Writer showed disgusting ignorance

There will always be that part of America that believes Alger Hiss was a hero. That's what the first amendment's about.

I find David E. L. Smith's LTE to be full of inaccuracies. David Smith doesn't remember or isn't aware that it was NOT "lousy intelligence" or the non-existent threat of WMD that led President George W. Bush to order the invasion of Iraq. He was driven by the neoconservatives' agenda which stipulated that United States must seize the "unipolar moment" following the collapse of the Soviet Union to make its economic & political system dominant throughout the world BY USE OF MILITARY FORCE. The neocons shopped their blueprint for war in the Middle East called "Project for a New American Century" to Bill Clinton. He didn't buy it. But George W. Bush the crusading warrior bought it in spades after 9/11. Intelligence was "fixed" around the non-existent threat of WMD in Iraq. Any intelligence findings that disputed Bush & Cheney's preformed conclusions were rejected out of hand. George W. Bush lied to Congress & the American people when he said he needed authorization to use force "to strengthen his hand at the diplomatic table" & that "war with Iraq would be the last resort". Bush had determined to go to war in Iraq at least as early as July 2002 according to the Downing Street Memos. Richard Clarke says it was even earlier. The Bush Doctrine that asserts the U.S. Commander in Chief can order strikes against any nation or group which he/she thinks MIGHT be a threat sometime in future is clearly illegal. Bush also determined that United States must remain militarily unchallenged (i.e. dominant) on land, at sea, in the air & even is space. Bush also authorized torture. Until United States renounces the Bush Doctrine, stops sanctioning torture, admits the U.S. war in Iraq is illegal, and prosecutes Bush & Cheney for war crimes, AMERICA NEEDS AND DESERVES NONSTOP BASHING.

Great letter, Mr. Smith. You effectively challenegd the points of the guest columnist.

David E. L. Smith confuses nationalism with patriotism. George W. Bush's imperial presidency is closer to dictatorship than Smith fathoms. United States has definitely slipped into fascism with the dominance of the military-industrial-governmental-media complex over that of the will of the American people. Dick Cheney has pushed for a Unitary Executive with near dictatorial powers since his days in the Nixon White House. As far as Iraq goes. It is about oil. Alan Greenspan says so. Ted Koppel says so. Juan Cole writes: "Bush probably wants US troops in Iraq because they help nail down energy contracts between the US & Iraqi concerns. Without 140,000 troops in the country, the Iraqis would not have a good reason to favor US concerns like Hunt over China's Sinopec or Russia's Lukoil." Iraq never was a threat to United States. Saddam was a brutal dictator known as The Butcher of Baghdad before the Reagan administration backed him in his war against Iran for 8 years during the 1980s. United States never brought charges against Saddam or sought his arrest & extradition. Instead Bush used force to get rid of one man like his father did with Manual Noriega. War is business as usual for Bushco.

cain......... u fail to mention that pelosi and crew have done nothing to stop this waste of national treasure. clinton had his little adventures in bosnia,and other places. didnt he bomb a baby milk factory in sudan? its all one team up there. the MIC and international bankers love it. expatriate?

I catch your drift, La Twon. Both McCain & Obama want to escalate the U.S. war in Afghanistan. The American Establishment is up to its ears in the business of war. This will not end well for United States. The dirty effin hippies were right, but nobody pays us any attention. People laugh anytime someone speaks up for World Peace, but humanity simply must move beyond war as a way to settle international (and national) disputes if civilization is to survive on this planet. Short term profits demand "war on at any price" even if that means the inevitable demise of United States of America as the preeminent or even a leading power. This country is doomed by its militaristic mentality.

those that speak truths are labeled kooks. we are distracted by
such more important things as the "n" word, or gay marriage, or
who we are judging to hell for whatever reason as rome burns.
bush is just doing what he is told to do. i do not think he has the capacity his self.

Lets all join hands, sing kumbaya and form a prayer circle for world peace. Then when the muslim fanatics over run our country and we are all taken out and shot or beheaded at least we can meet our maker with a clear conscience that we tried for world peace and didn't kill our enemies. Boy that sounds like such a great plan I can't wait to sign up.

Nobody suggested any such thing, wyldsfam4. The armed services play a necessary role in the legitimate defense of this country. That includes going to war if this country is attacked by another country or using military force if there is an IMMINENT threat. Iraq never attacked or threatened us. The legitimate use of our armed forces does not include going to war or using military force because the President as Commander in Chief thinks some nation or group MIGHT be a threat sometime in future. That is the so-called Bush Doctrine, and it is illegal under international law. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is the internationally recognized authority on torture. They informed the Bush administration directly and unequivocally that the practices employed at Guantanamo and in other U.S. detention facilities WERE TORTURE. Waterboarding, stress positioning, sleep deprivation, and exposure to extremes of temperature are TORTURE. Until 2001 United States considered waterboarding to be torture. United States had the right to pursue the perpetrators of the attacks on 9/11/01. It does not have the right to wage war on Islam or on what it considers militant Islam when there is no evidence against those detained. We reap what we sow. Bush's illegal War on Terror has CREATED more enemies of United States. Torture does not work. Illegal occupation of Iraq & Afghanistan has not and will not work. Remember that mighty empires and great armies have fallen in the pass because of bad leadership. Bush is a bad leader, and those who follow him are stupid to the bone. Americans, save the innocent children, deserve what we get if we continue to follow the madmen and war criminals George Walker Bush and Richard Bruce Cheney.

George W Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Iraq has weapons of mass destruction. Please define fallacy. Anybody?

yea ....lets sing it in spanish wylds. our borders should have been secured 1st thing. u think this is really about terror?
why havent they bombed switzerland or china? maybe because they havent been over there messing with these people so long? how long do u think any invaders would last in this country?
most great empires collapsed because of economics....... empires are very expensive.

Yeah they said the same thing about Hitler. He's not a imminent threat. Then 5 million dead jewish people later....wow we should have done something. Make no mistake about it. The world is a safer place without Saddam Hussein. Iraq now has schools open. They have hospitals open. They are enjoying freedoms that they never dreamed about. Once upon a time if they even thought of their leader or government the way you write in this blog everyday they would be murdered. Their families would receive their body parts in pieces. So you keep blathering on about illegal wars and how much you hate Bush and all that other horse hockey you so much like to write. Me, on the other hand, I'll keep living in the greatest country in the world and keep the soldiers that allow me to speak my opinion in my thoughts and prayers. I will also hope that people with your mindset are in the minority.