The reality is that we don't bomb and shoot anymore until bombed or shot at first.

We invaded Iraq pre-emptively.

We instigated the recent Hezbollah-Israeli war (http://www.antiwar.com/orig/zunes.php?articleid=11008) and refused to push for a cease fire.

We are currently running black ops in Iran and supporting Sunni terrorists allied with Al-Queda (!!!) against Iran.

We shoot first all the time, and have done ever since WWII.

Cheney and Elliot Abrams (backed by Golden Boy) are trying to instigate war with Iran right now, they're just looking for the convenient trigger so they can do the plausible deniability dance for rah rah chump types like shooter.

The reality is that we are a militaristic imperial power, that approves of torture and disappearing people. Our media and ruling class either think this is hunky dory or are too cowed or weasly to care. (See: Dems, cave-in on Iraq timetables). And our populace is either too ignorant, stupid, lazy or distracted by American Idol to give a flying flip. After all, we're talking about ragheads, so big deal, and maybe they kind of deserve it, right?

There are some good and thoughtful people in this country. But there were in Germany in the mid-1930s, too. I'm not so sure that a similar outcome isn't in the cards.

've perused the letters here hoping to find that someone else mystified by this had already sought an answer here. So OK, what the (heck) are Little Green Footballs?

-- shackindawoods

It's a repulsive right wing website. Google is your friend.

Don't ever speak of "real life" again, you freak. Relax and enjoy your golf game, there's no jews or blacks at the country club to bother you.

-- prunes

No Muslims, either.

I think you've hit on it: Bolden Goy! Yes! (Or maybe it should be Bolten Goy? Or how about Boltin' Goy?)

Remember the living.

-- bebop-o

Yes. Thank you.

Bush, regardless of what he thinks, isn't king and he isn't three branches of government.

Unfortunately, I think you're wrong. Bush IS king and has made himself head of all 3 branches

http://progressive.org/mag_wx051807

I think that after the November elections and the apparent pushback from Congress, oversight committee hearings, etc., Bush/Rove backed off a bit. But when they started to realize that the Dems didn't have the numbers or the balls to really get anything moving, at least in the short term, they decided to make their move with the above directive. They are also ratcheting up the threats in the Middle East -- backing BOTH sides in the fight in Lebanon so that maximum chaos is attained, urging the Israelis on to fiercer suppression of the Palestinians while also urging them to attack Iran, moving more ships into the Persian Gulf, etc. I believe they are getting ready for a major move, probably against Iran (which will, hopefully -- they think -- be drawn into the fighting in Lebanon), and then will be all set to clamp down here with Bush's little The Decider Is King directive.

The fact that Congress has not been up in arms, literally, about that directive tells Bush everything he needs to know. There is no one to stop him.

You have it exactly right (or least, as I see it!). The Cons did not want to be in Iraq because Sadam was a threat, or because they could get their hands on the oil (altho that surely added some spice to the pudding), or to liberate the Iraqi people. They wanted to be in Iraq as a springboard to go against Syria and especially Iran.

And they are now starting up their moves against Iran again, after a brief hiatus. It appears to me that they had been stymied for a while by the Dem win in Nov and the subsequent congressional pushback, but now that the Dems have shown their yellow flags (removing the wording about having to get permission to attack Iran in the House, failing to generate any real outrage or back up subpoenas in their oversight committees, and then fading on the Iraq war funding), the WH is emboldened again and appears to me to be getting ready for a bold/reckless strike in the ME.

In the previous thread, Kovie called me lazy for being depressed about our prospects, but I don't feel lazy, just frantic. So far, Pres. Bush has exceeded my every expectation of perfidy and lawlessness. I hope I'm wrong this time, but I really don't see what's to stop him from going over this last cliff. And with Rove thinking ahead, they've got the directive giving Bush dictatorial powers in case anyone objects. Maybe I'm hysterical -- I certainly hope I am, and that instead of the doomsday scenario I see, we'll just muddle through until 2008, when a Dem will be elected Pres. and restore a bit of the Old Republic.

Why do right wingers, if you say something critical about Bush Co., immediately deduce from this criticism that you must love some authoritarian lefty?

Must be the fluoride.