fits when you really think about it. Who was trying to argue "but, but, but, Bush's motives were pure, he was just trying to protect us . . . " and maybe it wasn't the right thing to do but we can understand why he did it. Pffffft. Smells like crap it probably is crap. Prima facie example of cognitive dissonance.

Here should be Golden Rules of our foreign policy:

Golden Rule #1 "Thou shall not attack the governmental, civilian, or military infrastructure of a nation that has not attacked us" (Period, no exceptions for nonstate actors residing in foreign countries, no Kissinger, no Cheney one percent bullshit fear based doctrine, no spreading freedom through preemptive war).

Golden Rule #2 "Any counterattack must be proportional to the initial attack, preferably rely on international consensus and legal authority, not involve civilians, and be aimed only at those who perpetrated the attack and funded it." (even if it takes decades to track down nonstate actors and obtain the consent and/or cooperation of the host country)

Golden Rule #3 "All dollars used by the American military to ensure access to economic markets must be factored into the price of production of goods and services consumed in the US." (because we really need the consuming public to understand how it works and the true price of goods and services)

Golden Rule #4 "Stop trying to spread our way of life to every corner of the world." (because unrepetent unsustainable overconsumption ain't the end all be all of human existence and cultures who have been around a lot longer than ours really don't seem to appreciate it much--whatever happened to the principle of self-determination)

Golden Rule #5 "If we are going to be international actors we must willingly submit to the legal authority of international organizations, tribunals, and courts" (no exceptions even for those acting with the very best of intentions)

Golden Rule #6 "All the spheres of influence nonsense is precisely that, nonsense, so stop trying to strong arm everyone in the international community" (if the ideals on which our nation was founded translate to other cultures or are superior in some way they will be adopted willingly over time without force or coercion)

Golden Rule #8 "America does not and will not use mercenaries in the future anywhere in the world nor will we allow funding of covert warfare." (if someone asks for our help, we debate it publicly and decide it is in America's interest to help, we will do it out in the open with American soldiers and the support and approval of the American people--clearly anything short of that is destined to fail)

Golden Rule #9 "America does not keep permanent military bases in the Middle East." (because most of the people there really really don't like it--buy their oil or don't but quit enabling transnational corporations attempts to steal it through force--if they want to nationalize their public resources that is their right just as it should be ours)

Not really all that complicated if you ask me. And should have the effect of reining in all this wasteful amoral global American military adventurism.

Wow I would have never guessed. Now of course I'll get bashed for gender stereotyping, but all I have to say is I expect a little better from woman. Seriously, Shooter is vapid, not too bright, factually oblivious, immune to reason, pathologically boring, devoid of human empathy, a bad golfer (or is that Elephantman), and prone to pulling funky shit right out of her ass. Just not like any woman I know. Thank God. Do you think she's one of those fruiffy haired long fake nailed dressed to the nines exurban nincompoops who thinks all the lefties and the undifferentiated brown people in the world want one thing and one thing only--to jump over the wall of her gated community and swipe her Hummer and new Lady Cleveland irons? Lay off the Gin lady before you wind up in a Miami nursing home having one of those compassionate underpaid immigrants wiping your hiney because you've got a bad case of booze induced dementia.

which is not to suggest I can devine what gender someone is from their writing. And of course I do not engage in insulting someone by comparing them to things associated with the female gender. That's just dumb. Like I've said before I tend to err going the other way which is holding positive biases about all things women because despite having their faults just like men, generally speaking they seem to be the better half of the species. I don't always understand them, but that's partly what makes them incredibly interesting. That and they look and smell awesome. And most have a capacity for compassion which is unrivaled. For every jerk on the planet somewhere there is a woman who is madly in love with him despite all evidence to the contrary that he's simply unworthy of that sort of love.

Someone around here should definitely start a Top 10 List of Teh Stoopedist Things Evar Uttered by Shooter and Elephantman (LoneWackoDotCom is just too weird to pay attention to). It would provide a never ending source of amusement for one and all.