Stay the course...
"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." ~ G.W.Bush August 5, 2004
posted by Yossarian at 1/05/2006 04:46:00 PM
49 Comments:
If he doesn't think before he speaks, do you suppose he thinks before he...say...invades sovereign nations and places our fabulous men and women from their homes?
Hey, you are talking about my boy Bush. That was one of his better quotes. One question. Now that Sharon is out, who is going to bomb Iran to pieces?
Hehehe I love quotes like that! They are so sad and rather embarrassing, but very funny. At least I can say I didn't vote him.
Oops... I can say I didn't vote for him...
"At least I can say I didn't vote him"
Very liberal literate. I understand why you would vote for Kerry
Finding ways to harm our country and our people is the one thing Bush has been successful at over the last 5 years. Sure, the economy is shite and we lost a major urban center on his watch, but other than those minor failures, you have to give the man credit for innovative ways of doing harm - "hey, I've got an idea- sure AQ and UBL attacked us, but instead of taking them out (UBL who?), why don't we actually help their recruiting efforts by invading an entirely different country... and a secular one at that!"
Our enemies need not be so innovative and resourceful. We're doing fine on our own.
Stay the course you people!! The terrorists will win!
Also, Yoss-to insert a link-highlight the word you want to associate a link with, and then click on that little box up by spell check when you are writing a post. It will provide the box to put in the entire http address of the link.
One word:
Brownie.
ah...last time i checked, 11 US soldiers died in one day...i would say the terrorists ARE winning...
Yoss, why would you say that? How do you gauge success in a war? I would have to say your New York Times impression of the war is probably a little off reality. Now CS's take would be a worthwhile opinion and more accurate than the talking heads you get your information from.
Yoss are you an isolationist?
leave me alone!!! ha ha (isolationist humor)
there really is no winning in this war. we reach our "objectives" and then leave...is that winning?
we don't even have milestones to guage winning...all we have are numbers of insurgents killed or wounded. but there always seems to be an overflowing cup of insurgents...hmmmm...staying the course is not always the best plan...
Don't forget Afghanistan (as our President and his administration seemed to have done only months after the terrorist group they gave shelter to and supported killed thousands of innocent people on American soil). That one is going real well too. At least we didn't get sidetracked by an unnecessary war and we finished the job by taking out the Taliban and their leadership so they can never return again. Oh, wait. Nevermind.
You guys and your logical arguments. I have just this to say.... stay the course! (A wise soldier taught me that one)
I agree with you, pk. Staying the course in Afghanistan was what was needed... and not done. It's like that "wise" soldier always says, "stay the course or the terrorists will win."
Hey Pk, don't forget that George Bush doesn't care about black people either... oh yeah, global warming is his fault therefore he was responsible for the huricane season.. don't forget that!!
STAY THE COURSE!!
well, there *was* backing out of kyoto and federal underfunding for the levees on his watch...
He doesn't have divine power to control the weather, but he does have presidential power to effect the proper policies.
i think i am falling in lust with lizzie...
Oh for the love of man...
Kyoto would have cost this country billions of dollars. That is why Clinton rejected it as well. There are better ways to reduce greenhouse gases. It will have to start with consumers demanding it. You can already see it happening with the demand for hybrid cars. Also keep in mind that in the seventies scientists were worried about global cooling destroying the earth. That was the big "sky is falling" issue then.
The funds for the levees were diverted within the state for years by their corrupt politicians. You really can't put any of that on Bush.
Yoss, is it possible Lizzie is your political soulmate? Say it isn't so Lizzie.
It's funny, because the market is actually disagreeing with Bush's cost-benefit analysis and its subsequent decision to pull out of Kyoto. Many of the big auto companies, most notably GM, are voluntarily complying with Kyoto. Apparently they know that while protecting the environment is not cheap, it's ultimately less costly than the effects of GHG emissions.
Luckily the market is, in part, correcting Bush's mistake. But that doesn't mean I won't always question the commitment to environmental protection of anyone salivating over the prospect of tearing up the ANWR.
And yes, you're right, science has come along way over the last few decades.
You're also right about mismanagement at the local level in NOLA. Although, I don't think that by any means excuses cutting funding when the administration was told what the consequences would be. The President and his administration are still responsible for the well-being of all Americans, even those misfortunate enough to have corrupt local leaders.
p.s. it may be so...
well, as far as staying the course, i offer you my take as a couple of things (and this is a rational argument and does not in any way reflect my views, the views of the US Army, or the USG):
regardless of why we went to Iraq, or what people think, democracy in the Middle East is better than no democracy.
the goal, not the path
and as for staying the course of not staying the course, Vietnam in 2005 turned out pretty well from what it was in 1965. or 1975.
but there is a big mess in Iraq right now. who will fix it and how?
stay the course? or not?
the answers seem too complex and like they will be 10 years down the road
I don't buy the argument that democracy in the Middle East is necessarily, in and of itself, a good thing - at least not without regard to sequencing and pacing. Look at China vs. Russia. Democracy has not been necessary to the development of the former nor has it been kind, and has probably even impeded, that of the latter. Maybe, in spite of emprical evidence to the contrary, it will be different in Iraq. Who knows? It just would have been nice for these issues to have been addressed before we went to war.
this is a complex issue lizzie. i only wanted to point out, as a lofty goal, democracy in iraq if possible, could have very important ramifications for the entire world. it could also become a path way to further pain and desolation. let alone the whole global war on terror.
stay the course! i can only do as i am told.
I think we're saying the same thing - this little experiment with democracy in a region that hasn't known it could go well or horribly wrong. A lot hangs in the balance and my point was only that the decision to go to war should be based on more than "well, this might work."
Rats, you guys are actually talking about politics and I'm missing it.
Missed it rather.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
to be continued.....
and who deleted?? 'fess up.
ANON-was that you!??
George Bush doesn't care about black people..
It was me. I deleted it for unusual use of language for me. Aren't you sorry you missed it? It was about 'stay the course'. BG, would have hated it though. Hopefully Yoss doesn't have comments e-mailed to him. :-P
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
I saw it! I know what it said. Your secret is safe with me though, Kate. I don't remember anything being so bad about it though - that just goes to show how much more of a lady you are than me.
p.s. That last deleted comment was me. Now I'm the one hoping Yoss doesn't have his comments emailed to him.
Well I stand behind what I said but I didn't use lady-like language. That's what I get for asking Mr. Kate if I should post it. He thinks it's hilarious when I blurt out what I'm thinking without filters.
Hey Lizzie was your comment an admission of some sort? ;-)
Lizzie, About Kyoto, why would any nation agree to punish itself with sanctions that other countries just as large and as damaging to the environment get exempted from? Check into these things before you pass judgement. If you look close enough you see that many other nations had written themselves into exemption even though they wanted the U.S. to agree to it. I did a presentation at the University on the damaging effects that Kyoto could have had for the U.S. while others (India, China, etc.) all wanted us to "pay the piper." Trust me Kyoto was a very good while unpopular decision.
Wow now I'm interested about these deletions.
Foul language by Kate?
Unusual Admissions by lizzie?
AMEN !! Preach on teacherdude...
Kate- Listen to Mr. Kate! unfiltered comments are fun! but don't you start on me with the admissions too ;-)
TD- You misunderstood the point of my comment. I wasn't arguing that Kyoto was flawless. Other than some cursory research for an article I edited, I fully admit not knowing all of its details. I've definitely never given a presentation on it. My point, rather, was in response to BG's comment about global warming and I stand by my opinion that Bush certainly is not committed to environmental protection. If he was, he would have put forward an alternative to Kyoto better than the rather lackluster Clear Skies Initiative.
CS- Look up ^^^ I made an admission! A gift from me to you.
Yoss- d'oh! This is your blog, not mine, isn't it? Sorry to hijack.
The following US states are considering or have passed state laws on the level with the Kyoto Protocol in order to show the current Administration (see: President Fuck-up):
California
Washington
Oregon
New York
New Jersey
Connecticut
Delaware
Maine
Massachusetts
New Hampshire
Rhode Island
Vermont
Last time i checked, the Northeast was the center of the Industrial Revolution, but they are leading the way to cut greenhouse emissions? The Kyoto Protocol is not a pipe dream. It can be done even though we will incure some cost at the benefit of the environment for the US and the world. Also, Delaware doesn't ahve any state tax b/c heavy industry brings in so much money, but they too are willing to give up for the betterment of the world. Dirty Jersey is even on the list and they have the most and largest oil distilleries on the East coast. Bush just doesn't want to upset his oil buddies in Texas.
Which, BTW, Houston has is this country's most unhealty city and it also has teh worst air indexes...hmmmm...i wonder why?
Eh Meh. Ged. What an idiot.
Too much.
So what you are saying Yoss is that you have no problem with people all over the world dying from lack of resources just so your air is a little cleaner.
You probably agree with the ban on DDt even though DDt could have saved millions of lives over the last few decades.
No compassion for your fellow man.
pk, could you expound on the DDT savings lives?
The number of lives lost due to malaria in areas where moderate uses of DDT to kill mosquitos would have prevented most deaths. Moderate uses of DDT would have a minimal impact on the environment. I have read several estimates some higher and some lower but millions seemed like a good conservative number to throw out there.
Thanks PK. I am amazed that more hasn't been done in the development of a vaccine for malaria.
But, to get back to Pres. Bush. The problem is that this administration has shown itself more than willing to reword the scientific reports and to discourage any viewpoint that disputes their own. It renders them untrustworthy on issues of the environment. These issues can't even be discussed properly because the info is being skewed.
I agree with that Kate but I think information is skewed from all sides involved. My biggest problem with the environmental side is their "sky is falling" attitude. Instead of being realistic in their goals and science they go too far with everything. Just think back to acid rain and global cooling for example. Another example is nuclear power. We haven't built a new nuclear power plant in this country in over 30 years due to overzealous environmentalists pushing an agenda that is not good for the US or the environment. How is cleaner, cheaper energy not a win-win situation?
There are real solutions but both sides need to drop the rhetoric and really discuss the issues in a logical fashion. That really goes for all politics in general. We need a two party system balancing control in the government and the Democrats keep blowing it with their bizarre extreme agenda.
Sorry if I got carried away. I am really frustrated with the political process these days. Here is a site I like to go to to read political articles. Warning it reads a little to the right.
I agree there is a lot of "the sky is falling" type rhetoric and I think this is due to some scientists believing that this is the only way to be heard. Consider Y2K. Overhyped? Absolutely. But were changes made in a hurry to systems that might have been susceptible? Yes. It's impossible to tell how it might have played out with no attention paid to it; although probably not the planes falling out of the sky and such. Personally, I think Americans are all to willing to get caught up in the hype of a new problem. That's why we've ignored Malaria. (That and we don't have a problem with it here.)
I'll be sure to check out the politics site. I tend to read the middle of the road folks despite being pretty liberal on some issues. The reason is because I am interested in fair and rational debate. That's why I started my blog. And yet, It's just easier to hijack Yoss's when he's busy working or drinking. Hopefully not both. ;-)
I am conservative on some issues and liberal on others. Yoss, yes believe it or not I am left leaning on some issues.
Kate, I agree that there needs to be fair and rational debates on issues. Why do our leaders have such a hard time with that? We need a third party in this country.
Kate, I nominate you to start up a third party. The Rational Party. What do you think?
Hey, rational, I like that.
Post a Comment
<< Home