Political

This is really an issue for IMO. I'll move it for you.

Well, IMO the spindoctoring and the back pedaling are because Bush screwed up. Declaring war on Iraq for weapons of mass destruction, and for suspected links to Al Queda was a massive boo-boo. Now there are going to be alot of different opinions as to why he did that. Mine is that nothing boosts presidential polls like a successful war. Problem is that Mr. Bush has got a bit too much on his plate, especially considering he pretty much thumbed his nose at the U.N., hasn't found a single weapon of mass destruction, has found NO ties between Bin Laden and Hussein. His war isn't going so well, his polls are dropping so what's a modern politician going to do? You got it, backpedal, say he was misinformed, etc etc etc.

Nobody knows where Bin Laden is, that's why you haven't heard much. Bush isn't going to give weekly updates saying "Nope, still haven't found him folks!" Makes him look worse than he already does.

My pet theory is that the WMD and supposed al Qaida links were simply a pretense - W. still thinks he has to prove he's a man to daddy. I know that's nasty, but - while I totally agree with Michael Moore ("Stupid White Men" - definitely food for thought) on only one point, that the presidency was "hijacked" in Florida, I had to reject Bush on the basis of his "Cold War" cabinet. I feel sorry for Colin Powell, because he seems to be the only voice of reason, and the only cabinet member who isn't an embarrassment. I'm disenfranchised, because I've been living abroad on a permanent basis since 1982, but I'm praying that Bush isn't re-elected, because he has caused serious harm to the U.S.. Because I reside abroad, I'm fairly sensitive to any perceived "anti-Americanism". It is a real scandal that Bush, according to "USA Today", got lower ratings in polls from Morocco to Indonesia than Osama bin Laden! I feel that this administration is living in "never never land". There are far too many Democratic candidates (11 at last count, with Carol Mosely Brown), and no Republicans, as far as I can see, challenging Bush. I certainly can't be categorized as a former "Reaganite", but I feel that Bush is trying to sell himself as a "Reagan clone", although he completely lacks Reagan's political instincts.

I just read a VERY interesting article on MSN a couple of days ago by one of the American journalists who's almost always overseas and is currently in France and he gave his two-cents about what's really going on and why Americans (some) are still supporting this war. and it can all be summed up in one word: pride. our pride was hurt two years ago and we wanted blood and to make someone pay for the twin towers. so, we go to Afghanistan, only to #@(* it up...things aren't going well, so, we decide that we have to teach the Muslim (and in Bush's simple brain, Terrorist) world (author's words and DEFINITELY not my own opinion!!!) a valuable lesson: be scared of us. soo...conveniently, Iraq becomes a threat and we go into Shock and Awe which did NOT shock nor awe anyone except that our president was even more stupid then we ever gave him credit for being. so now, there are no weapons, there are no terrorist links and Americans have never been viewed so lowly by the rest of the world as they are now. but more appropriately, the rest of the world (especially France, Germany, etc...) are experiencing sheudenfreude (god, i hope i spelt that correctly!!!) over this...or in laymen's terms: they are tickled pink that we failed. so now, Bush is trying like heck to save face and make it look like this was the plan all along.

i hope this made a little sense, it's so much information to cram into a little spot!! if that dope would stop trying to prove we are right and just admit the mistake and let the UN take over, then everyone would be a lot happier. it must be very hard to be Cheney's mouthpiece.

this whole thing is especially frustrating to me and many other military wives who have to spend everyday wondering if we'll be visited by an officer to tell us that our husbands have died (there are also military husbands, so i won't leave them out either) only to dodge the bullet, but to know that at least one person that day wasn't so lucky. they aren't dying in combat...they're dying while going to a store to buy soap...they're dying while in transport from one place to another. many like my husband have been sitting around for 6 months with NOTHING to do but sit around and wish they were at home so at least they could do chores or leave the house without having to worry about being attacked. but they won't be allowed to come home because they're "needed"--to keep the numbers up, as my DH has so simply put it. he has had unarmed RPG's thrown at him while in convoy...he has the native people look at him like they wish they could get their hands on him...the saddest part? he's a FIREFIGHTER and his only real purpose is to save lives and he can't even do that, because his Batillion refuses to allow them the money for their equipment.

i could keep this up all night, but i believe that i've had enough for now...and i'm sure no one really wants to read an angry army wife's gripes all day
Amanda

I for one don't mind listening to an "angry army wife's gripes" - who has a better right to gripe than military personnel and their families, since they're the ones paying for this "crusade", not the politicians. I think there is some "Schadenfreude" (malicious pleasure) over here, but also a complete lack of understanding why the Bush administration had to take on Saddam while things are not going too well in Afghanistan, and we have a lot of trouble with North Korea looming on the horizon.