…the “news” has been turned into a product that must generate acceptable levels of profit first, and disseminate valuable information second, but only if that doesn’t get in the way of mission #1, making money.

Unfortunately making money #1 is riding high and #2 The only dissemination left is only lies to raise #1 higher. The media went by the wayside same as insurance. Lucky us who lived before and know the difference, news vs tabloid trash and healthcare vs profit at the expense of the patients.

once again, you are cut short by that realism thing, huh?

what does 10 years at 12 billion a month add up to??

backup Says:
March 25th, 2008 at 3:38 pm

[snip] how do you answer critics that chastise the U.S. for invading Iraq and then leave it a more profound genocide (if that does occur)? Is it okay to promise liberation, destroy the former government and then leave the people of Iraq with little alternative but civil war? We made the decision to have a civil war. Have the people of Iraq made a similar decision?

Your question are improving. Answers:

** No, what the U.S. did is not okay, and we will have to live with that on our conscience forever. But we cannot make it better and we are only making it worse by staying longer in their country.

** We don’t know that civil war and/or genocide will occur. One thing I think is fairly certain is that the terrorists will not have a reason to enter Iraq and blow up innocent people. Another thing that seems clear is that there will be no Americans for insurgents to target, no American collaborators to target, no foreigners for insurgents to rally against. The Iraqis will only be dealing with their own countrymen.

** If violence continues or breaks out anew, it will be the sole responsibility of those Iraqis committing the violence. Americans will not be contributing to it, not be inciting it, not be the focus of it. Americans will not be killing innocent people as collateral damage, not be killing innocent people by stupid mistakes or confusion, not be killing innocent people in a fit of rage over the loss of a comrade.

We cannot build a castle in the sand and then think that we will hold back the ocean forever. If the Iraqis want democracy or any other form of government, then they have to reach and take it for themselves. The U.S. cannot force it onto them at the point of a gun.

I’ll check back later, see ya.

the “news” has been turned into a product that must generate acceptable levels of profit first, and disseminate valuable information second, but only if that doesn’t get in the way of mission #1, making money.

These endless variations on the “ends justify the means” arguments are all wrong. Individuals, Governments, and Civilizations always fail when they operate that way.

Iraq is not a Crate-and-Barrel store. The fact that we broke it does not mean that we bought it.

We cannot camp out in the Middle East forever with the idea that eventually, all the bad guys will die or give up. A quick review of World History shows clearly that those plans never, ever succeed.

Why would any intelligent contemporary person believe that emulating the Roman Empire is a good idea?

Just like personal life – real change comes from within, not from without.

# backup Says:
March 25th, 2008 at 2:43 pm

I think the Iraqis should govern how they want to. But, after we invaded it became our responsibility not to leave Iraq to all out civil war and genocide. If we can withdraw without that happening, and Iraqis can govern themselves (however they want), we should leave.

Again, I think your assumptions are wrong. What if the way the Iraqis want to govern themselves is to conduct a civil war? That’s the way the United States wanted to govern itself in 1861. What if the Iraqis want a dictatorship? Some percentage of the Russian people want to go back to a dictatorship.

Meanwhile, we’ve already enabled a civil war in Iraq–it’s already happened. And we’ve assisted Turkey in their bombing and invasion of northern Iraq. And we’ve not been able to prevent terrorists from coming into Iraq and killing thousands of innocent Iraqis. With friends like us, Iraq doesn’t need anymore enemies.

do you really believe the press is ‘owned’? Don’t they routinely break stories that discredit the Bush administration. Abu Grahib, death tolls in Iraq, Generals that come out against the administration, the lack of evidence of WMD, etc? With friends like that…

The press isn’t owned. Sometimes I question why the press doesn’t run with a story that I think is important. In my estimation, the press could be biased. But, I always have to allot for the possibility, that the story I deem important, may be less than credible, or less than newsworthy.

and the D’s will not stoop to their level to undo it

Do you really believe that? Their not willing to stop an unjust war by stooping? They wouldn’t stoop to save all the lives that have been lost in Iraq since they gain controll of congress over a year ago?

They would stoop. But, they won’t put themselves out politically, because the dirty secret is, that withdrawing the troops too soon, or defunding the war, may not be the cure all that some claim it to be. There are consequences that they deem are more costly than going back on a promise to either impeach or defund the war.

THERE IS NO FLUCTUATIONS IN THE PUBLIC OPINION DICKY! IF THE USA WAS A DEMOCRACY, YOU WOULD BE BEHIND BARRS!

the fact is that the gop is still holding our government hostage, and the D’s will not stoop to their level to undo it no matter how much that pisses me off.

the press has been cowed into submission with the threat of being cut off altogether. the press is “owned” in every sense of the word, by those who profit most from gop policies.

there isn’t a “perfectly benign and well-intentioned” explanation for all this that has somehow escaped perception because it was oh-so subtly sophisticated and high-minded.

if i were to believe that, i might as well go ahead and believe there are leprechauns. hey, who knows, maybe there are, right Captain??

Sounds like anyone we know? Bush/Cheney, Southern Idiot, Exlax, Daryll, Frankie, to name a few.