The Iraqi and Iranian people (forget about their govenments) want to sell us oil, and they want to buy American movies, video games, and s.u.v.'s.

And if Bush would stop slaughtering them and threatening to slaughter more of them they'd have a chance to do so.

Tell us again why are you and Bush so opposed to this idea.

Please cite some specific examples of revolutions against countries that had "a legal democratic structure" in-place. I do not recall any off the top of my head. So to say that one, if it were to occur, would be a failure seems questionable.

There have been innumerable violent coups against elected governments in the past few decades. Many have had initial popular support.

It is also questionable as to whether in fact the United States has a viable "legal democratic structure" any longer. I do not see much evidence of it, and in fact see much evidence against it.

This is simply not true. There is a vast difference between noting the corruption present in a democracy and arguing for rule of law, as Glenn Greenwald does in his column, versus making the nonsense statement that there is not a legal democratic structure in place at all in the United States.

The funny thing is that we would probably agree about what is wrong and corrupt in US democracy; I just don't have any fantasies of impressing chicks by being a "revolutionary" to justify.

I'm afraid that we're already well over the edge of the cliff, and that pumping the brakes will have no effect whatsoever on the outcome.

Gravity, as they say, is a bitch.

Predicting the future is a bitch, too. I know you think you're psychic, but only time will tell.

No-one could loathe the right wing likes of Ann Coulter and the gang more than I do, but I have noticed that some of what they claim about "liberals" is actually true of a tiny population of people, all dozens of whom post on Salon. Some people really do want the US to experience some kind of extreme collapse that involves massive amounts of human suffering (all over the world). In the end, you tend to "predict" what you're wishing for.

I'm satisfied with the amount of human suffering in the world right now. I think it's way more than enough. I'd even like to get it down a little. But hey, you're free to wish for whatever you want to wish for. I'll try to do my bit to help turn things around, and you keep making hopeful predictions that we're all doomed. Whatever happens will happen.

Piss on Jackson Diehl, Fred Hiatt and the rest of the Washington Post's depraved neocon thugs. America, I'm afraid, is in no position to lecture ANYBODY about ANYTHING, not after the colossal criminality (known and unknown) of the Liar-in--Chief's (mis)administration.

So the Washington Post actually advocates the creation of "national security courts," which can jail people without requiring legally sound evidence? Just "intelligence" that the guy's a "terrorist"? What crap will they think of next?

(Suggested motto for the "national security courts": "Evidence? We don't need no stinkin'

evidence!")

The Decider class has become completely enamored with itself as it maintains its state of denial to prevent awareness from intruding on their delusions. Our government has become corrupted by business perceptions to such an extent that it agrees with business that economic problems are our fault. When they do away with our troublesome freedoms, rights, and principles of a republic they guarantee that they will be much more successful.

It has been our lack of continuity and conformity that makes the free market so risky. If we behaved more predictably markets would be more stable. A fascist style of governance is more efficient, because it removes all the restrictions on big business. It seeks nothing less then, without consequence, the absolute right to harvest suckers. Suckers are a natural resource that is constantly being replenished. If god did not intend for businesses to harvest suckers, why does he make so many of them?

Glenn, you wrote "Moscow has dispatched security forces to the separatist region of Abkhazia and granted legal recognition to its self-declared government." A few paragraphs dealing with Iraq followed.

Perhaps you should have mentioned Kosovo. Russia is using what 'we' did in Kosovo as the template for their humanitarian work Georgia, Moldova and who knows where else.

So basically Obama, if he is successful, will come onto the American political stage and do what exactly? Stand there with his hands on his hips and say 'cattle gone?' and then blame whom for leaving the gate open? Who opened the gate? Who provided 'blue dog' political cover for the gate openers? Who stuck his ego, his vacuous advisors and his idiocy into a place where it didn't belong?

Pinky

But does he have to be so convincing? NO.

What would you do? He has to fool people who are no fools. Plus their masters.

Oh, he fooled me. Up and until he voted like a spineless simp and swung that gate wide open. There is no reason for his support or ANY true 'opposition party' support of that disastrous bill. Bush rode up to the 'democrat' custom legislation window in his Hummer and ordered a bill to save his ass and he got it. End of story. And now Obama flops around on the mahogany planks of the American political ship like a fish caught on the ocean apparently helpless to stop further Bushist junta damage to this country. Yeah, it's all an act...

So, Obama is elected. Is he going to request a 'do over' on the FISA mess? Like a congress populated with more blue dogs is going to like that. Like a congress full of whores and an industry waving large unmarked bills in their faces are going to allow anything meaningful to undo the 'Obama FISA two step'.

You are delusional... I wish there were another VIABLE choice...

You mean Captains and the Kings (Taylor Caldwell, ISBN-10: 0449205622 / ISBN-13: 978-0449205624) wasn't fiction?

I still find her afterword interesting, and ominous.