tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3463907.post1250456071629032980..comments2008-03-06T10:45:48.215-05:00Juan Colehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05794922740548563607jricole@gmail.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3463907.post-78168962207982407522008-03-06T00:08:00.000-05:002008-03-06T00:08:00.000-05:00Dear John Francis Lee:<BR/><BR/> My point was not to defend Israel or US policy towards it, but to indict our own policy of paying for war with borrowed money. I could have added, again, not in Israel's defense, but in contrast to our own deficiencies, they started pointing fingers and demanding answers about three minutes after their recent debacle in Lebanon. Was it as satisfying as a seppuku by the failed leaders? No, but no Israeli Medals of Freedom or "Heck-of-a-job"s were awarded (and I don't know if there will be any book deals and talk-show appearances). The issue I want to stress is cost and responsibility. No sensibile nation, including this one in past wars, finances war with a credit card. Some combination of taxes, loans by non-disinterested parties (think Lend-Lease and War Bonds), and, if you prefer, outright gifts is required.Blynnnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3463907.post-23795624880308408192008-03-05T10:41:00.000-05:002008-03-05T10:41:00.000-05:00"...residents of nearby Sunni-majority `Adhamiyyah came out to protest. They accused Iran of involvement in Iraq's violence."<BR/><BR/>Never! Residents of the old baath stronghold protesting Iran? Truly Shocking!<BR/><BR/>To the above poster who thinks Iran will get stuck in Iraq in the same way as the US: Iran will have the shia actively courting her. The shia attitude to the US was a guarded one of neccesity in seeing off the Baath. But the attitude to Iran, especially if she develops the shrine towns and rebuilds sammara will be truly positive. The sunni will resist but unless the Saudi go hell for leather and invade then their future is very grim if they dont negotiate and choose violence.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3463907.post-14817335885884247722008-03-05T08:20:00.000-05:002008-03-05T08:20:00.000-05:00<I>Say what you want about Israel, but they pay for their imperialistic ventures with hefty VAT's and bond sales to the ideologically committed, not the "free market".</I><BR/><BR/>Are you kidding me? The Israelis pay for their imperialistic adventures with IOU's signed by the corrupt American political class with the names of us 300,000,000 Americans!<BR/><BR/>If it were not for the Israeli Entitlement Program enacted by ALL the politicians of BOTH "American" parties over the past forty years there would have been a settlement instead of the illegal and immoral "settlements" in Palestine two decades ago!<BR/><BR/>The tail has been wagging the dog for four decades.John Francis Leenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3463907.post-12468708857940724282008-03-05T01:20:00.000-05:002008-03-05T01:20:00.000-05:00Let's please keep talking about the costs of all this. Columbia's Joseph Stiglitz has been putting the true cost of the occupation at $US3 trillion, not including the cost to Iraq itself and probably understating the cost of future veterans' care. How are we paying for this? What if the Chinese stop buying our paper? Say what you want about Israel, but they pay for their imperialistic ventures with hefty VAT's and bond sales to the ideologically committed, not the "free market". Is not most of the increase in the cost of oil due to the worthless dollar? I do not believe that Europe and Canada have seen a tripling of prices since 2003 in their currencies. It's enough to make one hope that McCain does win; I don't see how this situation is fixable, et apres lui, le deluge.Blynnnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3463907.post-24038356110631941202008-03-04T12:17:00.000-05:002008-03-04T12:17:00.000-05:00I really like Napoleon's Egypt blogmerlallenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01023548198899856438noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3463907.post-81219705018645991672008-03-04T09:04:00.000-05:002008-03-04T09:04:00.000-05:00I fear that the longer the Democrats allow the myth that the "surge is working" to continue, the more traction McCain gets. The downturn in violence in Iraq is mainly a function of Moqtada al Sadr's command that his forces stand down. The "surge" began last January, but U.S. casualties and the general level of violence didn't subside until July, after al Sadr's edict. <BR/><BR/>David C. SchraderAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3463907.post-85253069560302050152008-03-04T07:41:00.000-05:002008-03-04T07:41:00.000-05:00McCain's greatest fans now are the Green-Zone Iraqi puppets. One of their men in the USA recently said in published article that McCain is "guaranteed" to become the next US president.<BR/><BR/>But they do know he's got no chance, and everytime they hear Obama or Clinton talk about withdrawl they soil their pants.<BR/><BR/>Until about a year go the Iraqis believed that the USA is committed to propping them up, because of the democracy experiment! Now they see a real danger that they can be dead or in self-exile in a year or so.<BR/><BR/>Iran has offered to "fill the vaccuum" if the US leaves Iraq, but these Iraqis know Iran too well. The love-fest last weekend was a hint to the USA that Iraq will become Iran's puppet if they leave them. Not "going Persian" as it might seem.<BR/><BR/>The trouble with that is that the Americans would be happy to call their bluff and see Iran sunk in Iraq the way the US sank, and if Iran can achieve stability then that is OK too. The US can always revisit after the dust has settled and its troops have had a rest.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3463907.post-7686838257239293712008-03-04T06:56:00.000-05:002008-03-04T06:56:00.000-05:00' "Peace and stability will return to the region if the foreigners leave . . . We believe the powers that came from overseas thousands of miles away must leave this region and leave the issues in the hands of the locals. If they claim that they want to spend their money to develop the region, I think it's better to spend this money in their own country." '<BR/><BR/>I'd vote for Ahmedinejad before I'd vote for McCain, Obama, or Clinton. He seems to understand what is good for the US better than any of those three traitors.<BR/><BR/>If anyone of those three is elected we will still be in Iraq in 2017. I imagine that if we are so stupid as to elect one of them in 2009 it'll be another "no-brainer" to re-elect them again in 2013.John Francis Leenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3463907.post-2494017552261328152008-03-04T05:48:00.000-05:002008-03-04T05:48:00.000-05:00Mahmoud Admandinejad is the most courageous and bold leader the world has seen in a very long time. He speaks the truth and speaks it eloqently. <BR/><BR/>The US/Israeli alliance feels extraordinarily threathened by truth-tellers. Admandinejad's biggest threat to this alliance is his persistance in telling the truth and telling on the world stage. Much to the enormous annoyance and displeasure of this alliance, Admandinejad does not fear the Western silencing machine. He cannot be silenced by the American/Israeli threats of death and destruction. He cannot be bought by Western dollars. Rare rare rare indeed. <BR/><BR/>I sincerely believe that Admandinejad is the only hope for long-term peace in the region. If the West was smart, (and if they were smart they would not be leading this sadistic war) they would seek the council of Iran and take their troops and dollars out of the region with as much dignity as possible. Bush has led the region into a new way of thinking about itself and Admandinejad has become the leader and spokesman for this new revolution of thought.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3463907.post-83740561600934174212008-03-04T05:32:00.001-05:002008-03-04T05:32:00.001-05:00no comment on the UN security council sanction of Iran (that was heavily influenced by the bankrupt war profiteer US)?<BR/><BR/>come on!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3463907.post-73134187655022920382008-03-04T03:38:00.000-05:002008-03-04T03:38:00.000-05:00Here's OUR SAVIOR, Barack Obama, just a day or two after the infamous and vile "holocaust" comment from an Israeli official:<BR/><BR/>"" SAN ANTONIO, Texas (Reuters) - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama on Monday backed the Bush administration's policy of shunning contact with the Islamic militants of Hamas in its Middle East peace diplomacy. The Illinois senator has said he would break with President George W. Bush's stance of declining to talk to some other international adversaries but that stance does not apply to Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip and is committed to the destruction of Israel." <BR/>http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080303/pl_nm/palestinians_israel_rice_obama_dc <BR/><BR/>In other words, Obama doesn't seem to have a problem with Israel unleashing the worst imaginable crime against humanity on Gaza. <BR/>Remember, Hamas is the legitimately elected government of the Palestinians. To shut Hamas out is to leave the Gazans at the mercy of the Israeli military, which has already turned Gaza into a huge concentration camp and is promising "holocaust", ie. the worst crime in the history of humanity, to them.<BR/><BR/>And Obama is Brand Change?!!! <BR/><BR/>I wonder if the people of Gaza see him as CHANGE at this point?workshophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10524873939254556661noreply@blogger.com