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ORIGINAL: kittinSol

Hmmmm... the premise is that a McCain president would give terrorists the opportunity to rip America a new one, because his international policies would be that much more belligerent than Obama's: these people don't want to leave America alone, their intention is to hurt this country. McCain would justify terrorist actions even more - and that's what they want. See?

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ORIGINAL: kittinSol
Can I just say... al-Qaeda, this highly organised terror group, is a bogeyman made-up by Western officials.

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ORIGINAL: hizgeorgiapeach

Now you're saying that these made up bogeymen ....... want McCain.... because his possible (even probable) policies will justify the actions of folks who don't really even exist....

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ORIGINAL: HunterS

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ORIGINAL: slaveboyforyou

No, it wouldn't change my vote.  Obama would waste time trying to "talk" to people that attacked us. 

Please correct me if I am wrong but wern't the folks who drove those airplanes into the WTC from Saudi Arabia (our ally).  Bush & co. though did not waste much time in attacking two countries that had nothing to do with it.
Osama is also from Saudi Arabia.
So the question is, if the "terrorist" try to burn down the Rieshtag again who do we attack next? 
Venezuela or Mexico would be my guess....much shorter supply line and they have lots of oil.
H.

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ORIGINAL: Sanity

Obama and Biden are already talking about invading Pakistan (if they're elected) even without another terrorist attack - so maybe you should consider switching your vote.

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ORIGINAL: Sanity


President Bush hasn't invaded Pakistan or threatened to invade, like Biden / Obama said they might. But you miss the point... it's a given that the Left considers the President to be a "warmonger" or whatever the latest catch phrase is. Barack Obama is supposed to be a pacifist, isn't he? Or is it okay with you all that he's rattling sabres at places like Iran and Pakistan. If that's just peachy why "change"? Why not just change the Constitution, and give Bush / Cheney four more years?

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ORIGINAL: mc1234

It doesn't change my vote, but it does make me wonder who both candidates will have in their cabinets upon election.  Who are their advisors now?  Who will they lean on in times of crisis?  All important questions.

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As a historian I am so saddened when folks just ignore the facts of events even within their lifetimes. I can forgive not knowing what happened in 1900 or 1500 or 500 or 500bce but I can't forgive folks "forgetting" what has happened in just the past few decades. That's being unpatriotic and unamerican and downright dangerous to democracy of any type.

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ORIGINAL: slaveboyforyou

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As a historian I am so saddened when folks just ignore the facts of events even within their lifetimes. I can forgive not knowing what happened in 1900 or 1500 or 500 or 500bce but I can't forgive folks "forgetting" what has happened in just the past few decades. That's being unpatriotic and unamerican and downright dangerous to democracy of any type.

What has happened in the past few decades, Tammy?  I remember 8 years under a Democrat administration, part of which he shared power with a Democratic Congress.  In that short period of time;  Al Qaeda tried to blow up the World Trade Center, blew up American embassies in Africa, participated in killing American soldiers in Somalia, attacked the USS Cole and killed several American sailors, repeatedly threatened to kill Americans anywhere in the world, and on and on.  President Clinton did NOTHING.  We had a chance to get Bin Laden from Sudan under Clinton's watch, and he bungled it.  We had a chance to kill the son of a bitch several times, and Clinton bungled that. 

So I am saddened when I see sheep worshipping a man, who wants to "sit down" and chat with representatives of theocratic governments who deny the Holocaust, hang homosexuals, stone rape victims, and call for the destruction of Israel.  I am saddened to see people actually believe that Obama will wave a magic wand and pull our troops out of Iraq without starting a civil war that would destabilize an entire region necessary for the world's energy needs.  Of course those same people don't worry, because they actually believe this magical man will pull the same magic to supply all of our energy with windmills and solar farms.  Obama supporters are dreamers and idealists.  It's sad to see adults that are actually that naive. 

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ORIGINAL: rexrgisformidoni

I am blaming the Soviets and then the CIA arming the mujaheddin, then us leaving them their to rot after the war was over. Lots of basically freedom fighters/proto-terrorists who are  pissed we left them, and then some crazy Saudis form a little group whose name translates to "the base". They remained under US radar for quite a few years, then randomly attack our interests like a hornet...growing bolder and in their nice camps in Afganistan training and plotting a huge attack (under Clintons watch, but his team actually gave Bushes team a ton of intel they didn't have time to act on, and bush didn't act on in pure partisan lines). Alqueda was never made up as a bogeyman, they were and are still a deadly enemy, but an enemy I think we will never get rid of. Its one thing to burn all the books, but somewhere, someone remebers most of the book and keeps the idea alive. Plus how do you fight an enemy that can splinter and hide in plain sight so well?

So in the end, I don't think either canidate can truly be ready for a major attack. Obama I am sad to say would try to reason with them or talk them into the looney bin, and McCain would want to randomly bomb Morroco or Tunisia or something.  

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ORIGINAL: thetammyjo

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ORIGINAL: rexrgisformidoni

I am blaming the Soviets and then the CIA arming the mujaheddin, then us leaving them their to rot after the war was over. Lots of basically freedom fighters/proto-terrorists who are  pissed we left them, and then some crazy Saudis form a little group whose name translates to "the base". They remained under US radar for quite a few years, then randomly attack our interests like a hornet...growing bolder and in their nice camps in Afganistan training and plotting a huge attack (under Clintons watch, but his team actually gave Bushes team a ton of intel they didn't have time to act on, and bush didn't act on in pure partisan lines). Alqueda was never made up as a bogeyman, they were and are still a deadly enemy, but an enemy I think we will never get rid of. Its one thing to burn all the books, but somewhere, someone remebers most of the book and keeps the idea alive. Plus how do you fight an enemy that can splinter and hide in plain sight so well?

So in the end, I don't think either canidate can truly be ready for a major attack. Obama I am sad to say would try to reason with them or talk them into the looney bin, and McCain would want to randomly bomb Morroco or Tunisia or something.  

This is a good solid part of the problem in the Middle East today, I agree, rexrgisformidoni.

International politics is complex, always has been always will be, but most Americans don't want to deal with complexity, they want simple answers, they want clear cut choices and easy solutions.

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ORIGINAL: BitaTruble

~FR~

I would not change my vote either. I, too, feel more confident with Obama than McCain especially as his judgement seems more thoughtful and grounded than McCains. I would worry that with two wars already going on, McCain would get us into a third and Al-queda would get exactly what they want.

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ORIGINAL: kittinSol

IrishKnight, I could kiss you  .

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You have to go back much further than one presidency to understand what is happening today. I'd say you need to go back to at least WWII to fully comprehend American policies in the Middle East that have encouraged (not caused) radical Islam as we know it today.

Stopping at one president you don't like isn't knowing the full history and only demonstrate what I was saying about how sad it is that people do not know their own nation's history.