Haa, haa! Well thanks for cutting me a little slack. No, I know what you're saying and you're not seeing the point I was trying to make. It's not a matter of Bush or Powell or the U.S. or nailing Iran. It's the double standard that the U.S. has been trying to maintain in its own interests, at the expense of the peace and safety of Israel citizens.
Bush once said, "America will never seek a permission slip to defend the security of our people."
Yet, this same axiom is denied the Nation of Israel, through coercion, intimidation, and economic and military threats—most from us!
It's not the waffling and vacillating in American foreign policy in the war on terrorism as our deluded foreign policy wonks at the State Department attempt to "keep the region 'stable'", whatever that means. I'm assuming that is the point you were trying to make. The issue is the Israeli government acquiescing to them, thus watching their law abiding citizens being blown up, shot, stabbed, and attacked in myriad other ways by HAMAS and Al Aqsa and Fatah killers.
The U.S. is a big nation with its fingers in a lot of things globally. Israel is a little sliver of land the size of San Bernardino county in California. They just can't take the level of abuse being dished out to them, like we can. That's why the double standard being imposed on them since the first Gulf War has to be opposed on their part. See my point?
Also, I don't share your sense of fatalism the American people don't have any influence in the affairs of their country. Free Republic would not be making the impact it is in Conservative circles; indeed, the leftist activists attacking this country internally in various quarters would have petered out a long time ago. There's a lot of people who do think they are making an impact. Most are registered at Free Republic.
A rational analysis of the situation would IMO indicate that the only thing it can mean is tht the goal is to maintain the current instability.
BTW, if that is the plan, it seems to be working like a charm.