>>I know of no one who "knows" that Bush was told that WMDs weren't there.
I know of no one who says they know that, including E.
>>I have seen no one justify the war on the basis of mass graves alone.
I have seen no one do that either, including E.
>>The policy of preventive war is meant to be applied restrictively, not liberally, so it is quite possible that we can afford it, it would depend on what the particulars were.
It is not “quite possible.” It is quite probably impossible.
>>We do not have an imperial presence, we are in most countries by treaty, and would leave if asked.
Legalisms that don’t preclude our non-technical “imperial presence.”
>>Our presence is a deterrent to terrorism, in the long run.
I say otherwise.
>>We have torn up no alliances,
Ask Old Europe.
>>and were not about to attack Iran or North Korea in the near term.
That depends on what "near term" means.
>>The Bush policy is not a dead letter, which is why it still enjoys public support.
Talk about an
ignis fatuus. Public support is a will o' the wisp, and the policy is very likely a dead letter.
>>There is a lot of Anti- American propaganda in the Muslim world, always has been.
Pay attention to the last sentence: Is any of this our fault, unpatriotic as that question may seem?
More than one can issue obiter dicta. When you have proved each and every one of those propositions, I’ll follow suit. Or E will - I'm butting in. Or you can just concede you have a habit of making slick pronouncements without evidence or argument. |
