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

To: goldworldnet who wrote (764361)	8/21/2007 9:24:40 AM
From: DuckTapeSunroof	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 769670

"Whether it's a good idea or not, I see no reason why the US shouldn't be able to control a 3rd world country...." LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But... you see, Goldie... the WHOLE IMPORTANT QUESTION is 'Whether it's a good idea or not?' I mean, I'm SURE a nation of our wealth and power could enact laws mandating that the feet of all newborns be bound, or raise marginal tax rates to 80% to finance manned missions to Pluto, or require that Cheerios be eaten at every meal, or lay waste to Brazil and Poland, or occupy the Iraqi badlands for the next two or three generations... but I'm not convinced that ANY of that would be GOOD for America. Same too with pouring another half TRILLION out in the sands of 'Iraq' --- not at all convinced that wouldn't be Bad, BAD, Bad... verging on idiotic... when measured against the goal of advancing American strategic interests. EVERYTHING needs to be measured for how Cost/Effectively the policy advances national interests. (And, going backwards, actually WEAKENING America, must surely fail the test.)

To: goldworldnet who wrote (764361)	8/22/2007 2:01:13 PM
From: BEEF JERKEY	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 769670

"I see no reason why the US shouldn't be able to control a 3rd world country" Don't tell me that just because "USA = No 1!" that somehow equates to some sort of special power that will convert the hearts and minds of hostile nations. I think you may suffer from the same simplistic flawed thinking Bush did - that the USA is so great it can do dumb things but make them work out just by shear fabulousness. I would think it obvious that we can't control third world countries or any other countries for that matter. I would find it surprising that any nation on earth would gladly be invaded and bombed all to hell and then thank the invaders. Seriously how would you feel to see another nation controlling New York? What if they were Muslim? Gee I wonder why things aren't going smooth in Iraq for us? Hmmmmm. Foreign policy is a little more complex than Bush is capable of managing. Bush doesn't have to get 1 or 2 things right in Iraq to make it "worth it". Bush has to hit the equivalent of 15 home runs in a row to make any outcome in Iraq equal to what's been spent. Apparently the surge is having what could possibly be called some success at stemming the violence but without political reconciliation its worthless. One has to consider that even if the violence in Iraq can be managed and a political reconciliation takes place among Sunni's and Shiites would that make it somehow close to anywhere near "worth it" for the USA? I doubt it. There never was much of an upside to the invasion of Iraq once you got past the concept of Iraqi's throwing flowers at our tanks and gladly working night and day to pump cheap oil for "USA = No. 1!". Now its all downside.