Osama is winning, and will continue winning as long as we fight his fight.

[alfredo]

http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/10/is-bin-ladens-s.html#more

A reader writes:
Last night on Bill Maher, the comedian Gary Shandling, of all people, synthesized the connection between our current economic crisis and 9/11 and the Iraq War in a way I have not heard:
On 9/11, Al Qaeda had no expectation of a traditional military victory against the United States. The point of the attack was economic -- to draw the U.S. into expensive and protracted foreign wars that would deplete our resources and destabilize our government. By invading Iraq, George Bush became the happy idiot to assist Al Qaeda in this goal. Now, Sarah Palin and John McCain take the leaders of Al Qaeda at their word when they say Iraq is the major front in the war on terror.
Neither consider the possibility that Al Qaeda wants Iraq to be the major front because it furthers their goal of weakening the U.S. while inflicting minimal damage on their operations.

Rope a dope is what Ali did to wear down his opponents.



He would go into a defensive position against the ropes and allow his opponent to punch himself out. The crowd hated it, but it worked well for Ali.