Brendon:
Part of the problem is the the American political system is so dependent on having the one big bad Enemy …. a hangover from so many of America’s founders influenced by the horrific Thirty Years War perhaps?

What he said, but the Iraqi problem is diversionary politics. There are serious domestic problems in the US. It is an economic basket case, spending far more than they take in revenue, with household debt at record levels. The only way the US can afford to continue in it’s shambolic economic state is to issue bonds to China and print more money.

The US economy is completely f*cked. If you want a case study in economic mismanagement of epic proportions, then just look to the US. If the economy wasn’t as large as it is, they would have gone the way of the Solomon Islands a long time ago. The only thing standing between the US and a correction of Titanic proportions is that such a correction would plunge the world economies into recession.

China would lose a market for it’s goods and the world would tumble. China need only dump some of its bonds back on the US economy and US interest rates would escalate substantially. Forclosures would be rife. China doesn’t need to worry about taking over the US, in another five years it will own the country.

So, that’s the reason the US needs war. Without such a diversion, the Commander in Chief might have to take some tough decisions on the economy. And I’m not talking about more f*cking tax cuts.

Kim:
Far more worrying is the decision by The King of Saudi Arabia to not dine with the World’s Biggest Born Loser. Quite a tectonic plate shift there!!!!

[Thanks for mentioning General Haig, who like President Ford, was far more influential than is usually supposed].

“Thompson is “seriously considering” a presidential campaign at the urging of many friends. “He has a commanding television presence that makes every other politician in America jealous.”
… tells us that we just need a really good actor, as in “I’m not young but I can play young.

Since Thompson is republican, maybe Martin Sheen could stand against him.
Pollies are all puppets for their spin docs and speechwriters anyhow.

*going off chanting*
“Maggie Tabberer for PM of a stylish family oriented Australia!”

When the Soviets and America went into a strategic arms race, the belligerence of both sides politicians didn’t seem so out of place.

Since the Soviet collapse, American politics has not accomodated the changing situation. Maybe it needed the strident militaristic attitude against a rival superpower. But that isn’t the case today.

The belligerent, warmongering politicians in America today are no different to what they were 25 years ago. Except now, there is no strategic imperative to hold them back.

That is why Bush sounds so much more creepy and menacing.

Since GWB, America today speaks loudly… and its stick isn’t all that big from what we have seen in Iraq.

But after secret drinker Bush, we have the warmongers Clinton, McCain, Giuliani…etc.

Article 1 of the constitution is about the congress after all.

Speaking of Iraq, Micheal Ware’s take down of John McCain’s panglossian visions was beautiful.
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2007/03/27/michael-ware-i-dont-know-what-part-of-neverland-senator-mccain-is-talking-about/