Finally the right question! Forget the who did what in Iraq, republican/democrat, all f---ed up big time and there just ain't going to be no easy resolve folks. No way, we all know it will be with us for a long time to come and our children will pay the price for this one. Lets get smart, not cloyed. Ask the hard questions before it's too late (once again), dig deep, risk getting fired, and make us believe mainstream press isn't someone's lackey. So far your track record is quite dismal. You need to set the record straight, we deserve more than the imbedded view. So please get some respect! Mr. Froomkin gets it so why shouldn't we. Chris Hedges might be another one to put on the list for an enlightened viewpoint. He'll explain, and I might add quite eloquently, who the real enemy is and just possibly why we're in this quagmire in the first place. Hint: it has nothing to do with Osama bin Laden. It's all related and if we don't understand how we got there in the first place we'll never find our way home. Bottom line: GW effectively empowered two terrorist camps - pretty amazing when you think about it, huh?

Sent by Siberian Social Club, LTM. | 7:15 PM ET | 08-22-2007

Generals gathered in their masses,
just like witches at black masses.
Evil minds that plot destruction,
sorcerers of death's construction.
In the fields the bodies burning,
as the war machine keeps turning.
Death and hatred to mankind,
poisoning their brainwashed minds.
Oh lord, yeah!

Politicians hide themselves away.
They only started the war.
Why should they go out to fight?
They leave that role to the poor, yeah.

Time will tell on their power minds,
making war just for fun.
Treating people just like pawns in chess,
wait till their judgement day comes, yeah.

Now in darkness world stops turning,
ashes where the bodies burning.
No more War Pigs have the power,
Hand of God has struck the hour.
Day of judgement, God is calling,
on their knees the war pigs crawling.
Begging mercies for their sins,
Satan, laughing, spreads his wings.
Oh lord, yeah!
--Black Sabbath, War Pigs

Sent by John R. Otten | 8:45 PM ET | 08-22-2007

Now that the G.O.P. has the White House locked up for the remainder of the twenty-first century, in congress do we call the Republicans the Dukes, and the Democrats the Earls, or is it the other way around? I???m a little out of touch with my feudal system titles.

Sent by dans | 8:53 PM ET | 08-22-2007

Even as the NPR weblog dares to question conventional wisdom on the need to expand a perpetual war on terror against Iran, the NPR newsteam perpetuates Isreali paranoia that will undoubtedly suffice above reason to justify a preemptive airstrike against a nation that has done nothing wrong.
Westervelt perpetuates the myth that the Iranian president called for Israel's destruction: "The Iranian government is the only government around the world that speaks explicitly about the elimination of the state of Israel. Iran is the only government. We are worried," says Ephraim Kam."
Please, if you can, cite his exact words and not the purposefully mistranslated text.
Iran which has never attacked Israel is portrayed as its mortal enemy. The same cannot even be said about Israel not having attacked the US! The simple explanation to Iran's justifiable and legal pursuit of a nuclear program is to avoid attack from the US-Israeli alliance.
The US suffered its own phase of paranoia while the soviet union had thousands of ICBM pointed against it. And somehow the US survived. Building bombshelters against real nuclear missiles is today portrayed as naive and yet the same actions in Israel against an imagined threat are portrayed sympathetically. NPR serves only the interest of the MIC and Israeli military hawks by repeating unqualified propaganda that will only promote the destructive legacy for generations that was started with the CIA coup that installed the Shah and his brutal reign.

Sent by Mitchell Hough | 9:24 AM ET | 08-23-2007

Blogging to complain about the Iraq/Iran War is like you are at the Rose Bowl watching the big annual game between Southern Cal and Notre Dame.

A player fumbles the ball on the field. You and 115,000 other fans in the stands are blogging at the top of your lungs for your guy to recover the ball.

Suddenly, you stop blogging at the top of your lungs among the 115,000 to take time to wonder if your blogging is helping your guy at all. Cause it looks like your guy just broke his leg and they're carrying him off the field on a stretcher.

And now that I think about it, the Iran/Iraq War sounds so much more dramatic than just the Iraq War.

Yesterday, I received one of those chain emails, this one denouncing Barbara Walters for honoring Jane Fonda as one of the "Top One Hundred Woman of the Century." Except that this particular Barbara Walter's program was originally aired eight years ago, in 1999.

It's the beautiful thing about the Internet. You don't have to be in the right century on any comment made.

In case anyone is interested in denouncing Tokyo Rose, Iva D'Aquino, she died last year at the age of 90, in hospital near her home in Chicago. -- fred call aka bigbro

Sent by fred call | 9:50 AM ET | 08-23-2007

I got a lot of replies clarifying for me about Dukes and Earls in the American Congress. The most frequent reply was that they should be called 'The Dukes of Hazard,' and 'Boss Hogg.' Now, is it the Republicans who are the Dukes of Hazzard and the Democrats who are the 'Boss Hoggs,' or the other way round?

Sent by dans | 10:27 AM ET | 08-23-2007

To quote a president from the recent past "there you go again" (Reagan). I cannot believe these people at the helm of our ship of state are now sounding the drum beat for expanding the war (which is currently not going real well, and getting worse), into Iran. Are we going to be complicit with our silence??!! These lunatics need to be impeached! When we hear the number of deaths incurred in this ill conceived invasion, it gives the evidence for the "high crimes and misdemeanors" needed to draft the articles of impeachment.
We must re deploy from that country and take a hard look at the situation leading up to the present, and ensure we do not commit the same act (because this was not a mistake) again. This is about OIL. We must stop our dependence on petro, and move into other sources, namely renewable sources.
The folks that are going to benefit (and are benefitting)from this and other invasions, should be banned from influencing foreign policy for our country.
I always remember that in a democracy, none of us are innocent, because we are the government!

Sent by william Gonzalez | 9:24 AM ET | 08-25-2007

You might also talk to Scott Ritter about the Iran situation.

Sent by Jerry York | 11:54 AM ET | 08-25-2007

Original Plan: U.S. invades Iraq, deposes Saddam, takesover country, installs puppet regime, new gov't passes new Oil Laws which give 30-50 year leases to coalition of the willing, i.e. western oil companies. 70% of Iraqs' oil wealth is now contolled & exported to colonial, I mean, new masters (ExxonMobil, Royal Dutch Shell, BP-Amoco, Conoco- Phillips etc.)With Iraqs' oil, I mean Democracy, now secure & 4 gigantic military bases stationed strategically around the country, Iraqs' new Democracy can now threaten its' neighbors i.e. Syria & Iran. Matter of fact if either won't do as the "international" community wants, they can know be attacked with impunity & their infrastructures destroyed. But wait, won't this disrupt world oil markets, cause huge shortages & drive the cost of oil to $150-$200 dollars a barrel or more? This would be a world wide tragedy for almost every country on the planet. Except for us & our allies because we now control the worlds' 2nd largest oil reserves & the largest known natural gas reserves. With no more sanctions & forgein debt forgiven (one of the FIRST things called for by the Bush regime) and with oil production now at peak efficiency with all the new resources available (Halliburton, Shell, BP etc.) and because of the new Iraqi gov't foresight in passing the oil laws, we are in control, with our ally Saudi Arbia, of the lions share of Middle East oil and can now reap windfall profits of HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS OF PETRO DOLLARS (or Riyals if you prefer). But I'm certain that this never crosseed the minds of anyone in the White House or the Pentagon or Dick Cheney's secret Energy Task Force.

Sent by Geoffrey C. Gibbons | 12:43 PM ET | 08-25-2007