Another response to Mr. Tainter
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Published: November 25, 2008
Those of us who voted for Barack Obama didn’t “snub” anyone.
I, for one, voted for the person who, in my judgment, offered the better hope for ending the dishonesty (Vice President Dick Cheney said that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction and that they were
going to use them against us), the incompetence (e.g., Katrina), direct violation of the Constitution (spying on U.S. citizens by checking library records, for example) and the arrogance (just ask any
foreign citizen) that changed great sympathy for the U.S. following 9/11 (remember the British playing our national anthem?) to disdain (read any foreign newspaper; recall the London Daily Mirror [I think]
headline of “how can 50 million people be so stupid?” following Bush’s re-election).
John McCain voted with President Bush more than 90 percent of the time. For me, that overwhelmed any attempts he made to distance himself from the president. John McCain is truly an admirable
person, for all of the reasons you cite. It was his political positions that failed to attract me.
I am glad you were taught about personal responsibility, but I fail to see any basis for the negatives you heap on President-Elect Obama. He rose from a meager start but had good guidance and followed
it responsibly.
He was also taught to think, and for you to dismiss the ideas that he offered for change as “enticing rhetoric” that those of us who voted for him “fell for,” suggests that you were not.
Further, your dismissal of the views of a 7 million majority suggests that you do not even respect the democracy in which you live.
DOUGLAS A. EAGLES
Woodbridge
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Posted by ( raywilliams ) on November 27, 2008 at 1:35 pm
“Now. Off you go to the dinner table, where I’m sure you’ll mistake your napkin for a white flag, and excitedly wave it over your head in surrender.“
Great line actually. Did someone write it for you?
Enjoy your Thanksgiving and remember to be thankful we can share these exchanges.
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Posted by ( pwanon ) on November 27, 2008 at 12:31 pm
“remains foot loose and fancy free”
Sure. Because hiding in caves and changing locations every couple hours is “foot loose and fancy free.“
Having 80-90% of his leadership killed or captured, and millions in assets frozen is “foot loose and fancy free.“
The War on Terror cannot be “prolonged” because there will not be an end to it, whether OBL is “dead or alive”. Why this continues to elude the mush you call a brain…I’m not sure.
We do not have a choice but to fight it, and to spend whatever it takes to continue to win. The alternative is to close our eyes…a la the Clinton administration (who’ve all recently found jobs in King Obambi’s White House-did someone say “change”?)...and bury more innocent Americans.
Now. Off you go to the dinner table, where I’m sure you’ll mistake your napkin for a white flag, and excitedly wave it over your head in surrender.
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Posted by ( raywilliams ) on November 27, 2008 at 11:05 am
One final thought peanut and then I’ll let you enjoy Thanksgiving coloring turkeys in your coloring books.
Do you remember when AQ said they could not defeat us with military might alone - but they could cause havoc with economic impacts?
Can you add up the dollars we have spent on Homeland Security since 9-11? Necessary yes, but dollars spent just the same. Can you say “economic impact”?
Over one trillion spent on Iraq and Afghanistan since 9-11. Can you say “economic impact”?
Our national attention diverted from affairs of the state to focus on the WoT. Can you say “economic impact”?
See peanut, the terrorists are still inflicting damage to our country without even setting off a firecracker on our soil.
Does the disastrous prolonging of the WoT while Bush dabbled in Iraq begin to hit home yet?
No, I thought not ... your mind remains closed.
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Posted by ( raywilliams ) on November 27, 2008 at 10:55 am
“It’d be lovely if…just once…Democrats understood that American success is not…and never has been…rooted in American surrender.“
It would be lovely if you ever happened to actually read my posts. Then you would see I take a stand on defeating, or reducing to the extent possible, terrorism.
This is why I continue to state over and over American needs to - and should have since the September 11th wake-up call - to focus on the War on Terror as opposed to nation-building.
Yes, it is wonderful Iraq is “free” - but at the cost of OUR national economy, the lives of our troops and MOST IMPORTANTLY, the failure of the Bush Administration to suceed in capturing Osama bin Laden while, yes, dabbling in Iraq?
Is this TRULY what you support? An on-going, prolonged battle with terrorist extremists whose leader remains foot loose and fancy free SEVEN years after President Bush proclaimed him Wanted: Dead or Alive?
You tell me if spending One Trillion US Dollars on Iraq while bin Laden remains free and our economy crumbles around us is really what you support.
You may also note not one use of the word “surrender” shows in my opinions.
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Posted by ( pwanon ) on November 27, 2008 at 10:39 am
“You don’t understand the Bush Administration has PROLONGED the WoT by taking their eye off the ball to dabble in Iraq.“
There is no such thing as “prolonging” the War on Terror. It will not go away. Not ever. No matter how hard Democrats close their eyes and pretend like islamic terrorists aren’t there (see: 8 years of Bill Clinton), islamic terrorists will continue to try to kill Americans in perpetuity.
What part of this do you not understand?
And we didn’t “dabble” in Iraq. We rid the world of a genocidal tyrant, and created a fledgling Democracy for people who’ve experienced nothing but tyranny, murder, and rape for 30 years.
It’d be lovely if…just once…Democrats understood that American success is not…and never has been…rooted in American surrender.
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Posted by ( raywilliams ) on November 27, 2008 at 8:54 am
Ron, is it possible we have been dialoguing with Condoleessa Rice without knowing it?
Could our own pwanon be Secretary Rice? Dick Cheney or, heavens to betsy, George W. Bush himself??
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Posted by ( raywilliams ) on November 27, 2008 at 8:48 am
“.. accompany it with the lie that we’d done all we could to prevent it.“
I’d be right in step with your Mr. Bush who told the families of those troops killed in Iraq this nation had done all it could to protect their soldier.
You know, the ones that died without proper body armor or in sheetmetal Humvees back in the day Bush felt Iraq would be over in three weeks.
“we will fight the War on Terror with one (or both) hands tied behind our backs”
And how nice would it have been to concentrate on the War on Terror - really finish that one - before starting a side Invasion of Iraq.
With seven full years to concentrate on Osama bin Laden and AQ, this mess would have been mopped up by now, or at least “under control”.
I say “under control” because when dealing with terrorists, you can’t kill them all and there is no nation to defeat, leading to their surrender.
It is YOUR level of naivete that is alarming. You don’t understand the Bush Administration has PROLONGED the WoT by taking their eye off the ball to dabble in Iraq.
Your claims President Bush has made our country safer are just blissful ignorance on your part - failing to see the big picture while you focus on what fits in your tight little niche.
Fortunately, you and others of your limited thought process were in the minority this past election. With a change in leadership, we can begin to repair the damaged caused by eight years of the failed Bush Administration.
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Posted by ( RonCharest ) on November 27, 2008 at 7:39 am
My, My, My Pwanon,
With such astute knowledge of terrorism, and such insight into the ways and means of combating them; why was it you did not have a high-ranking anti-terrorism position in the soon-to-be-former Bush administration?
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Posted by ( pwanon ) on November 27, 2008 at 7:27 am
I’m aware of Mr. Jefferson’s quote. Perhaps you’d like to volunteer to quote that to the families of the victims of (God forbid) the next terrorist attack, and accompany it with the lie that we’d done all we could to prevent it.
Because if we get strip our intelligence services of the ability to gather information in real-time, we will fight the War on Terror with one (or both) hands tied behind our backs, and make it much easier for AQ to plan and coordinate the murder of Americans on American soil and elsewhere.
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Posted by ( pwanon ) on November 27, 2008 at 7:19 am
“By getting a court order to authorize the wiretaps - you know - as required by law”
Your level of naivete is alarming. AQ is an international terrorist organization. It may occur to them to, you know, ditch a phone or two, vary their modes of communication, etc…
All of which would render a court ordered tap useless, and endanger American lives because we refuse to acknowledge the reality and gravity of the threat against us.
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