I disagree with your assessment of what is right and what is wrong. Apparently more of America agrees with me since we re-elected Bush.
Do you think people like Tigermission1 and Madmax who have changed their opion more and more would not have voted for Democrat if given a second chance?
I don't follow this logic. If we want to stop terrorism shouldn't we start with the cause? That's fine, but I would like the necons to step up the plate and say it. No more of the "they hate us for our freedoms" bull****, pony up and say "they hate our continued presence in their countries and our consistent meddling in their culture and politics. However, it is worth it for cheap oil and/or a better US economy."
Ron Paul is a GOP maverick. Ron Paul is actually a Libertarian. Didn't he run for Prez as a Libertarian?
so you're saying if YOU AND YOUR PARTY know the cure to something YOU AND YOUR PARTY won't cure it because it is in YOU AND YOUR PARTY's interest not to cure it? WHY?
We do not leave policy decisions in the hands of terrorists, that is why. Just because someone, somewhere does not like what we do, and even hates it so much that it leads them to violence, does not mean that we are going to stop doing it. A rediculous example to prove the point: if I started shooting people saying that women should have to sleep with any man that propositions them, that doesn't mean that new Slut policies will be enacted to stop me. America would continue along its regular course where women are not subjugated to the sexual whims of men and the government would come after me to arrest/kill me. Just because some loonies have a bug up their ass, that doesn't mean we will change our policies to suit what THEY want, we base our policies on what WE want.
So the US decides to build a military base in Saudi Arabia, the non-elected dictators in Saudi agrees to it, so it is done. What if majority of Saudis do not want the US military base? Do they have anyway to express themsevles? Everyone here got so paranoid when China decided to bid for a US company, how does that compare to building a military bases inside other countries. I am not saying it is good or bad, just point out the view from the other side.
Those someone, somewhere doesn't like what we do in their OWN land and country where THEY and THEIR ancestors were born. So why are we THERE in the first place? So what you're saying you'll be alright having a BUG or something up your ass? Labeling something as POLICY make it right. So what do YOU want?
I'm sure in many cases we are, so what? There are several things they can do: protest, become a terrorist, accept it (this would be the smartest one), write a letter to the royals, etc. Whatever they do, that should have no effect on what we do. If the Saudi government is put under enough pressure that they ask us to leave, that is the point where we should consider leaving. We are there to have a military presence in the region. There are many reasons to do so. Power projection is an important part of being a hegemon. It becomes more important when an integral part of the world economy is at stake. We must make sure that Saudi oil gets to export. I'm not positive what you are trying to say here. Obviously, no one likes to have a bug up their ass, if they did, we wouldn't use it as an expression. Us having troops in the Mid East doesn't bother me in the slightest, so it is not my problem. The terrorists try to make it my problem, and those who suggest appeasment are doing their best to accomodate them. I prefer taking a stronger tack. If we want to station troops in the Mid East, we should do so. They are welcome to try to stop us. That is the position we find ourselves in now. Some would allow a few psychos who like blowing up buses to defeat the greatest military the world has ever seen. I happen to think America is made of sterner stuff.
Nobody of course has said that we should stop doing worthwhile things just because terrorist oppose it. In fact the opposite has been said before and after you made this statment. Just because we do something and the terrorists don't like it, doesn't mean that we should not stop doing it. Perhaps you can even realize that just because terrorists don't like a policy, does not mean that policy is somehow effective in combatting them. Similarly just because Democrats and Independents oppose Bush's Iraq War, does not mean that it should be continued-- even if one considers oneself a loyal Republican or is pissed off over Vietnam or whatever.
Don't you then expect they want to eliminate the bug in their ass with the same determination as we would if we had a bug in our ass?
I think I have already addressed this, but yes I do. They are welcome to take any number of actions to eliminate the bug up their ass. If in doing so, they become a bug up our ass, then we are going to take action against them - see war in Afghanistan. I don't know how to make this more clear. I don't care what the people in other countries want. Our policies need to be determined by what the people in THIS country want. As a citizen of the United States, I vote for those who will enact the policies that are closest to the direction I want this country to go. Europe, the Mid East, China, and everyone else that is not a citizen of the United States don't get a say in how we operate. Just because some asshat decides to blow up a plane/building/train/bus/crowd does not take that right from me or grant it to him. As per the last official count, the people of the US support the Bush doctrine. In 2008, that may or may not change, but until then it looks like we are staying on this path.
