Comments on: Pure Horserace: War, Who Is It Good For?

White House Candidates Keep Iraq At Arm's Length

[scott4261]

coffeehead,

What writing is that pulled from? It%u2019s every bit as eerily prophetic as George Orwell's 1984!

[montraville]

The US has never been an excessively militarist country. We've always been a commerical nation that gears up its military only when necessary. And when we're at peace, everyone works in peacetime jobs, boosting our exports and improving our balance of trade.

It's only since the 50's that we've developed a military-industrial complex. This complex was fine to confront the Soviets, but is useless in the face of asymmetrical warfare (the Vietcong, or Muslim fundamentalists).

If we had spent the peace dividend on peace, we would actually have been more able to flexibly respond to 9-11. We would have had money in the bank to gear up to fight the war that al-Quaeda wants to fight. Instead we have expensive Cold-War airpower that's pretty much useless against peasants with donkeys, and no Arabic linguists.

[coffeehead-2009]

"Four sorrows ... are certain to be visited on the United States. Their cumulative effect guarantees that the U.S. will cease to resemble the country outlined in the Constitution of 1787. First, there will be a state of perpetual war, leading to more terrorism against Americans wherever they may be and a spreading reliance on nuclear weapons among smaller nations as they try to ward off the imperial juggernaut. Second is a loss of democracy and Constitutional rights as the presidency eclipses Congress and is itself transformed from a co-equal 'executive branch' of government into a military junta. Third is the replacement of truth by propaganda, disinformation, and the glorification of war, power, and the military legions. Lastly, there is bankruptcy, as the United States pours its economic resources into ever more grandiose military projects and shortchanges the education, health, and safety of its citizens."
Chalmers Johnson

[j02281]

We have to support our president. Fight for America,fight for our way of life,fight for
our childrens,and granchildrens.
Fight with dignity,courage,not critize,our Coun-
try. Traitors .Liberals . Enemies,want to place
a devil woman,she will sell America to our ene-
mies.

[j02281]

Nobody want the war,agree,but somebody can tell
me what are supposed to do after Sep/11/2001?.
Say, thank you Osama,and please our country is
yours. They will (DEMONCRATS,LIBERALS,TRAITORS)
and all kind of sewer rats.

[j02281]

America wake up, dont let DEMONCRATS take the
power. They will sell America to our enemies.
The excuse: The war.

[clemenhagen1]

Of course both sides will look at this issue primarily in terms of political risk/reward; the result will be a continued dearth of realistic and/or honest assessments. The administraton has waged this war from the outset insinuating at every possible turn a link between Iraq and al Qaeda. What you will never hear from the president or his people? A straight-forward account of any discernible negotiated settlement between the Sunni, Shiite, and Kurdish factions. Of course, the administration and their cheerleaders will continue to throw in the obligatory references to al Qaeda and other evil entities, but true resolution only runs through a Sunni-Shiite settlement. Any long-term settled peace must also involve the regional players: Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Syria. Is the Bush administration serious about acheiving lasting stability in the region? That would require a role for the Saudis (who currently fund the Sunni insurgency) and the Iranians (who back the Shiite militias). An autonomous Kurdish region will also involve appeasing the Turkish government. When any politician, regardless of party, stands up and speaks intelligently and truthfully to the real conditions on the ground, a will treat their pronouncements with a measure of respect. Until then, just more shallow rhetoric - put it on a bumper-stick as it saves space and proves easier for the herd to digest.

[forthepeaple]

We also do not have an "executive privilege" clause in our Constitution. (Again I refer to our Laws and not our traditions). The Supreme court has never wholley justified executive privilege, and more importantly Congress has never establish a law respecting this. Separation of powers cannot allow for any privilege that diminishes the capacity of constitutionally recognized oversight for any of the other three branches of government. What privilege there is with the office of President, can definitely not be called generic "executive privilege". Nothing Constitutional has every recognized this.

The fact that any of the above exists in our current form of government just showcases the lawless and criminal intent of the current administration. The American people deserve to see the laws of our Constitution, like Impeachment, respected.
Article II, Section 2, of the Constitution. This section of the Constitution reads, in part, as follows: the President "shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint . . . public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States . . . ."

[musty2u]

Now that you have your minds made up, dig deep and go to http://www.GOP.com/CynicalDemocrats

[scott4261]

This upcoming election is just way too important to cast a vote for the Republican nominee, no matter who he is. I plan on casting my vote for the Democratic nominee in 2008 (my gut tells me that the nominee won't be Hillary Clinton. But if she is, I will just have to hold my nose and vote for her - much the same as I did when I voted for John Kerry in 2004.). One thing is for sure: we must take our country back from these right-wing loonies!

[scott4261]

I have to ask the question again: HOW has the war in Iraq been worth it? Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11. Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden couldn't have conspired to attack the U.S. because they hated each other. Saddam was secular and Osama is a religious extremist. This war was not worth one drop of American blood. And the very occupation by the U.S. has created a vacuum for terrorist activity where there was none before.

And for what? To benefit Exxon/Mobil, Halliburton, and KBR? I believe that one need only to follow the war profiteering money trail to find out just how much is wrong with this war and why I detest what is happening now.

And before the Bush apologists start bashing my post, let me say this: I get irritated when I am told that I am somehow undermining troop morale, that I hate America, that I'm a traitor, that I'm unpatriotic,.....whatever...you name it....just because I choose to speak out against the actions of this corrupt administration. I love my country and that is why I am willing to speak up.

This war has been a grave error.

[randalds]

Campaigning last week in South Florida, Romney denounced the regime of Fidel Castro and his brother Raul %u2014 hated figures among a Cuban population that has remained loyal to the GOP and its strong anti-communist stance. But the Miami Herald reports that the crowd didn%u2019t exactly shower Romney with applause when he ended his speech with the rallying cry "Patria o muerte, venceremos! "

The phrase, which means "Fatherland or death, we shall overcome!" in English, has been used by Fidel Castro to end his bombastic speeches for years. Its prospects for showing up in future Romney speeches are not nearly as bright.


LOL! LOL! LOL! And people wonder if there any good republican running for office? Guess this answers that! The truth is that any candidate that is still supporting Bush's folly of a war in Iraq by the time the primaries start (for both parties) doesn't stand a snowballs chance in hell of winning their nomination. Americans are sick of this disgusting war of choice, are tried of being lied to and many are angry at finally realizing that the Bush regime has been *** them all along.