I believe war should be an absolute last resort.
 
I like most of the world believe that there is still a strong possibility that IRAQ can be disarmed with military and economic pressure and without thousands or tens of thousands of body bags.
Until all efforts have been exhausted utilizing the international inspectors - war should not be a consideration.  I believe that the 'show of force' by the U.S. is and will be sufficient to accomplish what is necessary without actually going to war - 
 
An invasion of IRAQ especially without STRONG UN SUPPORT and without an INTERNATIONAL COALITION of FORCES will cause a huge expansion of the fundamentalist EXTREMIST ISLAMIC MOVEMENT and a universal ISLAMIC JIHAD against the western world - that from that point on all will snowball out of control -  
 
I do not believe that Bush's motivations are the security of Americans (many many more will die both soldier and civilian following his current course of action then if he had any wisdom whatsoever) I believe his motivations are economic and with intent to strongly benefit his buddies in the global energy conglomerates.
 
The middle east crisis - the threat of terrorism has two causes - 1.  The Palestinian/Israeli conflict 2. Poverty in the area.
 
He has demonstrated no leadership whatsoever in bringing the Palestinian/Israeli conflict to a satisfactory conclusion and until that issue is resolved there will be no stability in the region.  
 
The reason that there are suicide bombers and terrorists is because the youth in the area live in abject poverty and with no hope for a future.  For a small percentage of what this war is going to cost that could change - but it would require wisdom, respect for different culture and a president who does not believe that he can bully the rest of the world to do and be as he wants.
 
IF WE GO TO WAR WITH IRAQ WITHOUT THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY DOING EVERYTHING POSSIBLE FIRST TO ATTEMPT TO DISARM SADDAM OF WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION - WE WILL WIN THAT BATTLE RAPIDLY BUT I BELIEVE THAT THE WORLD WILL LOSE THE WAR THAT WILL FOLLOW AS THE ISLAMIC AND WESTERN WORLD POLARIZE THE DESTRUCTION AND HUMAN TOLL WILL EXCEED THE CASULTIES IN IRAQ X millions.  
 
IF THAT OCCURS FUTURE HISTORY BOOKS (IF THERE ARE ANY) will hardly mention SADDAM BUT WILL UNIVERSALY CONDEMN THE BELLICOSE LEADER OF THE MOST POWERFUL COUNTRY IN THE WORLD WHOSE DESIRE TO MAKE THE WORLD (free and democratic -even as he destroys constitutional rights for American citizens in the name of security**) IN THE IMAGE HE THOUGHT IT SHOULD BE.  AMERICA ONCE A LAND THE WORLD LOOKED UP TO WILL BE CONDEMNED AS ALL PREVIOUS CONTRIES HAVE BEEN THAT THOUGHT THEY COULD FORCEABLY MAKE OVER THE WORLD IN THEIR IMAGE
 
**Ashcrofts latest idea - Wider Power to Arrest Terror Suspects and is currently floating a draft of a bill before Congress which would circumvent the Freedom of Information Act.  This would allow secret arrests of anyone the government feels like arresting without disclosing their names.  Under the FOIA this is illegal.  They are dubbing this Patriot Act II  - "PATRIOT" ha they don't even comprehend the meaning of the word - nor what thousands of Americans died for defending.
 
Patriot Act??  Should be dubbed KRISTALLNACHT II
 
Heil Bush!!
 
As for North Korea - they did not become belicose until WE FAILED TO LIVE UP TO OUR OBLIGATIONS TO THEM - WE PROMISED THEM ELECTRICAL POWER THROUGH NUCLEAR PLANTS (A TYPE OF WHICH COULD NOT BE USED TO PRODUCE PLUTONIUM) THE COMPLETION DATE OF THOSE FACILITIES WERE YEARS BEYOND WHAT WAS PROMISED!  FURTHERMORE WHATEVER DIALOGUE THAT EXISTED FROM THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION WAS DESTROYED AS SOON A Herr Bush decided CHILDISH NAME CALLING (axis of evil) and personalizing our differences by stating that he "loathed" Kim Jong II the leader of N. Korea.  
 
A REAL STATESMEN OUR PRESIDENT IS HUH!

Editorial taken from the

Los Angeles Times
February 14, 2003

RIGHTS AND THE NEW REALITY

An Overzealous Patriot

With Osama bin Laden yammering again on audiotape and intercepted intelligence chatter pushing the nation to the Code Orange level of alert, no one is in a mood to go soft on terrorists. That doesn't mean it's OK for the Bush administration to hammer away at constitutional freedoms.

Americans would like nothing more than to watch SWAT teams batter their way into the hide-outs of every Al Qaeda sleeper cell. In hopes of making that happen, Congress hastily passed the USA Patriot Act after Sept. 11, giving law enforcement extraordinary new powers to track and arrest potential terrorists. Atty. Gen. John Ashcroft has used those powers to the max. But now he wants more power, more control -- funny how that happens -- and Congress needs to use its constitutional power to control him*.

In recent weeks, Ashcroft has reportedly circulated draft legislation titled the Domestic Security Enhancement Act of 2003. Informally dubbed Patriot II, it would go well beyond the 2001 Patriot Act in diminishing essential civil liberties.

After 9/11, the Justice Department rounded up some 1,200 people, most of whom were never charged with a crime. It held them -- often incommunicado, at least for a while without access to attorneys -- on immigration charges or as material witnesses. In most cases, Ashcroft refused to release the names of those he detained, even when Congress asked.

Judges released some of those terror suspects after bail hearings, concluding they posed no danger to the public and were unlikely to flee. Patriot II would cement in law a "presumption for pretrial detention." The measure would make it easier to deport illegal immigrants and wiretap suspects even if agents could not tie them to a specific foreign group.

Ashcroft also seeks the power to strip citizenship from Americans shown to be working with terrorist groups. Among the targets might be citizens who donated to what they thought were legitimate nonprofit groups. Wow. Is it any wonder the Supreme Court has unequivocally rejected similar legislative assaults on individuals' citizenship rights?

Ashcroft has presented no evidence that the terror-fighting authority he gained in 2001 is inadequate to the task. In fact, he has offered little information on his department's investigations, imperiously rebuffing lawmakers who have asked to see it, including such administration supporters as Reps. Dan Burton (R-Ind.) and Bob Barr (R-Ga.).

The United States is as much a set of ideals as it is a piece of geography. To defend it, Congress and the American people must be as vigilant about protecting individual rights from overzealous patriots as they are about foiling anti-American fanatics.

*bold typeface by <:)duck/ed



FEEL FREE TO COPY OR SAVE AND PASS IT ON IF YOU WISH

SLOGANS FOR T-SHIRTS

A Village In Texas Has Lost Its Idiot
All Humanity Is Downwind
Beat The Bushes For Peace
Bombing For Peace Is Like Fcking For Chastity
Books Not Bombs
Born To Kill, Born To Drill
Brains Not Bombs
Bush Is A Moron Don't Let Him Get His War On
Bush Is A Servant Of Sauron. We Hates Him!
Cheney, Bush, Rumsfeld: Axis Of Weasel
Draft The Bush Twins
Drop Bush, Not Bombs
Drop Names, Not Bombs
Evolve! Work For A Non-violent Future
George Bush Couldn't Run A Laundromat
George Dubya: Weapon Of Mass Distraction
Go Solar, Not Ballistic
God Does Not Bless Only America
Has Anyone Seen Our Constitution Lately?
Honk Your SUV If You're A Terrorist
How Did Our Oil Get Under Their Soil?
How Many Lives Per Gallon?
If War Is The Answer We're Asking The Wrong Question
If You Are Not Outraged You Are Not Paying Attention
Justice Or Just Us?
Killing Innocent People Is The Problem, Not The Solution
Let's Try Preemptive Peace
Make Alternative Energy Not War
Make Love, Not W
More MPGs, Less MIAs
My President Is A Psychopath
Nonviolence, Not Nonexistence
Our Grief Is Not A Cry For War
Peaceful Solution Not Daddy's Retribution
Pretzel - It Does A Country Good
Real Patriots Drive Hybrids
Relax, George
Rich Man's War Poor Man's Blood
Save America, Spare Iraq, Make Texas Take Him Back
Smart Bombs Don't Justify Dumb Leaders
Sorry Dubya - Have A Pretzel Instead
Stop Mad Cowboy Disease
Tame The Tyrant In The Mirror, Then The One In Iraq
There Is No Path To Peace - Peace IS The Path
War Is A Dick Thing, Peace Is A Heart Thing
War Is SO 20th century
We Have Guided Missiles And Misguided Men
Weapons Of Mass Destruction: Look Under The Bushes
What If God Blesses Iraq?
When Bush Comes To Shove
Who Would Jesus Bomb?
Who's The Unelected Tyrant With The Bomb?

 

  

HOW ABOUT A PATRIOTIC SONG

Sung to the tune of "If you're happy and you know  it....."  
 (It's a lot better if you do actually sing along.)  
  
 If you cannot find Osama, bomb Iraq.  
 If the markets are a drama, bomb Iraq.  
 If the terrorists are frisky, Pakistan is looking shifty,  
 North Korea is too risky, Bomb Iraq.  
  
 If we have no allies with us, bomb Iraq.  
 If we think someone has dissed us, bomb Iraq.  
 So to hell with the inspections, Let's look tough for the elections,  
 Close your mind and take directions, Bomb Iraq.  
  
 It's "pre-emptive non-aggression", bomb Iraq.  
 Let's prevent this mass destruction, bomb Iraq.  
 They've got weapons we can't see, And that's good enough for me,  
 'Cos it's all the proof I need, Bomb Iraq.  
  
 If you never were elected, bomb Iraq  
 If your mood is quite dejected, bomb Iraq.  
 If you think Saddam's gone mad, With the weapons that he had,  
 (And he tried to kill your dad), Bomb Iraq.  
  
 If your corporate fraud is growin', bomb Iraq.  
 If your ties to it are showin', bomb Iraq.  
 If your politics are sleazy, And hiding that ain't easy,  
 And your manhood's getting queasy, Bomb Iraq.  
  
 Fall in line and follow orders, bomb Iraq.  
 For our might knows no borders, bomb Iraq.  
 Disagree? We'll call it treason, Let's make war not  love this season,  
 Even if we have no reason, Bomb Iraq.