The End-of-the-World Economic Forum

I don't really expect President Obama to order the extraordinary rendition of Bush and Cheney to The Hague to stand trial for war crimes. But feel free to savor the image.

I don't really expect President Obama to order the extraordinary rendition of George Bush and Dick cheney to The Hague to stand trial for war crimes. But in these troubled times, the image is soothing.

I wish i was better in history class. It sounds like i would be watching you for the curve. I like the way you picture the French elite as they toasted crumpets or whatever and so distant from the brewing steam of the streets they never saw it coming when heads literally rolled. i truly belive the queen died asking "hey what is going on, no really what are you guys so upset about??" So out of touch like kings and queens have been from the beginning. Hillary and her friends are not like that though, they walked the same streets and ate at the same places and still have a heart for people like me. As a matter of fact everytime i get a mac attack i toast Bill who i can imagine eating fries and a coke and good momma Hillary looking at him like my wife and saying you should really watch what you eat. Yeah that is the family that i see on the streets and up at the highest levels of government just a different job and different rules and WAAAAAY underpaid. WAAAAAY i don't know why anyone would want to be president at 2 or 3 K. That is why we love our lady and support her because she does what we cannot do and what we probably wouldn't do even if we could. She is upper crust and next to us at the same time.
So sorry for the queen of France. Even if you went back and emplored her and slit your wrists in front of her to save her from the disaster coming she would not have gotten it.

"Bin Laden was on the CIA payroll when he was our friend and fighting the Russians so we must ask why did he turn against the U.S.? "

Because he had bad credit and we credited him with an A+ rating. Same as that hotbead Iraq. People pull your heads out of the sand and recognize that as soon as we "leave" they are going to turn on us and conspire with all of their disenfranchised whiny hater misdirected nothing to live for but dying wack attacks. inho we stay and we stay and we stay and celebrate our victories, mourn our defeats and make peace in that region slooowly and quit trying to live in some fake reality that says we can get it going and Bounce. Why would you leave once it starts getting good. No. for the sake of the taxpayer and the region we need to stay and run that s### because their credit sucks, has sucked and if we let them alone they will default on their obligations and leave us on the outside having to go back in through a now impenetrable door. IF WE LEAVE WE CAN NEVER GO BACK!!! BE VERY CAREFUL. Leave if you must America but know that we will never be invited back and our resources will prohibit us from getting back into that hotbead of american hate mongers. No we are rolling like a real G from Compton and proteting our turf with colors baby spinning low riders and letting it be know you roll into our neighborhood and our guns a firing you keep your nasty wife beaters over there and we let you live. Go Gansta.

To quote from your article "Bush's failure to stand up to the Iranian menace [which] represents perhaps the biggest failure of his presidency???unless it is eclipsed by his failure to deal with the looming threat of Pakistan" is an frightening accusation as there is not much that can be done. Are we suggesting the threat of force against these countries? If we continue with the mindset of a superpower then fear and resentment will spread to emerging powers such as China, India and Russia who will perceive the U.S. as trying to meddle in their back yards and attempting to control the resources of the world. Bin Laden was on the CIA payroll when he was our friend and fighting the Russians so we must ask why did he turn against the U.S.? Bin Laden's mother is Palestinian and the Palestinians have had a grievance against the West for sixty years. We must address the root of this and other problems so we may find a realistic solution. Bush's mindset of fighting a "crusade", "shock and awe", " detention without trial in Guantanamo", "you are either with or against us" has not worked. To look at the world with the shortsighted prism of religious states such as the Jewish state or Islamic states and Islamic bombs or the Christian right only spreads paranoia. The economic well being of the US may be threatened by endless wars as other emerging powers concentrate on their economic development and overseas influence leaving the US behind.

For an ordinary citizen like me, it is frustration to see that Bush may not need to pay any price for the gigantic mistake he has produced for the country and for the world.

By observing him for eight years, I also know that he doesn't have the moral capacity and intellectual honesty to reflect and admit his mistakes. People have been fooled by this coward and pretense..

It is maddening that Bush is even planning a presidential library at the price tag of 500 million dollars. Does he have a legacy deserving to be glorified or immortalized at such a scale or he simply want to use a library to beautify his failure?

At least it is comforting to know that our great presidents don't necessarily have larger libraries that are in proportion to their accomplishments and many bad kings, such as Saddam, did have a penchant for erecting as many palances as they want to eternalize their power.

Comment: Yes, the people pay for their leaders' misdeeds. After all, they are the ones who put them there. Remember 'We deserve the kind of government we have'. During the Clinton's prosperous years, people became complacent. People exchanged their votes for tax refunds in 2000. People did not protest when the Supreme Court chose Bush as the president . And people even reelected him.


after all

statthClClinClinton won

The historical comparisons in this article rise beyond the level of hyperbole. The current economic crisis is compared to the French Revolution, which spelled the end ( albeit brief ) of autocratic monarchy in France. Clearly, there is a severe distortion of histroical perspective here. And in no way is the workload of the future President going to be similar to FDR's. Most economists believe that fiscal and monetary stimuli will be able to prevent any drastic deepening of the economic downturn. Somehow, according to sources quoted in this article, the challenges faced by the next President will be more grave than the Cuban Missile Crisis. Columnists for such prestigious magazines should observe better literary decorum, and desist from such ill thought-out historical comparisons. They will be scoffed at by those who know better, and they will add to the ignorance of those who don't. A pathetic display of journalistic immoderation.

Wow! knight2 king3 seems to miss the point. It is not a matter of hating anyone or of loving an ideal. The current administration (and that goes way beyond just the man at the top) has demonstrated serious shortcomings in dealing with the world as it is. They have spent eight years pandering to their supporters instead of leading them. Now we find ourselves in an expensive pickle. The next several administrations - Republican or Democrat or whatever - will be saddled with a massive clean up (aassuming that they are willing and able to do it). I don't believe that history will be kind to the people who have been running the country for the last eight years.

So, Mr. Dickey, tell us if you will - which do you do more of? Do you love your country, or do you hate your President? The reason for the question is simple - if you do more of the former. then the words of WWII veteran Vernon Castle ring true, 'Patriotism IS NOT a willingness to serve ones' country, but a willingness to make ones' country more worth serving': and, as a result, the latter is of no consequence. However, if you concentrate more on the latter, then I'm afraid you have already fallen prey to the politics of polemics - and are on the verge of having completely forsaken the former. You decide?

So, Mr. Dickey, tell us if you would - which do you do more of? Love your country, or hate your President? The reason for the question is simple - if you do more of the former, then the words of WWII veteran Vernon Castle ring true, 'Patriotism IS NOT a willingness to serve ones' country, but a willingness to make ones' country more worth serving': and subsequently, the latter is of no consequence. However, if you do more of the latter, then you have fallen prey to the polemics of hatred, and your country will invaribly suffer for it. You decide?

"What we've done is criminal"
the next president will face "the greatest challenges since FDR"
"The sky is falling"

I love a great hyperbole. Keep'em coming!