<< If the Democrats had the Presidency in 2000, when 9/11 took place (if it did, which is a question that I seriously doubt), we'd have pursued Osama Bin Ladin into Afghanistan and, focussing on him, would have found him.>> While I agree with most of your post, I must be seriously mis-reading this statement. You seriously doubt that "9/11" "took place"? That's a more than slightly confusing sentence. Julie Krueger -----Original Message----- From: writeforu2@xxxxxxxxxxx To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Sent: Mon, 28 Aug 2006 11:05 PM Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Another Bush failure? OK writes: "The US appalling foreign policies are also due to deeper structural problems of the American political system and even the American society rather than just the personality of the current President and no, I don't think that a Democrat victory in elections would change much. If you want to call me anti-semitic or anti-American on the grounds of these views I guess that you are entitled to do so, but I on my part am entitled to not take your opinions at all seriously." S.S. responds: Your naivete about America stuns me. If the Democrats were to win both chambers of Congress in November and become the majority party, everything would change. If the Democrats had the Presidency in 2000, when 9/11 took place (if it did, which is a question that I seriously doubt), we'd have pursued Osama Bin Ladin into Afghanistan and, focussing on him, would have found him. And while terrorism might have continued sporadically as it has over the past 25 years, it wouldn't have grown the way it has because of our mistaken plunge into the middle east.We'd never have gone into Iraq. All those people -- Iraqi and American -- whose lives were squandered would still be alive and flourishing. All that money -- some $8 billion a month -- spent in support of that war would have been used here in America. Iran wouldn't be a problem now because Saddam Hussein would have functioned to contain their ambitions. We would never have sabotaged all those international treaties we've been part of for the past 60 years. We wouldn 't have "the lone ranger" making unilateral decisions, eliminating checks and balances built into our Federal system, curbing civil liberties, doing warrantless searches, ignoring the laws passed by Congress, afflicting the afflicted and comforting the comfortable. If your understanding of Israel is as knowledgeable as your understanding of America, you have nothing thoughtful to offer any of us but your groundless biases. It's not what you don't know, Omar. It's what you do know, that just ain't so. Stan Spiegel Portland, Maine ----- Original Message ----- From: "Omar Kusturica" <omarkusto@xxxxxxxxx> To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Monday, August 28, 2006 11:33 PM Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Another Bush failure? > > > SS writes: > I'll say it for Julie. > > *First of all, I suggest that you don't speak for > others. Julie is perfectly capable of expressing her > own opinions. > > You're an anti-semite. I won't beat around the > bush. > Your family credentials add a little surprise to the > mix, but your > words > matter more. At every turn you've found a way to make > Israel look bad. > It's > not Sharon or Olmert you've criticized -- as I've > criticized Bush and > the > Republican government -- but Israel. Your views are > not tempered with a > larger perspective that your background and obvious > intelligence would > suggest you have. I'm disappointed that that's the > case. I would like > to > learn from you. It's clear I can't. > > *If you think that criticizing Israel amounts to > anti-semitism then probably indeed we haven't got too > much to talk about. Yes, I do believe that Israel's > violent and oppressive policies toward the > Palestinians, the Lebanese, its own non-Jewish > minorities etc. over the years are not due solely to > personal failures of several politicians. People like > Sharon and Olmert were elected for certain reasons, > and they had reasons to formulate the political > programs they did and to act as they did. I think that > an analysis of Zionist ideology and the ways it has > entrenched itself in Israel's political, military, and > religious establishment, as well as in the > organizations promoting Israel's interests abroad, is > what is needed rather than just superficial criticisms > of whoever happens to be the current prime minister. > The US appalling foreign policies are also due to > deeper structural problems of the American political > system and even the American society rather than just > the personality of the current President and no, I > don't think that a Democrat victory in elections would > change much. If you want to call me anti-semitic or > anti-American on the grounds of these views I guess > that you are entitled to do so, but I on my part am > entitled to not take your opinions at all seriously. > > O.K. > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Tired of spam? Yahoo! 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