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ORIGINAL: dcnovice

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Actually the USA is the world's largest supporter of terrorism.

Really? How are we defining "terrorism"?

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ORIGINAL: dcnovice

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Actually the USA is the world's largest supporter of terrorism.

Really? How are we defining "terrorism"?

  

/ˈtɛrəˌrɪzəm/

[ter-uh-riz-uhm]

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Using fear to control people for political gain

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the calculated use of violence (or threat of violence) against civilians in order to attain goals that are political or religious or ideological in nature; this is done through intimidation or coercion or instilling fear

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I have a T-shirt with Geronimo and 3 of his braves, with guns, on the front.

The top caption is HOMELAND SECURITY and the bottom reads "Defending against Terrorism since 1492"

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ORIGINAL: MzMia

 I am finally coming to the point that I can see why the US, needs to get involved in the Middle East.  The situation in all of the Middle East is certainly coming to a head.
What I am struggling with is why did we pussy foot in Iraq when clearly the biggest problem is in Iran?  Also, I don’t like the reasons we were told we needed to RUSH into Iraq.  Why didn’t we sit back and wait, deal with Afghanistan and try to get more support before we dealt with Iran?  Why was it necessary to tell lies to get us to go to Iraq?  I just don’t like the way we have gone about this, especially since the tenuous situations in the Middle East will ultimately affect the entire world, why the hell is the USA really the only country having to take on the Middle East?  IF we had waited, and gotten more support, we could have tons of allies supporting a confrontation with Iran.
 
 
Okay where is my farglebargle and lil Julia?
 

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One could argue that that's what the Bush administration -- of which, to put it mildly, I am no fan -- has been doing to the American electorate since 9/11, but I'd see a big difference between that and, say, blowing up a bus full of schoolkids. In the sense in which I think most folks use it, "terrorism" needs to include some degree of violent acts, particularly against civilians.

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ORIGINAL: Don779

For someone who likes history , maybe you should do a little more research befor making blanket statements about blankets..

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ORIGINAL: juliaoceania

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One could argue that that's what the Bush administration -- of which, to put it mildly, I am no fan -- has been doing to the American electorate since 9/11, but I'd see a big difference between that and, say, blowing up a bus full of schoolkids. In the sense in which I think most folks use it, "terrorism" needs to include some degree of violent acts, particularly against civilians.

The USA has given blankets infected with small pox to my ancestors

The USA trained mercenaries in South America to overthrow goverments so many times as to make one's heads spin. These people were trained at the School of the Americas (training camp for terrorists). Our government exterminated millions of Vietnamese. We have our troops in 138 countries... just to clarify what I am talking about.

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From Keith Olbermann's Special Comment:
Most importantly, perhaps, Mr. Bush, the plan fails because it still depends on your credibility.

You speak of mistakes and of the responsibility “resting” with you.

But you do not admit to making those mistakes.

And you offer us nothing to justify this clenched fist toward Iran and Syria.

In fact, when you briefed news correspondents off-the-record before the speech, they were told, once again, “if you knew what we knew … if you saw what we saw … ”

“If you knew what we knew” was how we got into this morass in Iraq in the first place.

The problem arose when it turned out that the question wasn’t whether we knew what you knew, but whether you knew what you knew.

You, sir, have become the president who cried wolf.

All that you say about Iraq now could be gospel.

All that you say about Iran and Syria now could be prescient and essential.

We no longer have a clue, sir.

We have heard too many stories.

Many of us are as inclined to believe you just shuffled the director of national intelligence over to the State Department because he thought you were wrong about Iran.

Many of us are as inclined to believe you just put a pilot in charge of ground wars in Iraq and Afghanistan because he would be truly useful in an air war next door in Iran.

Your assurances, sir, and your demands that we trust you, have lost all shape and texture.

They are now merely fertilizer for conspiracy theories.

They are now fertilizer, indeed.

The pile has been built slowly and with seeming care.

I read this list last night, before the president’s speech, and it bears repeating because its shape and texture are perceptible only in such a context.

Before Mr. Bush was elected, he said nation-building was wrong for America.

Now he says it is vital.

He said he would never put U.S. troops under foreign control.

Last night he promised to embed them in Iraqi units.

He told us about WMD.

Mobile labs.

Secret sources.

Aluminum tubes.

Yellow-cake.

He has told us the war is necessary:

Because Saddam was a material threat.

Because of 9/11.

Because of Osama Bin Laden. Al-Qaida. Terrorism in general.

To liberate Iraq. To spread freedom. To spread Democracy. To prevent terrorism by gas price increases.

Because this was a guy who tried to kill his dad.

Because — 439 words in to the speech last night — he trotted out 9/11 again.

In advocating and prosecuting this war he passed on a chance to get Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi.

To get Muqtada Al-Sadr. To get Bin Laden.

He sent in fewer troops than the generals told him to. He ordered the Iraqi army disbanded and the Iraqi government “de-Baathified.”

He short-changed Iraqi training. He neglected to plan for widespread looting. He did not anticipate sectarian violence.

He sent in troops without life-saving equipment. He gave jobs to foreign contractors, and not Iraqis. He staffed U.S. positions there, based on partisanship, not professionalism.

He and his government told us: America had prevailed, mission accomplished, the resistance was in its last throes.

He has insisted more troops were not necessary. He has now insisted more troops are necessary.

He has insisted it’s up to the generals, and then removed some of the generals who said more troops would not be necessary.

He has trumpeted the turning points:

The fall of Baghdad, the death of Uday and Qusay, the capture of Saddam. A provisional government, a charter, a constitution, the trial of Saddam. Elections, purple fingers, another government, the death of Saddam.

He has assured us: We would be greeted as liberators — with flowers;

As they stood up, we would stand down. We would stay the course; we were never about “stay the course.”

We would never have to go door-to-door in Baghdad. And, last night, that to gain Iraqis’ trust, we would go door-to-door in Baghdad.

He told us the enemy was al-Qaida, foreign fighters, terrorists, Baathists, and now Iran and Syria.

He told us the war would pay for itself. It would cost $1.7 billion. $100 billion. $400 billion. Half a trillion. Last night’s speech alone cost another $6 billion.

And after all of that, now it is his credibility versus that of generals, diplomats, allies, Democrats, Republicans, the Iraq Study Group, past presidents, voters last November and the majority of the American people.

Oh, and one more to add, tonight: Oceania has always been at war with Eastasia.

Mr. Bush, this is madness.

You have lost the military. You have lost the Congress to the Democrats. You have lost most of the Iraqis. You have lost many of the Republicans. You have lost our allies.

You are losing the credibility, not just of your presidency, but more importantly of the office itself.

And most imperatively, you are guaranteeing that more American troops will be losing their lives, and more families their loved ones. You are guaranteeing it!

This becomes your legacy, sir: How many of those you addressed last night as your “fellow citizens” you just sent to their deaths.

And for what, Mr. Bush?

So the next president has to pull the survivors out of Iraq instead of you?

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ORIGINAL: MzMia

great post fargle, I had heard parts of that speech, its nice
to read the entire speech.
thanks for posting it.
now can I spank you?
I need to take my mind off all this crap.

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An agent's duties were varied and certain skills were required. He had to be literate to  handle the reports and correspondence which took up much of his time. A knowledge of basic accounting procedures was helpful in maintaining the records of payments and disbursements. He had to be part diplomat/part social worker.

The graft and corruption which later characterized the BIA (Like the notorious Indian Ring) was evident during the 1820s. However, many agents were genuinely concerned about Native Americans. Many viewed the removals as inevitable and wished to make things as easy as possible. Some truly admired the lifeways and weltanschauung of indians, but supported education and assimilation efforts because they saw them as the only way for Native Americans to escape
complete subjugation.

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ORIGINAL: juliaoceania

You mean Indian Agents?

Indian agents often profitted from the provisions sent to reservations while Indians starved and went without.

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An agent's duties were varied and certain skills were required. He had to be literate to handle the reports and correspondence which took up much of his time. A knowledge of basic accounting procedures was helpful in maintaining the records of payments and disbursements. He had to be part diplomat/part social worker.

The graft and corruption which later characterized the BIA (Like the notorious Indian Ring) was evident during the 1820s. However, many agents were genuinely concerned about Native Americans. Many viewed the removals as inevitable and wished to make things as easy as possible. Some truly admired the lifeways and weltanschauung of indians, but supported education and assimilation efforts because they saw them as the only way for Native Americans to escape
complete subjugation.

http://www.connerprairie.org/HistoryOnline/policy.html