Sharon,

Good post.

Why should we be surpised? Obama has no real experience at an exectutive level. Sarah Palin would be much better, becasue she has so much more experience, compared to Barack. She also has judgement, something sorely lacking with Barack and Biden.

Talking to Ahmadinejad, without preconditions, as Barack said he wants to do, is a disaster in the making. He has tried to back out of his statement, but nobody in a postion of responsibility believes him. Ahmadinejad would crush him, if Barack is elected. Barck is an empty suit.

Barack Obama strikes me as VERY ARROGANT, just as Bush did in 2000. It's amazing that such arrogance is not an issue with so many voters. Quite the contraty, they seem to admire arrogant candidates.

However, look at where Bush's "go-it-alone" arrogance led us.

Arrogance is not a good trait, and Obama has plenty of it.

The mass media is not doing its job of dispassionately analyzing the candidates. Just as we had a pro-Bush press, a pro-Iraq war press, we now have a pro-Obama press that is totally oblivious of any potential negative of Barack Obama. Sad indeed.

So the president of France is criticizing an American politician for not being tough enough on a despotic Middle Eastern regime?

Is this Erret (le bizarro monde), or are we going to have to reconsider our stereotypes of the French?

Well, well, well, how those French fortunes do rebound from [portion censored by author] to the pinnacles of oracular gurudom in just 5 years. This calls for a suitable commemoration. How about we rename freedom fries french fries?

Just be nice to Ms Palin, Nick, and you'll stay on your roll.

That's no surprise with Sarkozy's comment. He is very pro-israeli and comes from a very old jewish lineage. Dialog is needed with Iran as you will need a balance of power within that region.

As for Palin, she has zero experience in Foreign Policy. Sarah looks great on screen but what happens behind the screen is not that great. She certainly does a great job making sure the state of Alaska picks up the tab for staying at home and paying for her kids travel tickets. Certainly owes back taxes for not declaring that. She also certainly know how to spend money just to make her office look prettier. And cronyism is one of her forte since she put people in positions where they have absolutely no experience. You need to read more about Palin and make an informed judgment.

As for the Press, well the Fourth Estate failed at their job. They should have reported the failings of the Bush administration but were cowed by Bush and Cheney. They are starting to wake up but I don't think today's journalist really understand what the fourth estate is all about compared to 70s and 80s. We do not really have a free and independent press since they are owned by large corporations like Murdoch with ulterior motives.

The Iraq war is the greatest gift the U.S. has even given to Iran. In two weeks, the U.S. Military accomplished what Iran couldn't do in 8 years of war. It is in Iran's interest to keep the U.S. bogged down in Iraq as long as possible for two reasons: it's drains the U.S. militarily, and it prevents the U.S. from a significant action against Iran.

At this point, Iran is the other dominant player in the Mideast and they are influencing the region through their proxies. After the U.S. leaves Iraq, Iran will control at least half of the Iraqi reserves with the possible exception of the reserves in the Kurd controlled Northern region. Iran has the potential of destabilizing the other Arab regimes around the Gulf and slowly controlling the oil reserves of the entire Gulf.

Even during the midst of the cold war, the U.S. and Russia had back channel communications. It would be foolish to close off possible discussions with Iran from purely ideological grounds. Iran is the other major power in a vital region of the world. Sakorzy and McCain are playing into Iran's hand by their macho bluster. Reality caught up to Bush and it's going to catch them as well.

I happen to completely agree with the sentiment, but I am having my doubts about the veracity of the story. Sarkozy has sort of denied it, and nobody has a recording of the comment or is willing to stand forth and say " I heard him".

So, I wonder about how true the actual story is.

Maybe the French can see something we cannot see.
They have been through the socialist, multicultural nightmare and know that it means burning cars, police no go zones, home bred terrorists and riots in the streets of the suburbs every weekend.
Here it will take place in the central cities as well as the suburbs.

Some parts of East LA are already no go zones for the LAPD.

With ACORN, Wright and Ayers in power it is coming whether you like it or not.

This is Europes future Web Link


Wilders suggests that Europe has significantly changed, and will continue to change beyond recognition, due to the demographic changes.

"I come to America with a mission.
All is not well in the old world.
There is a tremendous danger looming, and it is very difficult to be optimistic.
We might be in the final stages of the Islamization of Europe.
This not only is a clear and present danger to the future of Europe itself, it is a threat to America and the sheer survival of the West. The danger I see looming is the scenario of America as the last man standing.
The United States as the last bastion of Western civilization, facing an Islamic Europe.
In a generation or two, the US will ask itself: who lost Europe?"



Guess who will lose America?

"The Iraq war is the greatest gift the U.S. has even given to Iran."

WRONG!

A free and represntaive Iraq is the worst horror that Iran can think of! Imagine all those Iraqi Shiites telling their cousins in Iran that they are now FREE?

Bush was right.

If obama wins the leviathan of China will ruleWeb Link

Africa and the Mid East until the war to end all wars.


The 60s " Imagine" ."if it feels good do it" has led to the triumph of hope over experience.

Oh well never mind, if you have a couple of million you can move to New Zealand and bring your kids up there.

A re post of the link corrected Web Link


Hobbes experienced the Ayers/ Wright world of the French Revolution when socialism was invented, he saw the Horror, we may see it here soon

Gary,

Iran welcomes a democratically elected government in Iraq because they are fairly sure their proxies will win. The Dawa party is effectively controlled by Iran. Sistani is under house arrest. Muqtada al-Sadr has his family in Iran and has close ties with the Iranian Mullahs. Since 65% of the Iraqi population are Shi'a, who do you think controls any elected government?

You seem to have forgotten that Iran's proxies in Lebanon and Palestine also won free elections, namely, Hizballa and Hamas.

No, Iran is the big winner from the Iraq war and they will continue to win as long as the U.S. is bogged down and preoccupied with Iraq.

The value of horror scenarios is to encourage us to turn away from them and prevent their eventuation at almost any cost.
I don’t think we should confuse what could happen with what will happen.
What will happen is function of choice.
One of Western Civilization’s greatest virtues is that it is not fatalistic.
Nothing is written.
There’s no reason there can’t be happy endings — that we can avoid a clash of civilizations or reach a modus vivendi — if we try hard enough.
And are wise enough. And are willing to firmly and reasonably stand up for what we cherish. But there’s the rub.

The horrors of the last century are reminder of what can happen when we too freely abandon reason and humanity in the face of intimidation, or leave it too late.
The distance between the interwar Long Weekend and the Wannsee Conference where the Final Solution was planned was only a few short years.
A long peace doesn’t always mean it is a stable one.
We look in the rear view mirror of history and see only a straight road behind, then we come to a hairpin turn.

HUFFINGTON POST writer stabbed lover 220 times with screwdriver...

Web Link



Is this the hope we dare to dream?

Now we need mandatory registration for all screwdrivers and a fifteen day waiting period for the purchase of screwdrivers by lesbians.

I predict that Joe Simitian is drafting the law right now.

Links, under your logic we should abandon democracy everywhere because the "bad guys" might win an election...hmm...do you understand fascism?

Re-attach yourself to reality, ok?

Very Funny, Sharon and Gary--now all of sudden we care what the french think--- a few years ago we a were renaming french fries as american fries--but if the french criticize Obama then they are great. I am sure this will make a big difference in the polls.
Gary as usual is busy analyzing things he does not know about and voicing opinions based, not on the facts, but based on his hatred for Obama. Gary is talking head full of helium, like those party balloons

Perspective,

I think you need to examine what is the U.S. strategic interest in the Mideast. As many of your right wing friends have said, the West runs on cheap energy. Oil and Gas, not democracy, is why the U.S. spends tens of billions each month in the Persian Gulf. This is why the CIA overthrew a democracy in Iran and reinstated the Shah.

Democracy in Iraq is just a talking point invented by Karl Rove after the Coalition Forces didn't find any Weapons of Mass Destruction. Lots of places have elections, but very few have half of the world's known oil reserves. Keeping the oil flowing from the Gulf is a critical strategic interest of the U.S. and the West. If Iran controls these oil reserves and can cut them off at will, this current recession will look mild in comparison.

It is in the U.S. strategic interest to reduce our energy dependence on Oil and Gas. As long as world demand for Oil and Gas excedes supply, the price will remain high and feed states like Iran, Russia and Venezuela. But until comparably prices substitutes are found, the free flow of Persian Gulf Oil is a U.S. strategic interest.

It may be a hard concept for you, but try to understand the concept of a U.S. strategic interest.

"Iran welcomes a democratically elected government in Iraq because they are fairly sure their proxies will win."

Link?,

The Shiites in Iraq are mostly Arab; those in Iran are Persians. It would be very hard for Iran to control Arabs, if they don't want to be controlled.

Iraqis have strong nationalistic feelings, even though they are cobbled together by European powers. That is why the Biden's plan to split the countries into three parts was never realistic...it would never be accepted.

If Iran made moves in southern Iraq, it would probably be resisted on many fronts. However, if Iraqi Shiites come to feel that they are free and safe, there could be a strong spillover effect into Iran, with demands for similar freedoms.

Oil is a strategic interest of the West. Obviously. Iraq has the potential to become a major oil producer, and get itself fabuously rich in the process. Iraqis will not allow Iran to shut down Basra, period. The Arab states, as well as the U.S. will ally to prevent any attempt to do so. So no, Iran will not "cut them off at will".