[Torie]

Off topic, but Michael Medved today had a sound bite of John Kerry saying that US intervention in Kosovo (which I favored, but for reasons not remotely related to the blow dried one's latest prevarications or terminal obtuseness) and Liberia (about which I don't know enough to opine) was justified because the US had cultural "ties" with the both Kosovo and Liberia, while with Iraq we did not, so it was not justified, more of less. Isn't that special?

[George W. Bush]

I wonder what ties Kerry thinks we have with Kovoso? It's quite a stretch. He's probably just stumping around with these remarks to justify his past votes in the Senate. Campaign fodder/biography stuff.

Kerry's biggest problem is that he's too damned boring to be president. And I don't think he can connect emotionally with women via television the way Klinton did.

[Sabertooth]

Since the Cradle of Civilization is in Iraq, who doesn't have cultural ties there?

Actually, the "culture" thing might be the best argument for going into LIberia, though I haven't stayed on top of it either. If we accept the premise that in the post-colonial era, the former colonial powers have certain responsibilities in Africa, then Liberia is about the only place where that might apply to the United States.

That is, if we accept that premise, and I'm not certain that I do.

I'm of the mind that we should have stayed out of Kosovo, though in the interests of full disclosure, I was in favor of Balkan intervention back in the early 90s.