Is There Anyone Out There Who Can't Comprehend This??

Bush did create a mess indeed.

You know, the only reason I don't think it was deliberate is because W doesn't seem to think far enough in advance about anything to see the ramifications of what he does. He's certainly not above setting things in motion so he'll "have to" act later. What's just jaw-dropping to me is, we're overextended around the world as it is; where on earth would we get the resources, troops, or support for yet another war against another country?

Kris,

Like you said, he doesn't tend to think ahead except in the sense of what he "wants;" ramifications be damned. Someone else will pick up the pieces, as always -- at least that's what he apparently believes based on his prior experiences in life. How many people get to fail so many times and wind up with the oval office as a reward.

Olga, I don't think Bush is smart enough to have planned this, but Cheney certainly is if it was intended to do what you have stated. Bush is certainly stupid enough to have planned this if it is just one huge mistake (which it is either way). I'm sick of hearing how we will "embolden the enemy" if we leave Iraq! Bush has already emboldened all who hate America...there is no more emboldening to be done! He will go down in history as our worst president to date...

Olga,

Apparently, "gaping idiots R us" -- and congress. Except congress knows full well what is happening and, with a handful of exceptions, are willing to play the game. How ironic that we may have to be saved from ourselves [make that from Bush] by saner heads and forces in the world at large.

Olmert says, no need to succumb to wild rhetoric;

The Quartet say that it's possible and essential to talk with the Syrians and Iran; except for Miss Iron Jaws Condaleezza who says that the Syrians know what they need to do without our telling them--so no way are we talking with them, or Iran;

A nuclear study panel of world experts on nuclear nonproliferation at Davos say Iran is not a particular nuclear threat -- while Stephan Hadley massages the latest NIE on Iraq to make a case for Iran's influence and infiltration in the hotbead of terrorism that is Iraq [our Iraq, because Condi birthed them for us].

Mainstream media are even saying whoa up;

SCREAM! Tell our wimpy weasel representatives it's going to come back to haunt them and hope that the rest of the world will come riding over the hill. Chirac did his bit, though it certainly hasn't won him any brownie points.

God love the French.

It was a pleasure to watch Chirac calmly and politely explain that he had not said the most sensible thing that any head of state has ventured about Iran.
And, the bold denial offered in the clearest French language.

I am fond of him for lying so smoothly in a good cause, and for being spot on about the American disaster in Iraq.

Chirac said that reckless militarism would make Iraq vastly more dangerous, that there were no weapons of mass destruction, that invasion would strengthen american enemies and reduce the opportunites for effective response.

Our dim and corrupt President lies badly, and lies more outrageously the more he is challenged, and blames everyone but himself for the horror that has befallen every part of this misadventure.

Bush believes that if we can stablized the government in Iraq that it will nudge Iranian's into changing out their current regime. Most Iranian's are fairly westernized... it's really a minority that is the problem It takes time though... I'm not saying we can't possibly fail, but I would like to suggest that we not give up so soon, and try to have a long term vision on this. You guys are so into thinking about how things are right now at this moment. Vision.... get some.

Don,

Regime change, we wish. One man's vision is apparently everyone else's delusion.

Peter Whimsey,

Chirac: suave but crusty. My new hero [sorry, you've been "termporarily" replaced; I'm fickle]

Bush: Neocon poster boy -- bumbling along without a clue or conscience.

Only liberals could worship the French..... Chirac was illegally abusing the UN oil for food program too but hey as long as he was anti-American hes ok to the limp wrists. Liberals.....

As bad as this war turned out you have to give Bush credit for standing behind his words. All the democrats that ran to the microphone in support of the war have since ran for cover and try to pretend the really didn't support it. Pretty lame and doesn't say much about their leadership skills.

I honestly don't think that Bush is sufficiently intelligent or historically educated to understand the things discussed in the article. Mr. Bush for the most part sees the world and history in black and white terms. The twists and turns of history and alliances are well beyond his mental capacity even were he happened to be interested. Also, he has surrounded himself with syncopates and yes men to whom it also wouldn't occur even if they knew it because it does not fit in with Mr. Bush's Utopian world view.

I'm convinced that were it not for 9/11 Mr. Bush would never have gone into Afghanistan. Iraq was always his first target from the day he took office. His first formal meeting was on the invasion plans. Simply put, Mr. Bush honestly believes that he could start a new world democratic order in the heart of the Muslim Middle East. He sincerely cannot envision a people who don't share his vision of a U.S. style democracy everywhere, and he does not understand the social and historical lessons of that part of the world.

Add Mr. Cheney and Mr. Rumsfeld, then stir the pot even more with Mr. Bush's desire to pander to companies like Halliburton and the result is what you see today.

Jeff: No. I don't give Mr. Bush any credit for standing behind his words. Being too stubborn to change when what you're doing is clearly wrong and costing American and Iraqi lives isn't commendable, it's simply pig-headedness carried to a lethal extreme. There is no honor in refusing to recognize your errors or change your plans when what you started clearly isn't working.

Carolyn I agree that Bush isn't going down in history as one of the brightest presidents. But It kind of makes you wonder why the democrats nominated a guy with a lower college grade point average than Bush in 2004.

I think bush ( & I put this in simple terms), He should get out of all the areas he is in now and has our men & women in and Let the others straighten themselves out. I think America has been overseas long enough! We Tried and its their turns to keep going or cause us to come back later and kick butttt, this time in a more final way..... I think bush is just wanting to find a way/s to stay in office, & This is coming from someone who voted for him... : ) NO, I wouldnt vote FOR him again..!
But, NONE of the Presidents are what any of us expected, never have been and never will be.!!!!

The prblem with all this is we were told by every expert and analyst that this would be the outcome of takng ut Saddam and the policy we are pursuing in the Middle East. Bush is just deluded enough to believe e knows better than all the experts and analyst b/c he thinks his religious beliefs prevent disaster. He is an utter idiot.
Jeff as for you comment about the Franch and Liberals well I ahve one thing to say. Who was right about Iraq? France and Germany or Bush? we all know the answer to this question. Corruption happens everywhere and I am NO fan of Chirac but he is a more sane leader than Bush and I can not believe I am saying even that.
I said back in 2001 that GW bush would be the President to single handedly decimate the Republican aprty and I was correct. What I did not fore see was the extent of the damamge to the US by this criminal called Bush.

Kelly France and Germany agreed that Iraq was in violation of the UN security council and thought he had WMDs. They disagreed with the solution and how to deal with it. They didn't have a plan other than Keep the oil for food scam going that was financially beneficial as both those countries have been proven to have violated the program along with Russia. However as it turns out going in was a mistake so anything would probably have been better.

I was in reference to the French blatant anti-Americanism that has been lingering for decades, mostly along political lines as they are a socialist nation. To admire that says a lot about ones American patriotism. As we know socialism is a religion and everybody else is the antiChrist so...

OLGA YOU GIVE BUSH CREDIT FOR INTELLEGENCE LOL SCALE YOU EXPECTATIONS BACK A BIT. LOL. YES OLGA WE CARE

Just remember - the Middle East is the same as it ever was and they will never change. The TV's, pop music and videos, and cars, and malls, and high-rises and all those other western goodies aren't really there - it's just a figment of our imagination.

Jeff, If you really believe what you say about France and socialism then I really think you are blind and not offering any basis for what you are speaking about. Have you ever lived in a social democracy? I would guess NO from your views on anything that challenges you narrow america centric view....
very sad and ow this fool was elected in the first place.

Kelly
I don't have to live in a socialist nation to know that I wouldn't want America to be one. If you are a socialist why don't you pact together with other like minded socialists, pool your money and start a little commune of your own. Why do socialists always feel that everybody should be enslaved to it? If it really is better than capitalism than everybody would want to sign up and join into the utopia. My guess is that wouldn't happen though.

Jeff,

So, now its limp-wristed socialists - who probably "commune" with the liberals and a few capitalists not yet out of the closet. When I said you had no sense of humor, I was wrong -- you're funny. As for "America" being capitalistic and the "French" being socialists, it's the global elites who own you and keep you dumbed down so you'll vote for our boy Bushie.

This is Bush's way of luring Iran into the end of times war!

Sing it children! He's Got The Whole War In His Hands, He's got the whole wide war in his hands...... he's got the whole war in his hands...... He's got the whole war in his hands. And apparently no one can or wants to stop him. Veery Sad.

Only poor people want socialism. I guess when you have a majority of poor, that's when you get socialism. Eventually, it has to collapse as their is little incentive to be a big earner.

You give me housing, electric, food, healthcare for free and see how hard I work. I'll make just enough to entertain myself. No worries.

""As for "America" being capitalistic and the "French" being socialists, it's the global elites who own you and keep you dumbed down so you'll vote for our boy Bushie.""

As long as I can keep my boat, 2 jet skis and four wheelers ill be as dumb as you want . I just need this global warming to kick in so I can have a longer boating season.

Mitch I actually have land up near the apostle islands. I think a good 10 foot rise in sea level will give me some water frontage. What an investment that would turn out to be.

Don't bother Mitch. God and the sun determine temperatures not vehicles. Thanks for the gesture though.

Funny, how the French and the Germans only opposed us for the oil for money scandal (you have got to be kidding), and yet they were precisely right.

Chirac was spot on -we have made our nation weaker, we have made our enemies stronger.

Apparently socilaists have a better trained political class, and better intelligence too.

Peter then why did the socialists agree that Iraq had WMDs? I will give you one thing. Socialists are a hell of a lot better at using the UN for financial gain and for advancing political agendas.

What me worry when I've got boats and jet ski's. I can just see Don and Jeff on an island, together, with all their riches. Survival of the fittest. Who will remain to sneer in triumph, as the other goes down; not even any poor socialists to watch.

Olga,

I think you've got the answer to the title of your article. Good job.

Missy lighten up. Me and Don would probably party and live it up. One of my hobbies is wine making and I could probably make a killer brew out of coconut juice. We certainly wouldn't try and find doom and gloom in everything.

Missy you wouldn't believe how liberating and euphoric it is to spend all your weekend summers at the beach with your boat or jet skis. You probably have done those things but as a liberal you refuse to see any beauty and happiness this world has given you because your political view is anger descent and protest. Lighten up woman.

Missy - I've got a brand new SeaDoo RXT sitting in my garage. I'll be fine.

Don H.
Nice toy. I got 2 2000 Seadoo GSXs. I seriously need to upgrade but these babies have been so good to me. One is a pain in the ass every spring at first but nothing to protest about. You live down in God's country though so I am doubly jealous. Sorry to here about the weather in your area though.

The weather was insane. I was right in the middle of it.

Yeah - close to St. Johns, which is my favorite spot to drop in, but there are chains everywhere, and the intercoastal if you don't mind salt water.

Don Ive been through tornadoes too when I was a kid. Its beyond belief what its like. I hope all is well aside from the 20 deaths.

Jeff, the disagreements were about their ability to use them.

We knew that Rummy was making all kinds of secret deals around Iraqi weapons in the 80's. Nothing like Republican regimes for arming tyrants, then complaining about them.

All of "old Europe", the UN, and quite a few smart and experienced people in this country said correctly that Saddam did not have the capacity to use them, that he was bluffing, and that our constant surveillance was effectively isolating him.

And Saddam didn't have them to use, and he didn't use them in our stupid invasion, and Bush knew more than he told, withheld all but a "summary" for the Congress, and lied his fraudulent ass off.

Peter read the language in the final resolution to Iraq from the UN security counsel, look at who voted for it , and then repeat what you said with a straight face.

Thanks - things are fine here.

Jeff,
you speak as thoguh you have some experience in the world of international affairs until you step outside of your little microcosm do not attempt to tell any of us who ahve lived elsehwere what it is like. France was spot on Germany as well , France defends its peoples civil rights Bush removes them under the guise of protection. The Europeans work less have longer vacation and much better overall benefits why is that? hummm maybe because they know some stuff Bush does not. The last leader i can think of who behaved in this manner well his name started with an HI. fill in the blanks....

Kelly I have family in Europe. In Germany the middle class is suffering from massive inflation as all the socialists promises are coming unglued because of their aging public whom have to be cared for by the fewer tax payers. Just like American auto companies. They import Muslims to make up for the fact that people cant afford to have children. look at Paris the other summer. Lots vandalism, car burnings assaults...... Yeah the people sure are happy.

I would never trade my life for the poorer Europeans. The French get all kinds of vacation time but complain they cant afford to go anywhere. 30000 senior citizens died in a heat wave for Christ's sake. 30000 dead! We lost 1000 in the worst natural disaster in a century in Louisiana and people wanted heads to roll. Obviously our standards are much higher. Great benefits Kelly. You can keep them.

Did I honestly just read "Vision -- get some" by someone who hasn't sufficiently mastered 4th grade grammar to know that Iranians and "Iranian's" mean two different things? I don't think there's much I need to add to that. Well, possibly "tutoring in your own native language -- get some," but that's asking a lot.

Wow, Kris. Out of the thousands of messages I've posted, you found a grammatical error on a system that doesn't have an edit function. Is that the best you've got? Next time, respond to the context of the comment and don't bore us with your nitpicking.

I just wanna know how long this charade can go on. Now the GOOP party has disengaged talks about the "Whole War That's In His Hands"(that's our decider in chief, not God by the way)with the DEM's that's apparently short for DEMON'S anyhow............

Kimberly,

GOOP and DEMONS -- I love it; though ironically enough, the GOP [NOT all republicans] are demonizing the rest of us and the DNC [NOT all democrats] are behaving like goop; or using a "goo be gone" strategy that isn't working. The f**king around that is being done on both sides now while Baghdad burns is pure evil.

So much for our duly elected representatives taking their share of the power grid, and demonstrating that they have a moral bone amongst the whole bunch of them in order to do the right thing and stop this crazy president. GOD FORBID any of them should appear as though they're cutting off funding for an immorally and illegally concocted war that is killing and maiming and displacing hundreds of thousands as we write - and making Halliburton and others a bit richer.

Don,

I don't see anything in my comment that would indicate I'm concerned about you or your toys -- to each their own re toys.

Jeff, Ditto re concern. As for lightening up -- why, because you're a feather weight? All the toys in the world can't make up for basic deficits in character and integrity. But then again, I don't know you -- you may be lying about how important the toys are to you, or maybe the ex took them all and you're bitter. There must be some explanation for your ugliness and small closed homophobic mind and your OWN anger. Or, it could just be genes.

Missy said: "What me worry when I've got boats and jet ski's. I can just see Don and Jeff on an island, together, with all their riches. Survival of the fittest."

So I replied that I have a new SeaDoo RXT. My reply was in context. Take the stick out of your ass, you'll feel much better ;)

I'm a dictator, I have WMD's, America is coming to kill me. What shall I do? Shall I wait and see or shall I attack them first and bring them to their knees? Decisions, decisions. I'm also a terrorist, I hijack a 100 ton airliner with 200+pass. and crew members aboard with a boxcutter and a few friends. I fly directly over a nuclear reactor, I could millions in two countries and bring them to their knees, cripple them and render the whole northeastern US uninhabitable for 100 years, but no, I think I will crash into two virtually empty towers before the workforce gets there and the Pentagon while it's empty, that will show them. What's wrong with either picture? I really think more Americans have got their head up their asses or at least a thumb, no spine of their own to do what should have been done 4 years ago. Get up and get rid of Bushpig and his brood and bring a great country back to what it once was. The greatest country in the world to live in.

wow...brilliant. I bet your parents are proud of your 12 year old mentality.