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MasterKalif -> RE: Why I'm NOT a Bush Fan... (7/31/2006 9:23:00 PM)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Dauric
Gah...
...You want to know how Mr Puppet Bush has screwed us up?
We broke Iraq, we bought Iraq. Iraq was -not- involved in the terror attacks, even the administration grudgingly admits this now. Our focus should have been in Afghanistan, but Rumsfeld and Cheney held back forces to use on Iraq on questionable intelligence. If we needed a place to bring democracy to to be a beacon of change in the region we would have been better served to do it in Afganistan. The administration has done everything they can to remove people who did not agree with their views that Iraq was the appropriate target, George Tennet (CIA) and Colin Powell (Army, Sec. of State) being two chief examples (Powell only lasted as long as he did being an army man, a 'team player'). They ignored the advice of Powell and current generals who knew more about Iraq and about the kinds of forces that would be needed during and, more importantly after the war.
And all of this is well documented.
The war plan was made with little or more likely -no- thought to recovery and exit strategies. We bombed their infrastructure in to the stone age and failed to get enough forces and engineers in to the area to rebuild them. We've been hiring private contractors for security and interrogation duties, contractors who have done more through their recklessness to tarnish the american image than our military has ever done.
As far as the "strength" of bush, he's a front-man. A figurehead for Cheney and Rumsfeld, two political professionals that have been working together since the Nixon administration. He's stood on aircraft carriers proclaiming "Mission Accomplished" when every analyst and military expert said the mission had barely begun (never mind that he said it before Saddam was captured.). He's a convient mouthpiece for pseudo-policy buzzphrases like "War on Terror" (Let us not forget the way our "War on Poverty" and "War on Drugs" are going.) Bush has this view of America during the Cold War, he's surrounded by people who are still living in the 1980's and still fighting the "Commie Ruskies".
All of this has ruined our position as the world leader. Sure we are still the last Superpower, for now, but we no longer have the political, economic, or ethical gravitas that we once had to shape the policies of other countries.
Once again I reference "Frontline" and if you're the daily news watching type, leave the network garbage for "News Hour with Jim Lehrer"
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Now do I think Kerry would have been better? I'm not sure, probably not. He want's immediate withdrawl, but that's not viable either. Powell had it right with the infamous "Pottery Barn" quote "We broke it, we bought it."
It was a Lose/Lose situation. The only thing going for Kerry was that he -might- have listened to experts who would have changed his mind. Bush has proven that he won't.
All water under the burning bridge now.
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On the topic of not voting: You're not making things any better by being lazy. When pollsters and public opinion analysts examine election results, any "Not Vote" results are taken as passive acceptance of the status quo, it is certanly not read as the "passive resistance" that many seem to think it does. If you really think things should change find some independent party to vote for. Sure they may not win, Hell they certanly won't, but your vote says you do not accept "business as usual".
Even though they never win, a powerful independent movement can and has changed the issues that the Democrats and the Republicans talk about.
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But then again, and as always, that's just my $0.02.
Dauric.
Dauric, right on, I agree with almost 100% of what you state....particularly on the Iraq issue. Pleasure reading your post!
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