[Allan from Fallbrook]

toots: I think there needs to be a distinction between liberals and left-wingers. I think the word “liberal” is a good word, and not a pejorative, but I loathe left-wingers.

As I’m sure gandalf would be the first to tell you, I am extremely conservative, in the old school Goldwater Republican camp. I would never accuse a liberal of hating their country, but would accuse a left-winger of doing so.

It is much akin to Susan Sontag opining after 9/11 that we “deserved” it. While I feel that our foreign policy in the Middle East has run between complete ignorance and ineptitude, claiming that Osama bin Laden was justified in his actions is beyond the pale and contemptible.

I don’t hold that we are above criticism. To the contrary, I believe that we need to change our approach in that part of the world and that the past 50 years have shown significant errors in our relationships and our strategies. Support for countries like Saudi Arabia and Egypt are going to come back to haunt us, and we need to see that part of the world in a whole new way.

All of that being said, however, I don’t feel that either of the candidates is a good choice for that particular job. I have McCain on one hand openly advocating the bombing of Iran and Obama on the other completely missing the point as to why Iran should not have The Bomb.

[Allan from Fallbrook]

toots: I think there needs to be a distinction between liberals and left-wingers. I think the word “liberal” is a good word, and not a pejorative, but I loathe left-wingers.

As I’m sure gandalf would be the first to tell you, I am extremely conservative, in the old school Goldwater Republican camp. I would never accuse a liberal of hating their country, but would accuse a left-winger of doing so.

It is much akin to Susan Sontag opining after 9/11 that we “deserved” it. While I feel that our foreign policy in the Middle East has run between complete ignorance and ineptitude, claiming that Osama bin Laden was justified in his actions is beyond the pale and contemptible.

I don’t hold that we are above criticism. To the contrary, I believe that we need to change our approach in that part of the world and that the past 50 years have shown significant errors in our relationships and our strategies. Support for countries like Saudi Arabia and Egypt are going to come back to haunt us, and we need to see that part of the world in a whole new way.

All of that being said, however, I don’t feel that either of the candidates is a good choice for that particular job. I have McCain on one hand openly advocating the bombing of Iran and Obama on the other completely missing the point as to why Iran should not have The Bomb.

[Allan from Fallbrook]

toots: I think there needs to be a distinction between liberals and left-wingers. I think the word “liberal” is a good word, and not a pejorative, but I loathe left-wingers.

As I’m sure gandalf would be the first to tell you, I am extremely conservative, in the old school Goldwater Republican camp. I would never accuse a liberal of hating their country, but would accuse a left-winger of doing so.

It is much akin to Susan Sontag opining after 9/11 that we “deserved” it. While I feel that our foreign policy in the Middle East has run between complete ignorance and ineptitude, claiming that Osama bin Laden was justified in his actions is beyond the pale and contemptible.

I don’t hold that we are above criticism. To the contrary, I believe that we need to change our approach in that part of the world and that the past 50 years have shown significant errors in our relationships and our strategies. Support for countries like Saudi Arabia and Egypt are going to come back to haunt us, and we need to see that part of the world in a whole new way.

All of that being said, however, I don’t feel that either of the candidates is a good choice for that particular job. I have McCain on one hand openly advocating the bombing of Iran and Obama on the other completely missing the point as to why Iran should not have The Bomb.

[Allan from Fallbrook]

toots: I think there needs to be a distinction between liberals and left-wingers. I think the word “liberal” is a good word, and not a pejorative, but I loathe left-wingers.

As I’m sure gandalf would be the first to tell you, I am extremely conservative, in the old school Goldwater Republican camp. I would never accuse a liberal of hating their country, but would accuse a left-winger of doing so.

It is much akin to Susan Sontag opining after 9/11 that we “deserved” it. While I feel that our foreign policy in the Middle East has run between complete ignorance and ineptitude, claiming that Osama bin Laden was justified in his actions is beyond the pale and contemptible.

I don’t hold that we are above criticism. To the contrary, I believe that we need to change our approach in that part of the world and that the past 50 years have shown significant errors in our relationships and our strategies. Support for countries like Saudi Arabia and Egypt are going to come back to haunt us, and we need to see that part of the world in a whole new way.

All of that being said, however, I don’t feel that either of the candidates is a good choice for that particular job. I have McCain on one hand openly advocating the bombing of Iran and Obama on the other completely missing the point as to why Iran should not have The Bomb.

[Allan from Fallbrook]

JordanT: Agreed. As I go to great pains to point out, I never voted for Dubya (either time). The Republican Party has essentially disintegrated and has been replaced with a morally and intellectually bankrupt facsimile. They try to look and sound like real conservatives, but come off as holier-than-thou hypocrites.

I don’t think we should invade Iran. I also don’t think we should do nothing, either. Somewhere between the two is a workable strategy for both engagement and containment. I’d love to see a popular revolution in that country, but I doubt strongly it will happen in the next few years. It will probably take between five and 10 years to occur and the strangehold that the hardliners have on that country is considerable.

I do see the parallels with Germany under Hitler being apropos, if for no other reason than Germany was educated, literate and (mostly) moderate. The same country that gave us Goethe, Schiller and Bach also gave us Auschwitz, Rotterdam and Leningrad. It isn’t the people of a country that scare me, it’s their leaders. And America is no different.

[Allan from Fallbrook]

JordanT: Agreed. As I go to great pains to point out, I never voted for Dubya (either time). The Republican Party has essentially disintegrated and has been replaced with a morally and intellectually bankrupt facsimile. They try to look and sound like real conservatives, but come off as holier-than-thou hypocrites.

I don’t think we should invade Iran. I also don’t think we should do nothing, either. Somewhere between the two is a workable strategy for both engagement and containment. I’d love to see a popular revolution in that country, but I doubt strongly it will happen in the next few years. It will probably take between five and 10 years to occur and the strangehold that the hardliners have on that country is considerable.

I do see the parallels with Germany under Hitler being apropos, if for no other reason than Germany was educated, literate and (mostly) moderate. The same country that gave us Goethe, Schiller and Bach also gave us Auschwitz, Rotterdam and Leningrad. It isn’t the people of a country that scare me, it’s their leaders. And America is no different.

[Allan from Fallbrook]

JordanT: Agreed. As I go to great pains to point out, I never voted for Dubya (either time). The Republican Party has essentially disintegrated and has been replaced with a morally and intellectually bankrupt facsimile. They try to look and sound like real conservatives, but come off as holier-than-thou hypocrites.

I don’t think we should invade Iran. I also don’t think we should do nothing, either. Somewhere between the two is a workable strategy for both engagement and containment. I’d love to see a popular revolution in that country, but I doubt strongly it will happen in the next few years. It will probably take between five and 10 years to occur and the strangehold that the hardliners have on that country is considerable.

I do see the parallels with Germany under Hitler being apropos, if for no other reason than Germany was educated, literate and (mostly) moderate. The same country that gave us Goethe, Schiller and Bach also gave us Auschwitz, Rotterdam and Leningrad. It isn’t the people of a country that scare me, it’s their leaders. And America is no different.

[Allan from Fallbrook]

JordanT: Agreed. As I go to great pains to point out, I never voted for Dubya (either time). The Republican Party has essentially disintegrated and has been replaced with a morally and intellectually bankrupt facsimile. They try to look and sound like real conservatives, but come off as holier-than-thou hypocrites.

I don’t think we should invade Iran. I also don’t think we should do nothing, either. Somewhere between the two is a workable strategy for both engagement and containment. I’d love to see a popular revolution in that country, but I doubt strongly it will happen in the next few years. It will probably take between five and 10 years to occur and the strangehold that the hardliners have on that country is considerable.

I do see the parallels with Germany under Hitler being apropos, if for no other reason than Germany was educated, literate and (mostly) moderate. The same country that gave us Goethe, Schiller and Bach also gave us Auschwitz, Rotterdam and Leningrad. It isn’t the people of a country that scare me, it’s their leaders. And America is no different.

[Allan from Fallbrook]

JordanT: Agreed. As I go to great pains to point out, I never voted for Dubya (either time). The Republican Party has essentially disintegrated and has been replaced with a morally and intellectually bankrupt facsimile. They try to look and sound like real conservatives, but come off as holier-than-thou hypocrites.

I don’t think we should invade Iran. I also don’t think we should do nothing, either. Somewhere between the two is a workable strategy for both engagement and containment. I’d love to see a popular revolution in that country, but I doubt strongly it will happen in the next few years. It will probably take between five and 10 years to occur and the strangehold that the hardliners have on that country is considerable.

I do see the parallels with Germany under Hitler being apropos, if for no other reason than Germany was educated, literate and (mostly) moderate. The same country that gave us Goethe, Schiller and Bach also gave us Auschwitz, Rotterdam and Leningrad. It isn’t the people of a country that scare me, it’s their leaders. And America is no different.

[Allan from Fallbrook]

Akula: Is it just me or are you named after a Russian attack sub?

The three books I keep around fairly regularly are my Ranger Handbook, the SWM and Thucydides. I love the part in the SWM about how to run an election. We did actually use that section and it worked. Having not used mules, I cannot comment on the efficacy of that section, but with all things Smedley Butler, I gotta believe that would work, too.

The Marines are considered definite black magic in that part of the world. I’d ask what you were doing down there, but then you’d probably have to kill me following. Opsec and all that.

As to the housing bubble: Not entirely sure, but I hear there is this entire blog devoted to it…

RLTW

[Allan from Fallbrook]

Akula: Is it just me or are you named after a Russian attack sub?

The three books I keep around fairly regularly are my Ranger Handbook, the SWM and Thucydides. I love the part in the SWM about how to run an election. We did actually use that section and it worked. Having not used mules, I cannot comment on the efficacy of that section, but with all things Smedley Butler, I gotta believe that would work, too.

The Marines are considered definite black magic in that part of the world. I’d ask what you were doing down there, but then you’d probably have to kill me following. Opsec and all that.

As to the housing bubble: Not entirely sure, but I hear there is this entire blog devoted to it…

RLTW

[Allan from Fallbrook]

Akula: Is it just me or are you named after a Russian attack sub?

The three books I keep around fairly regularly are my Ranger Handbook, the SWM and Thucydides. I love the part in the SWM about how to run an election. We did actually use that section and it worked. Having not used mules, I cannot comment on the efficacy of that section, but with all things Smedley Butler, I gotta believe that would work, too.

The Marines are considered definite black magic in that part of the world. I’d ask what you were doing down there, but then you’d probably have to kill me following. Opsec and all that.

As to the housing bubble: Not entirely sure, but I hear there is this entire blog devoted to it…

RLTW

[Allan from Fallbrook]

Akula: Is it just me or are you named after a Russian attack sub?

The three books I keep around fairly regularly are my Ranger Handbook, the SWM and Thucydides. I love the part in the SWM about how to run an election. We did actually use that section and it worked. Having not used mules, I cannot comment on the efficacy of that section, but with all things Smedley Butler, I gotta believe that would work, too.

The Marines are considered definite black magic in that part of the world. I’d ask what you were doing down there, but then you’d probably have to kill me following. Opsec and all that.

As to the housing bubble: Not entirely sure, but I hear there is this entire blog devoted to it…

RLTW

[Allan from Fallbrook]

Akula: Is it just me or are you named after a Russian attack sub?

The three books I keep around fairly regularly are my Ranger Handbook, the SWM and Thucydides. I love the part in the SWM about how to run an election. We did actually use that section and it worked. Having not used mules, I cannot comment on the efficacy of that section, but with all things Smedley Butler, I gotta believe that would work, too.

The Marines are considered definite black magic in that part of the world. I’d ask what you were doing down there, but then you’d probably have to kill me following. Opsec and all that.

As to the housing bubble: Not entirely sure, but I hear there is this entire blog devoted to it…

RLTW

[Allan from Fallbrook]

Nost: Iran is nuking us next Tuesday. And the liberal moonbats don’t believe it and are hurling epithets at the neocons, who want to use this is a pretext for invading Iran, North Korea, China and Botswana.

Did you get into Guat City at all? Or Tegoose? How about Tamarindo in Costa Rica? Great places to party.

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