Replies

[...JUST DON'T CARE ABOUT FACTS...]

Well, I'm people and I not only care about facts, I care about truth.

Somehow I think Bush is believing in us out here in the blogosphere.
We are the millenium newsies. Look how fast Harriet Meiers fell apart.
If I had my tinfoil hat on, I'd say she was a trial balloon for Bush
to see how "tuned in" the base really is. Fear not. God is in control.

I don't think this is a trial balloon. I think Bush and his father have always been very focused on the Middle Eastern countries as individual nations, not as some big EU-like Megastate. There was a world of difference, for example, between Iran and Iraq before the shah fell, but when you look at the history of the White Revolution you realize all dictators aren't created equal in the Middle East. Saddam is another Hitler, I believe, but he was never into this rah-rah islamic crap. (Which only proves on doesn't need to rile up religious hatred to be evil.)

I think Bush is INTENSELY focused on creating a western influence in the Middle East as the only way to bring lasting peace. He sees the Middle East as his Soviet Union, and so far he's done a far better job than he's been given credit for. And I believe this is part of that. There has to be give and take, nations need to be taken seriously and yet there are so many puzzle pieces that have to be kept track of over there that we don't quite see all the subtleties necessary to placate certain folks over there. Who is in the better position to crush Al Qaeda, ultimately, a US with NO allies in the region, or one that has good relations with a few nations there, which can serve as examples?

I'm not sold on this port thing, but the only folks here who have experience and knowledge about the workings of ports support this deal, or at least don't oppose it so strenuously. I don't think there is some master plan, I just think it's what it is. The MSM and DNC are already making it seem like the Administration is on the take, and are stoking impulses that are dangerous and will only weaken our hand in the Middle East. I can easily see this defeating the Republicans in 2006, and then in 2007 when the issue completely drops from the radar, people realizing they've been hoodwinked.