JohnnyD

Interesting how comparing the circumstances that led to Hitler coming into power and the events following 9/11 means Bush=Hitler. I think you're dead on about 9/11 being the catalyst for things such as wiretapping, the patriot act, and gitmo. Sad to see people arguing about something that was never even said, but thats SC - one post of substance and 55 replies about semantics. To add to the substance - Given the same circumstances, I don't believe the American people would allow a ruler to come to power with the amount of authority as European rulers in the 1900s. I think the amount of power taken by the administration has been excessive, but it has been available due to extraordinary circumstances. As those circumstances change, there will be a redistribution of power.

Do you honestly believe - even just a little - that over 50% of Congress actually wants the US to lose the war (however you define that)? You really think that the Democratic party wants American servicemen and women to die? If you are buying into the punchlines and rhetoric of right wing radio so much that you actually believe the Democratic party has a platform that amounts to treason, how is it even possible to have a remotely rational conversation with you?

How about if we take the word of the people there, and not some general sitting in an airconditioned secure building at CENTCOM. >I'm halfway through my third trip over here and I have yet to run into a soldier this trip who still supports "the cause". My last two trips even when it was apparent that our reasons for being here were bullshit the majority of us here still believed that the soldiers on the ground were contributing to something good. The administration made a mess and we were here fighting to clean it up and help people. Now, not so much, when every IED you get hit by is within 500 meters of an Iraqi army checkpoint and almost all the people you kill are the ones that were working with you just a few hours before they went home and switched uniforms its time to leave.< How much longer do we keep believing the lines we're being fed? Things are not getting better, they're getting worse. Americans are dying over there and Americans are going to be saddled with the debt of this failure for generations over here.

I have the same picture on my desk.

In hindsight, we now know it was a mistake of epic proportions. We can't change that now. What we can do is stop perpetuating the mistake.

And how many more of the finest Americans should be left in that shit hole to die before we admit what is inevitable? I vote for zero. We can't force Iraq to be democratic, modern, or western. We can prevent them from hurting us - and we have (or would have). That really is all we can do. Time to go.

Timelines? Careful with that crazy talk. Your republican party membership is in jeopardy of being revoked. Seriously though, the Iraqi government will possibly never be able to come to an agreement on a lot of the objectives the US has set for them. I don't see them being a cohesive nation able to police and defend its borders, maintain an armed force suitable enough to reasonably protect itself, agree on proper ownership and distribution of its largest resource, and establish and maintain the environment necessary for the growth of nation both economically and socially. Not in my lifetime.

And when we back out of there, all hell will break loose. Every shit bag terrorist west of the mississippi will be slinging bullets and blowing up cars to get control of it. Then, we'll just say he has WMDs and lynch his ass, unless we decide we like him.

Not our oil. Actually, its supposed to be a sort of national product shared in by all Iraqis. I won't hold my breath waiting for it to happen. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070713/ap_on_go_pr_wh/iraq_benchmarks;_ylt=ApsElteKhmaHmvdc1QAKo7yyFz4D

$19.95 worth of wonder?

That is truly fantastic news. I assume we will be leaving immediately then.

Thats why I linked the entire article. I knew someone would jump on that. Here's how I read it. "Iraqi military readiness is down 40%, but its only because they are getting their ass kicked". Embarrassing.

The military objective was accomplished long ago. Remove SH and find the WMD. SH was removed and there weren't WMD. Nation building is not a military function and as such the current failures in Iraq have nothing to do with the military, which has done its job.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070713/ap_on_go_co/us_iraq At the Pentagon, meanwhile, Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters that the number of battle-ready Iraqi battalions able to fight on their own has dropped to a half-dozen from 10 in recent months despite heightened American training efforts.

When are you coming to visit? You need to gather up a bunch of people for a roadie.

I find it interesting when people have to go back so far as to pull someone from the grave as if it has any relevance on the events of today. Do you also believe in slave reparations? You'll find that many here have no problems going back decades to try to prove that Republicans are the root of all evil - I just like to show the 'beam in their own eye', so to speak. I would apologize for offending your delicate sensibility, but I really don't give a shit. No worries. No amount of irrelevant information you post pertaining to dead guys will have any effect on my sensibilities.

I find it interesting when people have to go back so far as to pull someone from the grave as if it has any relevance on the events of today. Do you also believe in slave reparations?

Way better than you or your media would have us believe. One thing is for sure, the war will NOT be lost over there! If it is lost it will be lost here That's a pretty accurate list of accomplishments - none. And if we lose (which is impossible since we won years ago) it won't be the administration's fault. Brilliant.

So very disappointing. Since the "Axis of Evil" speech, we stopped fighting Al Qaeda (the people who actually attacked us) and invaded the lone member of the Axis of Evil that posed no immediate threat to us. The remaining two members are actively engaged in proliferating nuclear weapons while the white house is outing covert CIA agents whose assignments are to monitor and assess the proliferation of nuclear weapons. To fund these great accomplishments and further our involvement in what we have turned into an Iraqi civil war, we sold unthinkable amounts of debt to China. In the face of all facts to the contrary, we continue to fight an intangible enemy and lose brave young men and women. How anyone can spin that into something less than a completely embarrassing failure is beyond me.

With the amount and magnitude of disappointments coming from the administration, sadly, this one is hardly a stone's throw in the ocean or remotely surprising.

Yup with below prime mortgages. I am just waiting for that bomb to burst.... Bursting fantastically in Colorado, however I don't think the state wants to put it in their advertising budget. * Visit Colorado. Great skiing and with the highest forclosure rate in the nation, you may just pick up a house while you're here. *

I used to think the same way until I knew a few people that owned them (mercedes in general - not that car specifically). I was shocked at how poorly they held their value - especially over 100k miles. Also the service is expensive and both owners (5 cars and an suv in total) had not any major problems, but what seemed to be an unusually high amount of small problems (ie: power windows not working).

so you're saying my gf is ugly??? Woosh. Talking about the sister. Change your major.

pm pics. for 60+k/yr and some housework/grilling there's almost no way she could be that ugly.

67% raise after the first month. She got a sister?