CRETINS OF WAR

Terror is the most effective political instrument. I shall not permit myself to be robbed of it simply because a lot of stupid, bourgeois mollycoddles choose to be offended by it. It is my duty to make use of every means of training the people to severity, and to prepare them for war.

Adolph Hitler

I want our fellow citizens to consider what would happen if these forces of radicalism and extremism were allowed to drive us out of the Middle East. The region would be dramatically transformed in a way that could imperil the civilized world. Extremists of all strains would be emboldened by the knowledge that they forced America to retreat.

Terrorists could have more safe havens to conduct attacks on Americans and our friends and allies. Iran could conclude that we were weak -- and could not stop them from gaining nuclear weapons. And once Iran had nuclear weapons, it would set off a nuclear arms race in the region.

George W. Bush

August 28, 2007

There is no easy or risk-free course of action. Some have argued we should wait -- and that's an option. In my view, it's the riskiest of all options, because the longer we wait, the stronger and bolder Saddam Hussein will become. We could wait and hope that Saddam does not give weapons to terrorists, or develop a nuclear weapon to blackmail the world. But I'm convinced that is a hope against all evidence. As Americans, we want peace -- we work and sacrifice for peace. But there can be no peace if our security depends on the will and whims of a ruthless and aggressive dictator. I'm not willing to stake one American life on trusting Saddam Hussein.

America must not ignore the threat gathering against us. Facing clear evidence of peril, we cannot wait for the final proof -- the smoking gun -- that could come in the form of a mushroom cloud.
Some worry that a change of leadership in Iraq could create instability and make the situation worse. The situation could hardly get worse, for world security and for the people of Iraq. The lives of Iraqi citizens would improve dramatically if Saddam Hussein were no longer in power. By our resolve, we will give strength to others. By our courage, we will give hope to others. And by our actions, we will secure the peace, and lead the world to a better day.

Remarks by the President on Iraq
Cincinnati Museum Center - Cincinnati Union Terminal
Cincinnati, Ohio
October 7, 2002

Either war is obsolete or men are.

R. Buckminster Fuller

Our fine imperial government will once again deduct from our paychecks more money for the Decider's Disastrous Debacle in Iraq.

$50,000,000,000.

The Long War President---and a Cowardly and Corrupt Congress---don't consider $22 billion too much money for the American people to blow.

But this is the good news.

The bad news is that King George is getting mad again, and is once again smirking.

The smirk came when he said that the Middle East is a region "under the shadow of a nuclear holocaust.”
Pre-emptive war is the trademark of the Bush regime.

Iran is probably next on the chopping block of shock and awe.

I guess we are going to get an early Christmas present.

Better start buying plenty of Duck Tape and plastic.

Just before his smirk our Long War President said:

"We will confront this danger before it is too late."

World War III (or is it IV?)...is again knocking on that proverbial and historical (or one should say hysterical and insane) door.

I just learned the history of the word cretin today.

My students were reading Gore Vidal's play Visit to a Small Planet.

The alien who visits our tiny blue planet is called Kreton.

Mr. Vidal, I am certain, did not leave to chance his choice of this particular word.

Here is the etymology of cretin:

1779, from Fr. Alpine dialect crestin, "a dwarfed and deformed idiot," from V.L. *christianus "a Christian," a generic term for "anyone," but often with a sense of "poor fellow."

Although President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad could be a bigger cretin than George W. Bush, one wishes that the direction that our Decider is probably going to take us would be a path other than more war….war…war!

We are at a crossroads.

Einstein told us:

A country cannot simultaneously prepare and prevent war.

It is impossible to achieve peace as long as every single action is taken with a possible future conflict in view. The leading point of view of all political action should therefore be: what can we do to bring about a peaceful coexistence and even loyal cooperation of the nations? The first problem is to do away with mutual fear and distrust. Solemn renunciation of violence (not only with respect to means of mass destruction) is undoubtedly necessary. Such renunciation, however, can be effective only if at the same time a supranational judicial and executive body is set up empowered to decide questions of immediate concern to the security of the nations.

H. G. Wells told us:

Human history becomes more and more a race between education and catastrophe.

Erich Fromm told us:

I believe that today there is only one main concern: the question of war and peace. Man is likely to destroy all life on earth, or to destroy all civilized life and the values among those that remain, and to build a barbaric, totalitarian organization which will rule what is left of mankind. To wake up to this danger, to look through the double talk on all sides which is used to prevent men from seeing the abyss toward which they are moving is the one obligation, the one moral and intellectual command which men must respect today. If he does not, we all will be doomed.

WHEN WILL WE EVER LISTEN!

It's the oil stupid!