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saintDominick

Listed below are comments made by saintDominick between Saturday, 31st October 2009 and Monday, 2nd November 2009.

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Another fine mess 01:37am on 02 Nov 2009 Ref 21, HabitualHero

"A comic genius is born."

I am delighted you found my comment amusing.

Regardless of what you may think about us, we like to think our actions are justified and we are fighting for a good cause. Unfortunately for us, our leaders are well aware of our naivete and don't hesitate to exploit it by assuring us that our actions are designed to liberate people that are being abused by their leaders or intent on destroying themselves, we also love to think we are bringing freedom and democracy to other nations even when our actions include removing foreign leaders and replacing them with ones supportive of our interests.

In this case, the need for further deliberation has nothing to do with what is best for the Afghan people, but the need to sell the decision to the American people.

Our limited knowledge of other cultures, and our prejudices of anything foreign, allow unscrupulous politicians to get whatever they want. You have to go no further than the conviction that most Americans still have about Saddam Hussein being involved in 9/11. Innuendo and repetition is far more convincing to the general public than the result of investigations and facts.
When hope is all that's left 4:26pm on 01 Nov 2009 Ref 206, MAII

Blaming Dodd and Frank for our economic meltdown ignores the fact that neither has the authority to make policy, and that both were members of the minority party for much of their tenure.

Both parties share the blame for what happened - and so do we, the people - but one thing is clear, it didn't happen because legislation was passed in the Clinton era to facilitate house ownership to lower middle class Americans. In part, because the real estate meltdown was only one of several factors for the economic problems we are having, but also because the real estate collapse was not caused by low income people defaulting on their mortgages.

I don't know what is happening in other parts of the country but in Florida, where I live, most of the foreclosures and the large inventory of available housing are luxury condos and mansions built by naive developers that thought the influx of wealthy retirees from other parts of the countries was going to go on forever. When those potential newcomers were unable to sell their houses in the Northeast and Midwest they either postponed retirement or stayed put. Our greedy investors, and the banks that lend them the money, were left holding the bag.

Today you can buy $1M+ condos throughout Florida for half the original price, a fact that has not gone unnoticed to hundreds of foreigners.
Another fine mess 4:08pm on 01 Nov 2009 Mark, you got it right on all counts. The reason we need a "legitimate" leader in Afghanistan is because of supporting a puppet or a corrupt leader is unacceptable to most Americans. We have paid dearly for the "wars" in Afghanistan and Iraq, not only financially, but in lives sacrificed for a nebulous cause and thousands of young Americans maimed or affected by PTSD.

I consider the invasion of these countries unwarranted and immoral and believe that the best course of action is to withdraw immediately, but if we are to remain there we must provide our troops with everything they need and we must give them a sense of purpose that has been MIA for 7 years.
When hope is all that's left 12:31pm on 01 Nov 2009 Ref 184, Magic

"(What support blocking strong sanctions)"

Precisely. Sanctions don't work when the country targeted can sell China all the oil it wants and the only thing we can do is sit and watch. The sanctions proposed by the Bush administration were not only unenforceable, they were designed to perpetuate a crisis considered critical by its neocon sponsors to justify our adventurism and "defense" spending.

The recent breakthroughs, and especially the distinct possibility of Iran agreeing to enrich uranium overseas, which denies them the ability to develop nuclear weapons, is a testament to the benefits of diplomacy and good will over policies of fear and intimidation.

"(Actually the 6 party talk with China's participation was iniated by Bush who stoped the only carrot approach of Madeline Albright. Besides NK already recieved a basketball)"

Thank you for acknowledging that Bush participated and endorsed the six-party talks. Hopefully the new diplomatic initiative will produce a little more than the destruction of an obsolete nuclear plant...

I don't know about basketballs, but a few old Westerns may do the trick.
When hope is all that's left 12:00pm on 01 Nov 2009 Ref 182, Magic

"Dominick why must I provide evidence for you? You could googled it yourself. You and other make opposite statements and present them as fact. when i do provide a link it is not sufficent."

Don't you think it is a good idea to provide some evidence when making a claim? The rationale used by Rush Limbaugh and FOX News to describe President Obama's tour, and particularly his visit to Egypt, as an "apology tour" was that in addition to having the audacity of visiting and talking to Muslims he presssured the Israelis to make concessions and find a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian impasse.

In effect, and according to right wing fascists, anything that defuses the many crises that exist throughout the world and make the need to invade developing nations and impose our will on others constitute appeasement, is an apology, and is tantamount to political sacrilege.
When hope is all that's left 11:52am on 01 Nov 2009 Ref 178, Amerika first

"Had Barney Frank and Chris Dodd not blocked an investigation of the banking industry by GWB first term Treasury Secretary then the financal meltdown that has occurred might not have occurred."

Don't let Dick Cheney's continuous efforts to mislead the public influence your opinion. As members of the minority party during President Bush's first term, neither Sen. Frank nor Sen. Dodd were in a position to block anything Bush proposed or anything the GOP majority in Congress wanted to pass. The Democrats did not have control of the Senate until the last two years of the Bush Administration when the Democrats had 49 seats, the GOP had 49 seats, there were 2 Independents and Dick Cheney was the tie breaker.

In early 2007, as new chairman of the House Finance Services Committee, Frank sponsored a bill (H. R. 1427) authorizing the creation of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), granting that agency supervisory and regulatory authority over Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The new agency was required to reform the business practices of Fannie and Freddie to limit their exposure to credit and market fluctuations and other financial risks. President Bush signed the new legislation into law on July 30, 2008.
When hope is all that's left 11:32pm on 31 Oct 2009 Ref 174, Magic

"Richard Nixon even after Watetgate was regard as one the great foriegn policy President of the last 100 years"

I don't know about the 100 years bit, but I agree that President Nixon deserves a lot more credit for his foreign policy accomplishments than most people give him credit for.

"Obama's diplomacy or apology tour has brought dividens. No help from Russia and China on the nuclear threat, no quid pro from Russia for cancelling the missle defense sheild, no lessing of anti-american rehotoric from the Chavez, Morales Corea and the other latin American depsots. No overture from Arab states to Israel."

I am still waiting for evidence of President Obama apologizing to anyone. Contrary to what you said, Russia has interceded and is actively engaged in solving the Iran nuclear weapons impasse. The fact that their support was given immediately after President Obama decided to end the missile deployment in Eastern Europe is not a coincidence. Enriching uranium abroad would put our fears to rest and should pave the way to cooperation and trade instead of the constant name calling, suspicions, and the distinct possibility of a major conflict in the Persian Gulf region. China's role in starting nuclear disarmament talks with North Korea immediately after President Wen's visit to Washington a few months ago is not a coincidence either.

Chavez, Morales and Correa have toned down their rhetoric, but remain intent on advancing their political agenda, which has the full support of most of their fellow citizens but is, clearly, viewed with suspicion and overt antagonism in the USA.

Both the Palestinians and Israelis remain as intransigent as ever and seem determined to preserve the status quo. Hopefully, Secretary Clinton will lean on both and read them the rights act. If they don't listen we should cut off all economic and military aid until the problem is resolved. We could use the money to extend unemployment benefits at home...
When hope is all that's left 11:15pm on 31 Oct 2009 Ref 174, Magic

"(But he was never feared or do you think any country would have invaded a u.s embassy under Regan either Bushs or Clinton watch, but than Cater is a terrorist appeaser)"

Magic, I have to hand it to you, you do have nerve! Have you forgotten Reagan's cut and run in Lebanon after over 400 U.S. marines were slaughtered during his watch? Have you forgotten Iran-Contra when your beloved President Reagan engaged in shady business deals with the Iranians to provide arms to the contras?

If you want to find an example of a U.S. President that was not feared and was viewed with a mixture of contempt and disbelief abroad, and who engaged in the ultimate example of appeasement imaginable that President was none other than Ronald Reagan.

And when it comes to daring, there are few things more perverse in our history than 9/11...which happened on Bush's watch.
When hope is all that's left 10:00pm on 31 Oct 2009 Ref 169, colonelartist

"And what about the oil? If obama will do all these things, how will he follow the great oil trail?"

If President Obama's goal was to seize and control large oil reserves we would not be in Afghanistan. Saudi Arabia, Lybia, Nigeria, Venezuela or postponing President Bush's decision to leave Iraq next year would be our top priorities to "follow the great oil trail".

Whether people want to believe it or not, we could care less about the proposed gas pipeline through Afghanistan. We are in that country because of political considerations, not because of oil and certainly not because we want to liberate the population of Afghanistan from themselves and impose a political system that is inconsistent with their values and aspirations.

Our biggest problem in Afghanistan is that we lost the moral high ground when we changed our original goal of destroying the Al Qaeda training camps in that country and capturing or killing Osama bin Laden and his lieutenants to an all encompassing goal that included regime change, and a cultural and judicial transformation that is not only not shared by the Afghan people, but rejected outright.

The reason we can't win this "war" is because we don't enjoy the support of the population, which is solidly on the side of those fighting for the sovereignty of their country and determined to expel the invaders, the same way we would under similar circumstances.

Iraq, on the other hand, was a different matter. While $1T of taxpayer's money has been wasted with little to show for it, that little adventure has been a bonanza for corporate America...particularly our oil companies, construction companies, and "security" companies.
When hope is all that's left 8:21pm on 31 Oct 2009 Ref 165, Magic

"How come he didn't bother to act on Afghanastan even though the information was coordinated during the transition?"

After six years of neglect by the Bush Administration, President Obama put Afghanistan at the forefront of his Persian Gulf strategy. During his first 100 days in office, and after several reviews of U.S. policy in the region, including one by Gen. David Petraeus, President Obama authorized increasing troop levels by 17,000 soldiers.

Since then, the president and the Pentagon have been considering a request from Gen. David McKiernan for an additional 30,000 troops, which I suspect will be authorized as soon as the presidential run off is complete in Afghanistan.

I believe President Obama is making a horrible mistake, but for the opposite reason you are insinuating. The only justification to maintain - or increase - the current troops levels from 130,000 U.S. and NATO forces to 160,000 is to subdue the people of Afghanistan. It simply does not make sense to have such a large contingent of troops to engage a few dozen Al Qaeda terrorists and a few hundred Taliban fighters.

The best way to address this issue is to infiltrate Al Qaeda and destroy that organization, negotiate a peaceful settlement with the Taliban - which enjoys the support of the majority of the Afghan people - and help improve the standard of living in that country through positive deeds instead of bombs.

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