger would be much greater if Michael Moore were approached by Saudi Military Police while out on a public, American street instead of the United States Secret Service.

[Edweird]

11. There shouldn't be secret service there,

If the saudis want some extra security on the outside they can hire an off duty police detail. I don't see why they need secret service protection.

[A HERETIC I AM]

12. I am really curious why you think that.

Never mind for a moment that it is the Saudi Embassy we are talking about. Why is it that you feel an embassy located in our nations capitol does not deserve security from an organization suited to provide it?

I understand that this is the Saudi Arabian government, who i am no big fan of, BTW and therefore elicit a certain amount of ire, but why is it so distasteful for you to have security of the street outside provided by us? Should the Secret Service not provide the same to the Greek Embassy? Or the Indian? Or any other?

I am not trying to bait you into an argument, i am just curious.

[Edweird]

13. You are totally correct.

I was (incorrectly) assuming that the other embassies provided their own ssecurity and that S.A.was a special circumstance. It isn't. It's part of the duties of the S.S. . You knew that, and I didn't. My mistake.
But, given the relationship they have with the bush family, and the eefect this has had on our country, I oppose it on principle.

[Lerkfish]

14. I didn't notice any anger in their post nor mine.

you seem to be projecting something.

[Edweird]

16. No hostility at all taken or intended.

heretic was schooling me. I spoke about a subject i didn't know enough about.

[Lerkfish]

17. I was speaking to heretic, not you.

heretic was questioning your anger. I didn't see any anger in your post.

sorry for the confusion.

[A HERETIC I AM]

19. For the record, my reference to any anger was perhaps, rhetorical..

I didn't mean to infer anything other than perhaps what i was thinking in my head, to wit: I remember the scene in F 9/11 that was referred to. It kind of pissed me off that an American citizen on a public street (even if that street ran in front of an embassy) would be questioned by Uniformed Secret Service. I know i would have been even more pissed off if it had been uniformed Saudi Arabian police or military.

Please pardon my being unclear.

[mtnester]

6. Already have them here

Exxon, BP

:sarcasm: sorta

[formercia]

8. Arms trade, construction and engineering

No need to mention any names because we all know who the big players are. It's all part of the protection racket that the US has been engaged in for well over a Century. It's not a new idea, for many european countries have been engaged in this grand game for hundreds of years.

All one has to do is convince a prospective client state that their enemies are more powerful than they and that you have the answer to the problem. It's about having more and bigger guns, power and influence abroad and convincing politicians at home that more jobs, big campaign donations and a cushy job on retirement at the answer to what ails the Country.

[porphyrian]

9. That'll keep Saudi terrorists from getting inside our borders...

:eyes:

[lovuian]

15. Saudis afraid their country will go Boom

and want an escape clause

[LaPera]

18. Certainly I didn't feel "Oh My God" Nothing this fascist republican administration

does surprises me.

[WinkyDink]

20. Newsflash: It IS a MOB BOSS running the U.S.

[eridani]

21. Linky, linky?? n/t