A posting to the MCLA website water cooler forums sparked me this morning.

http://forums.collegelax.us/viewtopic.php?t=6828&start=30

------------------------------------------------------

Does anyone else find it curious that five years after September 11th, 2001, we still don't know who "the terrorists" are? Isn't this something we should know by now? How does what we believe matter?

Ed Koch is a fool for idolizing Bush and his inflexible ideological zealotry. I'm not sure you can win an ideological war with more religious dogma, and that seems to be all President Bush has going for him. Curious about understanding the world around him, he is not. Lack of curiosity is a fatal flaw for any high level leader, much less a President. This is just my humble opinion of course.
Sonny, if we are already in WW3, then it's too bad more people didn't speak out, and demand a real debate about going to war in Iraq. Because if we are in WW3, then we escalated it without good reason. Clearly this war was a mistake. Saddams rather ungraceful removal from the world not withstanding (rather stunning, if you think of how far back America's relationship with him goes), this war has had produced a more dangerous world. If we are in WW3 already as Sonny asserts, then I think he just helped me prove my point. Thank you Sonny! I aruge that this isn't a clash of cultures, and by making it one, you're leveling the playing field for guys like Bin Laden. Who cares who hates America? I don't want to sound like an isolationist, but what happened to deciding things by taking in to account our nations interest? When did President Bush become a nation builder? I'll tell you when, only after it's use fell in line with political expediency. He may be a courageous man, but courage without understanding, without curiosity, is not a virtue.

Our nations military focus should have been kept in Afganistan. President Ford was absolutely correct in his statements to Woodward. It's shameful President Bush used the lingering fear to his advantage, and used that fear to squash any debate about his war. He is the decider after all. And he likes Chuck Norris movies, but that's a topic for another post.

After all, he stated from the beginning, we are going it alone if we have to. He effectively removed any military and political burden from our fence sitting allies. Why would anyone help if we were going alone regardless?

He saw his war Iraq as an opportunity to finish a job his cronies started long ago, Rumsfield, Cheney, Wolfowitz. If he didn't get this war done, he would not be conforming to his beliefs, whether or not reality actually necessitated a war. This is why strong beliefs are not enough to lead effectively. The same group of ideologically rigid, politically inbred right wing wackos have been mucking up the country for 30 years now, trying to make the world fit their world view. Their approach to power is simply lustful and never ending, and just like Nascar, the same five guys seem to win every time.

I agree, we do have ideological extremists to fight abroad. I'm not sure how exactly to do so, and am willing to discuss all the alternatives. I'm not sure President Bush can alter his beliefs to coincide with reality. Its seem clear that bombs will only play a small role, for either side.

I agree we have ideological extremists to fight abroad, but I could name a few right here at home who could use a little dose of American curiosity.