“U.S. military personnel at Guantanamo Bay allegedly softened up detainees at the request of Chinese intelligence officials who had come to the island facility to interrogate the men — or they allowed the Chinese to dole out the treatment themselves, according to claims in a new government report. — Bernarda

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With all due respect, Bernarda, don’t be silly! Bush’s remarks about “appeasement” weren’t intended to refer to all governments which fit the category of dictatorship. It only refers to those dictatorships which Bush has conveniently chosen to single out as evil for his own purposes — we know that, so do they, and I suspect most people in the corporate-controlled media do as well (and therein hangs a tale). The only people who don’t know that are the American voters who have apparently either forgotten how to think for themselves due to lack of practice or else never learned how, people who apparently still regard politicians and journalists in the same manner that they used to (and in which some still do) regard doctors…as highly-intelligent, knowledgeable, and trustworthy humanitarians who surely must know what they’re doing and therefore should not be doubted or questioned.

Bush’s deliberately misleading and provocative remarks about “appeasement” doesn’t change the fact that he himself chooses and/or has chosen to have dealings with China, Uzbekistan, and Saudi Arabia — all of them currently led by governments which meet the definition of a dictatorship — nor does it change the fact that the US government has in the past chosen to have dealings with other dictatorial regimes when those dealings serve our purposes. That’s the key — when they serve our purposes. At present, our dealings with China serve our purposes — our dealings with Iran do not. (While we’re on the subject…is it purely a coincidence that we’re rattling our saber against Iran, a country which currently has one of the five largest proven oil reserves on the planet but no current nuclear weapons, and not against North Korea, a country which has had an active nuclear weapons program but no oil?) However, all of this is academic as long as the Bush administration succeeds in distracting and deceiving the American people through this sort of rhetoric. It should be more than obvious by now that they don’t particularly care what the truth is — they’ll say and do whatever they feel is necessary in order to get their way.

“U.S. military personnel at Guantanamo Bay allegedly softened up detainees at the request of Chinese intelligence officials who had come to the island facility to interrogate the men — or they allowed the Chinese to dole out the treatment themselves, according to claims in a new government report.

Buried in a Department of Justice report released Tuesday are new allegations about a 2002 arrangement between the United States and China, which allowed Chinese intelligence to visit Guantanamo and interrogate Chinese Uighurs held there.”

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=4894921&page=1

“Israel says it is holding indirect talks with Syria to reach a comprehensive peace agreement.

A statement by the Israeli prime minister’s office said both sides were talking “in good faith and openly”.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7412247.stm

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Exactly. Gates almost certainly tried to wiggle out of the question because he probably knew that he’d be painting himself into a corner if he agreed with Bush’s statements. Spector, figuratively speaking, had Gates by the “short and curlies” — and Gates knew it. If he had tried to support Bush’s claims, he would have made himself seem like either a blatant liar and a hypocrite or a total incompetent (for the moment, we’ll overlook the fact that he’s quite probably both given the fact that he’s a member of the Bush administration). While most Bush administration officials seems to have a remarkably poor capacity for recall, there’s no way Gates could plausibly claim to have a memory so poor that he literally can’t remember what he said only the day before! If that were the case, he probably shouldn’t be allowed out on his own without supervision — let alone be serving as the Defense Secretary!

What, Gates doen’t pay attention to when the president says contravertial things in foreign lands about other prominent Americans that he might have to make a statement on? He doesn’t read or watch the news? What gives with these people?

… And he’s in charge of the Military?

GATES = OXYMORON

Someone earlier (sorry for not referencing the post) brought up the comments at freerepublic, and I have to bring up another point…

http://www.redstate.com/stories/elections/2008/can_america_win_the_war_yes_we_can

They refer to a population of “grownups.” I find that to be an ambiguous lumping.

Sounds like someone is blogging from their “grownups’” basement again…..

Rove still plying his craft I see…