[Rhodes22-list] Politics: How's It Going? Badly!

[brad haslett]

Robert,

Somewhat like Iraq, we landed on the beach in Gulfport
with a "plan" and what we thought was based good
intelligence.  We quickly found our planning needed
major adjustment, our intel was dubious, and we didn't
have all the right resources.  We've quickly adjusted
and are doing fine now, thank-you.  If only military
operations could be so simple.

We disagree that this is not a war.  It is a war that
has been ongoing for over twenty years and we lost the
first dozen or so battles.  9/11 was our wake-up call.
 Nothing in our recent history and experience has
prepared us for this type of war, so mistakes will be
made, and planning will prove to be less than
adequate.  Lincoln is one of our most admired
Presidents for his perserverance during an unpopular
war.  Whether Bush is admired 50 years from now is
hard to tell from our present perspective.  However,
our current domestic politics is so polarized that it
is difficult to delineate peoples real opinion on Iraq
from their political zeal for whatever party.  I hope
this changes soon because the stakes are so high.  We
cannot retreat back to own shores and hope for the
best.  As Evan Byah (who would make a great Democrat
candidate for President) said in a speech over the
weekend, the enemy budgeted a million dollars for the
9/11 attack.  The cost to us was in the billions. 
They have a decided advantage on the field of battle
because of the cost differential.  Whether Iraq was
the best choice for the next battlefield has yet to be
determined.  But, there will be a next battlefield.
Whoever the next President better choose wisely or the
choice will be made for him/her.  A lot of us 
partisans are fed-up with both parties right now. 
I've been following the attempt to start a 'virtual'
third party at http://www.unity08.com/.  Frankly,
neither the Democrats or Republicans have been
behaving or governing well lately.

Brad

--- Robert Skinner <robert at squirrelhaven.com> wrote:

> brad haslett wrote:
> > Congressmen who willfully take actions during
> wartime
> > that damage morale and undermine the military are
> > saboteurs and should be arrested, exiled, or
> hanged.
> > ~ Abraham Lincoln
> > Goodnight Bill.  We'll have this discussion
> another
> > day.
> > Brad
> 
>
--------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Brad, let me begin by complimenting you on taking a
> hand 
> in getting the nation's southern coast back into
> shape.
> It is a noble effort, and you deserve to be well 
> compensated for undertaking it.  You have my
> admiration,
> and that of many on this list, whatever their
> political 
> leaning, for your work.
> 
> And much as I admire Abraham Lincoln, I must say
> that it's 
> not wartime any longer. 
>  
> Bush announced some time ago "Mission accomplished."
> This is what used to be called a "police action."
> 
> If you are referring to the "war on terror," I
> submit
> that it is neither a war, nor directed at terror;
> rather, it looks more like a convenient excuse to 
> increase the power of the executive branch and
> enrich 
> the supporters of the Republican regime, as
> Eisenhauer
> warned us would be the case when military action
> became profitable.
> 
> This is not a war in any form we have executed in 
> the past, and many of the pronouncements and best
> advice from our past have a tenuous application to
> the current situation.  It more closely resembles
> the modus operandi outlined in "1984".
> 
> The most applicable comment I have encountered was
> previously cited by Dave Woten: 'As I recall Mr. 
> Twain also said: “the country is never at greater 
> risk than when Congress is in  session”.'  This
> is particularly applicable when our elected 
> representatives sit on their hands while Bush 
> issues 700 signing statements stating that he (and 
> his entire administrative apparatus) is above (or, 
> if you wish, outside) the rule of law.
> 
> What the Hell do we have laws for if not to define 
> how this country is to be run?  It's time we dealt
> with the real risks to our country -- apathy,
> abuse of power, fraud at the highest levels of
> government, and Bush's arrogance ("I am the
> decider") 
> both at home and abroad.  
> 
> America's greatness among nations in the long run 
> will not be judged by how powerful we were (yes, I 
> said "were", as we are selling off our ability to
> innovate and manufacture miracles), but how we used 
> (and abused) that power.
> 
> We do not own and run the world.  Other nations have
> a say in how things work.  Ultimately, bullies get
> shot in the back.  We have a lot of back showing.
> 
> Friends, let's figure out how to get our nation
> back into a leadership position, not the current
> world perception of us as arrogant, bullying, 
> wastrels.
> 
> /Robert Skinner
> __________________________________________________
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