Bush a Genius Says NY Times

In the 1985 Geneva summit, progress on arms control had foundered over Gorbachev's insistence on scrapping SDI, and Reagan's commitment to its development. The October 1986 summit between Reagan and Gorbachev, in Reykjavik, Iceland, also ended in a stalemate. At this second summit, Reagan still refused to budge on SDI, and Gorbachev refused to make further concessions without compromise. But at the third summit, in Washington, DC, in December 1987, Gorbachev yielded to Reagan's terms. The USSR was in dire economic straits, and Gorbachev needed a respite from the arms race.

Here is the PLAN...

Create a democracy in the ME.
Fortunes will improve for Les Miserables, who have nothing good enough in their lives than get blown up for virgins.
Other oppressed ME types will see Iraqis choosing their leaders and having an active role in their self-determination.
They will throw the yoke off their necks as well.
Terrorism will decrease substantially.
Freedom and democracy will increase.
Just as peace breaks out in the ME, China will declare war... (kidding)

But dookiestix (right name?) is right, a lot of the changes that are taking place happened without our interference unless we killed Arafat which is something I don't believe. Abbas is the one that is making a lot of the changes in that situation by going after the Palestinian militants.

On the other hand, Bush as a genius? You have to be kidding.

Asherman wrote:

On the other hand, Bush as a genius? You have to be kidding.

I'm just baiting them.

Revel writes

Quote:

But dookiestix (right name?) is right, a lot of the changes that are taking place happened without our interference unless we killed Arafat which is something I don't believe. Abbas is the one that is making a lot of the changes in that situation by going after the Palestinian militants.

I'm sure those who oppose George W. Bush and everything he stands for desperately want to believe this. But the fact is, Middle Eastern leaders have come and gone, died, been assassinated, resigned, been forced out, replaced, or came to power through rights of succession for hundreds of years now, including the last 30-40 years of the Twentieth Century, and the opening of the Twenty-First Century, and until now noting has changed. They have become largely increasingly militantly Islamic-extremist, increasingly hostile toward Israel and the United States, and frequently militarily aggressive, until now--until the Iraqi elections by a free people.

You can say that wasn't the catalyst for all the rest all you want. I can accept that you don't want to believe it was. I can't see how you can make a case for that given the history of the region however.

I'm sure those who oppose George W. Bush and everything he stands for desperately want to believe this. But the fact is, Middle Eastern leaders have come and gone, died, been assassinated, resigned, been forced out, replaced, or came to power through rights of succession for hundreds of years now, including the last 30-40 years of the Twentieth Century, and the opening of the Twenty-First Century, and until now noting has changed. They have become largely increasingly militantly Islamic-extremist, increasingly hostile toward Israel and the United States, and frequently militarily aggressive, until now--until the Iraqi elections by a free people.

You can say that wasn't the catalyst for all the rest all you want. I can accept that you don't want to believe it was. I can't see how you can make a case for that given the history of the region however.

Anyone that believes the US has "stayed out" of what is happening between Israel and Palestine needs to get back in touch with reality.