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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Kevin Rose who wrote (422774)	7/3/2003 6:02:23 PM
From: DMaA	Respond to of 769670

Or his goal was to shock and frighten us into withdrawing from the world into our shell. Worked on a large fraction of the political elites in this country. His goal on 9/11 was not to defeat the US, but to goad us into reckless acts that would turn more nations and peoples against us.

To: Kevin Rose who wrote (422774)	7/3/2003 6:06:13 PM
From: DuckTapeSunroof	Respond to of 769670

Re: "His goal on 9/11 was not to defeat the US, but to goad us into reckless acts that would turn more nations and peoples against us. He figured that we would respond hastily and harshly, and drive more people into his own lap. That did not happen, and I was proud of the President at that time. No hasty bombings, clumsy moves, heavy handed attacks. But, somewhere along the way, we squandered the short term goodwill that others had towards a newly vulnerable United States. The other goal of bin Laden was to supposedly expose the 'example' of Democracy. He thought that, under pressure, we would fold up our ideals of freedom and show the world that we really weren't that good of an example. This is the other area where I think bin Laden is in danger of winning." >>> It's interesting to me that few took him at his word about his goals. >>> In the bin Laden videotape released immediately after the 9-11 tragedy, he said: 'The American Government, and the West, will lead the American people into an unbearable Hell and a choking life. Freedom and Human Rights in America are doomed.' >>> Putting aside the hyperbole and ranting, it's still obvious that he was counting on our government's reaction to be heavy-handed and poorly conceived. Simply put: he was counting on us to shoot ourselves in the foot... to do more damage to our freedoms and quality of life on our own then he - with his pitiful resources - ever could.

To: Kevin Rose who wrote (422774)	7/3/2003 7:08:43 PM
From: tejek	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 769670

Good article. However, no one is stating the other obvious effect of the New Empire: it is playing right into bin Laden's plans. That's because many people don't think he's alive or that his organization is still very strong to which I say if al Qaeda is so weaken and we have captured so many of their key leaders, why can't we find bin Laden. Its seems to me that only a strong organization can keep someone hidden that well. His goal on 9/11 was not to defeat the US, but to goad us into reckless acts that would turn more nations and peoples against us. He figured that we would respond hastily and harshly, and drive more people into his own lap. Fortunately, we were too in shock to react. Unfortunately, he played us right into the thesis of the neocons. Neocons talk about exporting freedom and democracy but, like Prestowitz says in his article, what we are exporting is Americanism. We are trying to create everyone in our own image. It won't work because we are not THAT cool! <g> No one should play God except God!