Send 40 million Bush inauguration money to tsunami victims

Brandon
You are now reduced to talking about criminal elements. We can't bomb them out of existance. To fight the criminals and terrorists the US and the nations of the world must act in unison.

HO Hum
Ho Hum, things are getting a bit repetitious here. So I thought I might tell you about the cynical thoughts I had when Bush first announced that he was going to attack Iraq.

I thought to myself, would Bush attack Iraq and get a bunch of our military and Iraqis killed to get himself reelected to a second term. After all, no US president has been defeated for a second term in the middle of one of our wars. And his friend Chalabi assured him it would be a cake walk, so it would be a great campaign strategy. After all, Karl Rove had convinced him that the way to get reelected was to run as a war president.

Naw, I thought. Even Bush wouldn't stoop to that level to win a second term to revenge Poppie's defeat. Naw, no American would make us pay such a high cost in treasure and lives just to win an election.

Now, I wonder.......Would he?

BBB

This would of course be highly desirable, and we did go into Iraq with a coalition. But if some nations won't help, we must still do whatever is necessary to prevent the worst of the worst dicators from acquiring weapons so powerful that one single use of one could leave a million dead and wounded. The issue is huge and we simply must act in time, as we failed to do in North Korea.

"Poppie's defeat"? In what sense do you view the Gulf War (I) as a "defeat"?

I think she's refering to his defeat in the second election Tico.....I wake up to find I agree with you that Gulf I was not a defeat...I think 41 did just what he was supposed to do and came home...even though he may have wanted to march on to Baghdad he did not overstep his mandate....I was not wild about 41... but we've had way worse presidents.......and I think he's 10 times the man his idiot son is......and even more disturbing is the fact that I find myself in agreement with you first thing out of bed....I may need a little something extra in my coffee.......

Thanks for the explanation, BPB. Yes, I believe you are correct. (Did I just say that?)

However, I'm having difficulty understanding how Bush 43 being reelected can be considered by anyone to be "revenge" for Bush 41's defeat in '92.

well first put a plastic bag over your head and seal it......allow a lot of brain cells to fry, and pull the bag off before you die, but much stupider.

Now you can think like a bush. It should come to you then.

lol. At first, I thought you were trying to explain how I could start to think like you ....

and then discovered you were mistaken in your original assumption...no news here....

Evil.
That's so Austin Powers and Star Wars.
...and Bush.

There are many kinds of people in the world, and from my experience as both a teacher and as a crisis worker with at risk youth (aka evil teens), said attribute 9 times out of 10 is a response to the inputs the individual has acquired over the term of their life.

I'm taking a step way back in some of my inquiries to the incidents that make an individual evil.
Does it not make sense to you that 21st century anti-Americanism is a response to years of American abuses, American cultural infiltration etc etc.?

I have befriended individuals convicted of heinous crimes against humanity (beatings of elderly people, weapons offenses, attmepted murder) only to discover that there is a person beneath this evil shell...
And most of the time, the person has innate charisma and personable qualities that the majority of society deem acceptable, even desirable.

I will agree that bin Laden is different than a 16 year old who beat an elderly man into the ICU for money for booze, but only in his ability to influence others, and the cohesiveness and size of his group.
I think there are simple answers to these seeminlgy complex scenarios and international events--but compromising with a nation or a group over whom you wish to exploit is not the solution.

How many people have you worked with that can cut off a man's head without so much as batting an eye? Do you think such a person is "evil," or are you willing to give them the benefit of the doubt that they have some redeeming values that we should cherish?

They train US Marines to do that kind of thing without batting an eye "It is a hard heart that kills"

are you saying that US Marines have no redeeming qualities? I have a couple of ex special forces friends that can do that and probably have, and they have many redeeming qualities.....careful about posting things like that if you're not willing to apply your logic across the board, not just about people you find distasteful

I'm choosing to disbelieve that US Marines are trained to cut off the heads of anyone, unless you can provide just cause to suspend my disbelief.

you can focus in on the semantics...and ignore the point if you wish....Marines are trained to brutally kill without a second thought and they do.....I am not defending terrorists that's for sure...I just have a hard time with blanket statements...and I would bet that a Marine somewhere has cut someones head off at one time.....

Bear is just being obtuse Tico. Obviously you were referring the terrorist scum killing hostages by decapitation in front of a video camera. I am sure Bear understood that, but chose to demonstrate his usual methodology instead.

I specifically spoke of cutting off heads ... that was my point. The fact that you are apparently referring to something entirely different does not constitute my focusing on "semantics."

I'm suggesting it takes a cold-hearted person to cut the head off of a man in cold blood. The person capable of doing this must be evil, in my view. I'm specifically thinking of the terrorists who captured and beheaded Nick Berg and those others in Iraq.

I couldn't agree with you more Tico, but then how do you reconcile the fact that we, the good guys train soldiers to commit these kinds of acts...and surely you are not naive to think that CIA assassins and special forces black ops guys aren't trained to do just that kind of thing and haven't....but make no mistake I share your view of those who are responsible for the beheadings of Berg or anyone else....

as for you McGentrix....for someone who has such a sophisticated understanding of my expert angling as you put it......you sure can be depended on to crowd your way to the front to swallow the bait.....

THE TERRORISTS I'M REFERRING TO CUT THE HEADS OFF OF INNOCENTS;
THE US DOES NOT TRAIN ITS SOLDIERS TO CUT THE HEADS OFF OF INNOCENTS.

Bearing in mind what I just said, what is it you are asking me to reconcile?

Tico


Poppie's campaign for a second term was defeated by Clinton.

BBB

Don't shout..the avatar is plenty manly and intimidating.....I'm saying how do you reconcile the fact that every major country...including the US has people trained to commit atrocities and they have.....I'm agreeing with your feelings about the specific terrorists you speak of...why can't you take yes for an answer? I'm merely attaching another question to the subject and asking your opinion? What's the big problem....please stop frightening me....you big bully.....