Comment by John Kerry

Which explains Huckleberry’s considerable lead amongst dumbass Iowa Republican rubes.

Comment by John Kerry — January 2, 2008 @ 8:34 pm

well, it’s perfectly clear that any of those three would be far superior to actually being a president than the trolls your party has put up as ritual sacrifice. “aging” Hillary vs. mcCain and Thompson, right. Silky Pony vs. Ken Doll cult leader Mitt, OK. Inexperienced Obama vs. rudi hitler Mussolini, the most hated mayor in NYC history, responsible for thousands of deaths on 9/11. Good job, jk, you’re really giving the left a scare!

“In war, truth is the first casualty.” -Aeschylus (525 BC – 456 BC)

Also what has caused this relative stability? The right would say the surge. The military has said that it is them arming the Sunni’s to aid in our battle against AQI or other Sunnis. So we arm them, and move out of their area’s and thus it causes stability equal to last years chaos? OK it works for some. What else happened? By all accounts that I have garnered listening to military press conferences it appears that the Shiites and Sunnis are essentially separated in Baghdad now. I guess there is no need for more sectarian cleansing? Ok that works for relative stability. What else has occurred? Moqtadar (sp?) has had his Mahdi Army stand down for now. Ok that adds stability, though in reality the people attacking US Troops were mainly Sunnis, our new friends. All of these things have combined to create a situation where the US death count is back down to last years unacceptable levels. Therefore we are stable and winning?

But what were the goals of the surge? Have we met those? I don’t recall that decreasing violence was one of the goals. If I am not mistaken the goals are still unmet and very distant. In addition we now have Turkey occasionally invading Iraq. We have essentially three countries, which the White House had insisted for years was an unacceptable situation. Have they changed their minds on this? Did they tell anybody? Also we now have 160,000+ troops and at least that many mercenaries over there, more than ever before. Where are the hundreds of thousands of Iraqi troops we have trained? When are they taking control of their security? How can anyone realistically call this a success with victory right around the corner?

“By the way I talked to a general who just returned home the other day and he said it was going to hell in a handbag over there. I think it was a Prada handbag, but I’m not sure. Moral is high with our troops, but it is also high with the insurgents. he said AQI has never been an issue and that the contractors screw up every good thing the troops do. You’ll have to take my word for this because I am telling you, and you don’t want to call a general a liar now do you? Of course why would I make this up, It’s not like I’m fishing for credibility in an attempt to sway your opinions to my pre-conceived views…is it?” ?sarcasm off

Comment by toasterhead

I guess that’s why you will never hear a neocon ever even acknowledge the decades long manipulation of Iraq by the US, which led to the takeover by Saddam Hussein, much less try to fathom it all. I always thought they ignored US responsibility for the Ba’athist dictatorship merely because such facts did not fit their claims of self-righteousness in the invasion. But perhaps, the whole affair is also just to complicated for their narrow little minds to contemplate.

Better for them to ignore those messy episodes and pretend that we are the good guys.

UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Comment by John Kerry — January 2, 2008 @ 3:34 pm

A republican win in ‘08? now we know you’re really out of touch with reality. Not a chance, even with your thievery, SCOTUS and racist dirty tricks. You’re all done, jk, you’re just too stupid to know it.

Comment by shoeless — January 2, 2008 @ 3:45 pm

Indeed. It’s dizzying trying to fathom it all.

Now, as a sharp contrast in the way “dissenting views” are offered on TP, Troll JK submits another “argument” that relies on such insights as:

It has to be really maddening to be a lib these days. And the very possible Rep win in ‘08 has to drive you left nutters out of your minds!!!!

And, of course, his point is driven home by typing “Unbelieveable” in all caps, followed by several dozen exclamation points.

Is that the kind of “dissenting view” you meant to include, Cap’n? Because personally, I found JK’s argument uncompelling. Maybe if he’d used a few more exclamation points?

Comment by toasterhead

Thank you, I stand corrected. Such a tangled web they wove.

Comment by CaptainMantastic

Why is it, that for the past few months, every daily story of some horrific act of incredible violence in Iraq is prefaced with the phrase “The relative calm in Iraq was shattered today by…”?

Comment by shoeless — January 2, 2008 @ 2:49 pm

Good post overall, but you’re confusing two separate events here.

Saddam Hussein was hired and trained by the CIA to assassinate Qassim in 1959, but he missed his target, was injured during the attempt, and fled to Syria for a few years. A 1963 U.S.-sponsored coup by the Ba’ath party successfuly overthrew Qassim, who was then tried and executed in a show trial.

Comment by CaptainMantastic

My children and grandchildren would thank you, but it’s too late for that now. They get to pay for it, if they can.

Comment by CaptainMantastic —

His take on the current political impasse in the Iraqi government would be more relevent.

Comment by Fred

I was only talking about the ThinkFast thread, which is customarily a free-for-all. If Dusty is making a nuisance on other threads, then flag him – but Thinkfast has always been whack-a-troll territory.

Can’t Americans just have one day off without the hysterical left trying to remind us why they hate the United States?
Comment by Fairy Duster

Obviously, along with “you’re a fascist nazi $%^*&#@!” but they won’t let that get in the way of a good, condescending rant.
Comment by Fairy Duster

So you libs want a site that only reflects your ignorant, cowardly views!!
Comment by John Kerry

That civility would demand better standards but I forget who has raised these hellions……we are paying still for the Reagun era now. When mom’s had to go to work……remember. I don’t love republicans but fighting was not my initial response….seemed to be dusters jarhead reaction though. Exactly why I don’t welcome his opinion.

Republicans do not have the answers. We need to have the discussion among ourselves as to how to proceed but we do not need their opinion on anything. We have seen the result.

Comment by Fairy Duster

This brings up a question I have had for some time. Exactly when did you right-wing, extremists become so concerned with the welfare of the Iraqi people, above all other peoples on Earth? On what day did you suddenly wake up, and say to yourself, “We must invade Iraq for the good of our beloved Iraqis”? Were you born with this overpowering love of the Iraqis, or did you learn your devotion to them at a later point in your lives?

Was it in February of 1963, when the CIA supported and aided a coup d’état against Prime Minister Abd al-Karim Qasim in Iraq, and had a Baathist thug known as Saddam Hussein assasinate him, because he sought to nationalize the oil industry for the benefit of the Iraqi people, not Western superpowers?

Or, perhaps it was in April 1966, when the CIA had Iraqi President Abdul Salam Arif killed in a mysterious plane crash.

Or, maybe it was July 17, 1968, when the CIA helped the Baathists overthrow Arif’s brother, President Abdul Rahman Mohammad, and installed Ahmad Hasan al-Bakr as dictator.

Or, could it even have been July July 1979, when Saddam Hussein took over for his CIA backed friend as dictator?