“One has the impression these people live in a virtual world.
They should all spend a week in a military hospital to learn what Freud said, “Blood is a special liquid.”

And not just in a military hospital.  American media has either downplayed or entirely ignored the blood of Iraqis and others in this war and that is why the people in caves can out do Karen Hughes and the rest of our crack po… er, team of public relations, er, experts.

The show is for the American public in order to win elections here so the Republicans can steal everything.  Anyone who falls for their assertions of wanting democracy or even America to succeed is buying the PR.  It’s all about theft to Republicans.

The term “War” pushes buttons in Americans who think of Troops, Tanks,Planes, Bombs: all elements of the Direct Approach in Military
Strategy. The so-called Terrorists practice the Indirect Approach, meant, not to conquer territory but to demoralize the enemy (us).Its working. The only way for the Direct Approach to
defeat the Indirect (geurilla) Approach is to De-
populate the Muslim world. Tactical Nukes (d.u.)
are used in Iraq and Lebanon. Strategic (Hiroshima) nuclear bombing is planned for Iran.

“Ideas are bulletproof.”

There is no way to “win” this “war.” All the huffin & puffin overseas will not do anything to make me feel safe from the next Timothy McVeigh.

And as for “Neal,” dude, this is no war. It is an invasion and occupation. The WhiteHorseshit has been selling that idea to you, obviously with great success.

(with acknowledgements to V for Vendetta)

Everyone loves the Peace Corp?

Everyone thinks the Peace Corp is a cover organization for the CIA, heh.

Felicity: Remember that hoary old chestnut saying that hoary old numbnut President Reagan used to say was so terrifying: “I’m from the government and I’m here to help you”? The new terrifying statement is “I’m from the military and I’m here to bring freedom and democracy to you.”

As far as the “war on terror” being a failure, I say you’re all wrong! Millions of Americans are terrified. So terrified that they want to vote for those strong Republicans who will protect them from hooded evildoers who are waiting to cut off their heads whilst the video camera films them. Don’t look under the bed—one might be there RIGHT NOW!

Well what amazes me is that when I worked for Daddy Bush and he was no great statesman, he was smart enough to listen to his own advisers, he we have a frat boy running things the same way he ran his oil company and the state of Texas...into the ground. The American people have gotten what they have asked for, the believed the lies, and even after things looked bad in Iraq after six months of being there everyone ‘supported the troops’ by placing magnetic yellow ribbons and lip service, then we now realize that we have LOST the hearts and minds of a generation of young Muslims in the world.

I tend to agree with Aslan; this “war on terror” is a badly run marketing campaign. Deploying the military alone won’t win it, if “it” can now even be won at all. Our invasion of Afghanistan may have succeeded had we stayed and done the job properly, but the invasion of Iraq settled that chestnut for all time to come. Too bad about the 2,600 or so dead American soldiers but I guess all those sacrifices were worth it. Whatever “it” was, is, or may be.

One has the impression these people live in a virtual world. 
They should all spend a week in a military hospital to learn what Freud said, “Blood is a special liquid.

Reza Aslan is one of the most perseptive writers today. He’s spot on that the “war on terror” is largely a marketing campaign. We can extrapolate from his observation that this administration, Bush’s, is little more than a marketing campaign, as are both major political parties.

This is more true now than even when Joe McGinniss wrote his seminal “The Selling Of The President” in 1969.

Also “No god but God” is a must read.

Have more Peace Corps sent to developing countries. Cheaper too for American taxpayers instead of undertaking questionable wars here and there.  Everyone loves Peace Corps teachers and much better received that US troops. So do I, of mine when the US did sent some Peace Corps to Malaysia.  He brought the best of America and American values into our classes and took home with him an understanding of ours and us. 

Nafisah

“This war...was a war of perception more than anything else. The reality is not important in this region.” Is he kidding??? Tell that to the people who lost their families, homes, towns and their lives. Aslan’s got a hell of a nerve!

Besides which that noble sounding rationale for attacking and occupying any country we damn well please in the name of “freedom and democracy” has definitely taken a turn for the worse.  The American threat of “democracy building” in a country of its choice is now seen as a curse.  One has only to look to the smoking ruins of Iraq to understand why.

The speaker spoke to the fact of why we, the once beacon of freedom and hope for so much of the world, under GW Bush have become the best recruiter for terrorism. All because we at this time are being led by a group of what should be referred to as War criminals. What is teh definition odf a War Criminal if its not a group of or single head of state who launches a war, based on lies, taht causes the death and distruction taht has taken place in the middle east under this miserably inept administration. Untill we as a people finally wake-up to this 5 yr. nitemare and demand accountability, it will continue. The longe this maddness does continue the harder it will be to ever start to recoup the promise of america again. Maybe its already too late. It maybe that america is on teh downhill side of our place in the world. If that is sadly tru, then history will surely show taht it was this administration with the help of a gullable press tha brought it about.