jug- why would i possibly want or need to know a member of the Canadian govt? i have no voice or vote in the candain govt, hence i pay them no attention.
now so far as me telling korvac to "sit down and shut up", i do not recall ever stating such a thing. i merely pointed out that he has no say or really any reason to concern himself with the inner workings of my countries political structure/leaders. to me it just clearly smacks of one putting ones nose in anothers buisness, thats my opinion, im entitled to it.. aren't i libs?
the main focus of my post was to state that the u.s. govt is clearly better informed on topics of relevance than korvac, jughead, european socilist editorial columnists (see korvac's link on the other current "let's slam the president" thread), or myself... so why do all these people seem to think they know what the united states should be doing better than the officials we elected to serve us? are they better informed? they got better sources? better thoeries? better policies?... no they just got bigger mouths and a soapbox to stand on!!
and jugg... i'm well aware of my signature, dont mean ya can't have an opinion, just that you can't expect the rest of the world to have the same opinion!

Iraq accounts for seven per cent of the petroleum used by the United States. People who believe it's about the oil will find any reason to blame the United States.

Like communism, it will exist for quite some time after the head is no longer functioning. And I don't mean Osama's death, either. Making sure Afganistan, largely still an ungoverned nation outside it's major cities, is pacified and better off is something we're doing without many men. This is by design, as it turns out. Flooding the country with 100,000 men would do little to allow the people there to exist without the feeling of having masters to hate. The country was a base (hence, the name) and making sure none of it is a base and the country is allowed to establish some form of govt. BY ITSELF is critical, and also an example of how the other countries in the region can also rid themselves of govts. that would kill free thinkers. This example also is seen by Afgan's neighbors to the north as well. Stability is boring, but can be productive. I don't think you need a "terra-rist killed" update every night... though I have seen an Indian based site that does have updated photos of dead terrorists. Believe it or not, road building is a way of getting people native to the region to think of America in slightly different terms. Here's to road construction!

Just because Iraqi currently accounts for 'seven per cent' NOW does not mean that the US gov't and assorted business allies would not like to have greater, and more regular, access to the resources of the world's second-largest supplier of crude oil. Particularly given the U.S. fraying relationship with the Saudis.

Of course, saying that this may be ONE motivation does not mean that it's the only one, though it's hard for me to credence that it isn't a motivation at all, given Bush's public statements about "the spoils of war." I can think of several other motivations that might inform the administration's desire to corral/control Iraq, and not all of them are bad reasons (one being, as Mark Allen pointed out, that Saddam is an exceptionally bad man, and not only from the POV of the U.S.)

Given all the other possible motivations, I can't claim that I know that "it's all about the oil." But IMO that's a damn big part of it.

I appreciate your reasoned response.

let's recap:

Bush and his henchmen (or is it the otherway around?) vow to find Osama and destroy the group responsible for 9/11

next thing you know, they are failing miserably at that task and starting to hear the grumblings among voters


Then . . . Enron and the like come along and Bush and his henchmen are about to get roasted for their connections and profits thereto and thereform

so the next thing you know . . . . WE NEED TO ATTACK IRAQ BECAUSE SADDAM IS BAD

nothing had changed -- Saddam was doing the same old crap and there was no explanation for this sudden urgency. In fact, tho Bush tried to connect Saddam to 9/11 and bin Laden but was forced to admit that they had could find no conection

the only thing that had changed was that Bush needed to direct the U.S public and press away from Enron, the failure to find Osama bin laden etc. and this is what he chose

and it's working beautifully

so don't go on about how Bush is stupid -- he's playing the public like a violin (albeit I'm sure with considerable assistance from his "backers")


I'm embarressed by my countrymen with regards to this issue -- Bush's ploy has been SO obvious all along and no one seems to care whatsoever


so the issue to me isn't whether Saddam needs to be taken out (or why we are seemingly unconcerned with all of the others who are just as bad if not worse) (or what we've done to KEEP such peolpe in power when it serves our own needs) but why no one seems to care that young poeple are being sent of to die, civilans killed, American families spearated, etc. all for a little shell-game PR to benift the current administration

that Bush is trying this crap is bad enough; our apathy and willingness to buy into this crap is shameful

P.S.

you'll notice I didn't mention Bush needing to divert attention from his adminstration's banning of the Bill of Rights in the name of fighting for the American Way (kinda like burning all your money so no one can steal it -- talk about winning Osama's battles for him) theer's been no need to divert attention from these ongoing and shameful acts becasue no one seems to give a shit about them

I wish I had some way to argue that.

I really do.

I don't know how well he's playing the public. Approval ratings for going to Iraq without UN agreement is about 29%. His job approval is down to 58%. I think a lot of people are asking the same question.

This started with this:


I don't believe Bush is very smart. I think he has smart controllers. A 'C' student all his life, member of Skull & Bones, draft dodging and then AWOL for two years military man who was promoted to second lieutenant without the proper conditions being met, and a drunk, cocaine snorting failed business man who hadn't ever left the North America until he was selected. That doesn't add up to smart to me.



Funny, they said similar things about Vietnam. And trust me, GW has NOTHING to do with any planning of any invasions. The guy can't eat pretzels and watch a football game without hurting himself, they're not letting him plan shit. We're talking about a guy who took three outta his first nine months in office on vacation while Dick Cheney met with Enron execs to plan Americas energy strategy. Wasn't Iraq a threat then? Or was he too busy giving the Taliban $40 million for a gas pipeline? (finally a reality just last week!)

I think the saddest part is all we need to do is stop driving so much, or get better gas miliage and we could eleiminate the middle east completely. Look at the advances in technology in the last century, advances in computers, aerospace, medicine, everything except automobiles. It's my belief we need a Manhattan Project-type of research project into alternate energy sources. But of course with a President who killed Clintons clean air act, backed out of the Kyoto treaty and who's father belongs to one of the most powerful oil and weapons investment firms on the planet, it's unlikely before 2004.

See y'all in D.C. or L.A. this weekend.

Hola Twice Luva's




Bingo Thank you Haddison I look it as
Sadam is paying terrorists to assonate Israeli
Citizens. He also gives the terrorists aid & comfort

And he’s broken every UN Sanction that been put before him

I’d like to know where the 8 metric tons of Anthrax went
and why Sadam’s Government sent all that Money to the
South African & Swedish biological firms ???

And I also agree we know he has the stuff because we gave him
the stuff and so I guess we’re responsible to take away that stuff
from him because we made a decision to support him years ago.

Does Oil play a part in this ?? You bet, is it the only reason
I don’t believe so, look at it this way if a starving country like
Russia were to attack the US couldn’t one make a case that
they’re after the Amber Waves of Grain in the Midwest as
a spoil of war ???

(Ahem, extreme self-righteousness)

justapilgrim, you say Korvac should mind his own business but, well:

It's obvious you're a big Garth Ennis fan, and over the years, he's used his comics (Preacher, Punisher, Hellblazer) as a platform for rants against the U.S., George W. Bush, and imperialist systems in general.

So I guess my question is, have you been writing him and telling him to keep his druken Irish ass out of our affairs, too, or what?