16. dave's been reading 'my pet mullet'.....

Clif Kuplen at 2:20PM on Feb 15th 2008

17. Strados @ 13

Good point about the uselessness of fighting "not a tangible substance".

I do have one difference though. I don't think we are wasting gasoline at all. We are gaining control of a great deal of oil. The net gain is overwhelmingly on the positive side. I’m not approving, just stating.


People make the assumption that Iraq is a failure or has been mishandled, but is the Iraq war a failure?

Whether something is a failure or a success depends on your goals.

If the goal was to bring democracy to a random nation (i.e. nothing to do with reasons given for the war) in the Middle East, then Iraq is a disaster. Just like Cheney told the press it would be when discussing why the previous President Bush's (Bush I, for you skimmers) administration didn't overthrown Saddam the first time. So what changed for Cheney between that time and when the current President Bush (Bush II, for you skimmers) invaded Iraq? Some hidden knowledge about a region that has been unstable for a thousand plus years? Or perhaps different goals?

Now if the goal was oil-centric, then Iraq is easily a success. Under the draft that the US gave Iraq for its constitution, the Iraq National Oil Company would control 17 of the 80 current oil fields. Foreign corporations would control the other 63 oil fields AND any future finds for the next 30 years. Pretty sweet deal, eh?

Here's a quote from Jim Holt's book, "It's the Oil, Stupid."

**** BEGIN QUOTE ***
The occupation may seem horribly botched on the face of it, but the Bush administration's cavalier attitude towards 'nation-building' has all but ensured that Iraq will end up as an American protectorate for the next few decades - a necessary condition for the extraction of its oil wealth. If the US had managed to create a strong, democratic government in an Iraq effectively secured by its own army and police force, and had then departed, what would have stopped that government from taking control of its own oil, like every other regime in the Middle East? On the assumption that the Bush-Cheney strategy is oil-centred, the tactics - dissolving the army, de-Baathification, a final 'surge' that has hastened internal migration - could scarcely have been more effective. The costs - a few billion dollars a month plus a few dozen American fatalities (a figure which will probably diminish, and which is in any case comparable to the number of US motorcyclists killed because of repealed helmet laws) - are negligible compared to $30 trillion in oil wealth, assured American geopolitical supremacy and cheap gas for voters. In terms of realpolitik, the invasion of Iraq is not a fiasco, it is a resounding success.
**** END QUOTE ***

Ken at 4:06PM on Feb 15th 2008

18. She has no integrity, so there is no probhlem

kfernandez87 at 4:09PM on Feb 15th 2008

19. Sorry for the double post, my computer at home is slow and wasn't responding.(Although apparently it was sending!)

Jeff, is it possible to delete my additional to posts?

Ken at 4:15PM on Feb 15th 2008

20. Dave #12. I agree regarding those who did nothing in the 90's. We recently saw a collection of videos of republican congressmen criticizing Clinton for his attacks on Bin Laden. The funny thing is they think we have no memory because they now lie to make us think that they were stalwarts for the fight against terrorism.

But your statements of liberals having blood on their hands is way off base. We support our country's true fight against terror. On the other hand, the PNAC writings advocated attacking Iraq for any reason. Bush and Cheney didn't attack Iraq to defeat terrorism. It was the neocons plan for a One World Empire. It was in furtherence of what Ron Paul calls America's conversion to "soft fascism." It, as we feared, advanced terrorism throughout the world, spent American and Iraqi lives, removed the power buffer that we had from Iran. All of the very things that Bush's father wanted to avoid. And in the bargain we get a spent military force, loss of respect in the world and a trillion dollar tab which has been financed in large part by China.

Now, one result of the fear mongering of the administration is this. According to an information industry executive, my post contains enough "key words" to be picked up by our government's computers. As you are reading this, it is entirely possible that someone working for this administration is also reading it to determine if I am a threat to my country.

Steve Seivers at 5:15PM on Feb 15th 2008

21. When George Bush says that his presidency will not be understood for decades into the future, it tells me that he is a "true believer" in the PNAC and the neocon agenda.

Anyone who hasn't at least skimmed the PNAC really has no business on these blogs, trying to defend Bush-Cheney.

Somebody save us from the, "true believers."

Captain Negative at 5:25PM on Feb 15th 2008

22. Eric the Mullet ?

BILL G at 2:17AM on Feb 16th 2008

23. Jeff,

Thanks for that fascinating CBC video on the other, short-lived, blog you posted and then removed. The documentary should be seen by all Americans. I understand if keeping that up for people to see was not worth your peace of mind.

I got caught up in reading materials from the links that you posted below the video. That caused me to miss my opportunity to post my thoughts on that controversial and vitally important video.

Sorry you were subjected to that. Somber's response was brilliant and worth the price of admission all by itself.

There is a fine line between standing one's ground and feeding a troll. I wish I could say that troll was an American abberation. You would have been overwhelmed with support.

Captain Negative at 6:27AM on Feb 16th 2008

24. "Bitch Slapped"

That's a good one

ROBERT OKANE at 1:04PM on Feb 16th 2008

25. Iraq War Lies.

Hillary said she did not mean to authorize Bush to go to war when she voted on The Iraq War Resolution, or did she lie?

The actual name of that Resolution is "Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002". Pretty clear as to intent of Resolution.
Hillary voted YES on the Iraq War Resolution

That is the same vote that she and most of those who voted admitted they never read the NIE's "Iraq's Continuing Programs for Weapons of Mass Destruction" Report
Hillary's lie of Omission-the vote she does not talk about-

The "Levin Amendment" to the Iraq War Resolution
"Urged the UN Security Council to adopt a resolution demanding that Iraq grant immediate and unconditional access to UN weapons inspectors. Authorized USA USE OF FORCE ONLY if Iraq failed to comply with the UN Resolution.
This vote was on the same day and before the Iraq War Resolution.
Hillary voted NO to this amendment which would have required further UN Negotiations with Iraq.
Hillary voted YES for the War Resolution and voted NO for the Levin Amendment which would have allowed the Iraq one more chance to comply to the UN Inspections.

Levin Amendment could have prevented the Iraq War, but Hillary never gave it a chance and voted no. Now she wants to be President.

robert okane at 1:05PM on Feb 16th 2008

26. Okane, you posting privileges should be revoked for your, "death threat" post which resulted in an entire topic being removed.

Threatening the host, even indirectly, should be reason enough.

Captain Negative at 3:33PM on Feb 16th 2008

27. Captain Negative

You are a proven liar and are at it again. Please post what threats I made towards Jeff. I still have a copy of your lies, post the item you say I threatened Jeff and I will have another copy of a post you lied in.
You lie so much you can not remember what you said.

robert okane at 4:02PM on Feb 16th 2008

28. I'm not going to feed the troll.

Captain Negative at 4:21PM on Feb 16th 2008

29. She is sorry! She's Bush's plant to make Black women look bad!

truthfighter08 at 6:31PM on Feb 16th 2008

30. She should start preparing her lies for her impeachment hearing. Actually, I think Bush, Cheney, Rove, Rummy, Wolfy, Condi and all the Neo-cons who started this mess should be hung for their war crimes!

Sarah at 1:02AM on Feb 19th 2008