Email I got from a friend at work- (I added nothing)

[BarTopDancer]

You know what? Even if it is true it still doesn't change my stance on what we did. We went into Iraq to find WMDs because Saddam was going to blow us up if we didn't get to him first. Welp, no WMDs. Lies by the Administration to finish what daddy started, or to fulfill a vendetta.

Sure, it's great that the Iraqi people are quasi-free. But at what cost to AMERICAN lives? Over 1,000 service members have been killed because our government is trigger happy and fear mongering!!!

So their education system is great. But ours, AMERICAS leaves SO MUCH to be desired. Why not get OUR system up to par before worrying about other countries? Why not fix OUR crumbling schools before fixing another countries?

Sure, their military is operational, but WHY is OURS full of equipment from the Vietnam war? Why do OUR service members families have to hold bake-sales and fundraisers to buy flack jackets and body armor for those in Iraq?!

Did you know that OUR service members have to BUY their own body armor, uniforms and weapons to protect themselves over there (or anywhere)?!

Why are we so worried about other countries and their citizens when our country needs a lot of repair? Our schools are crumbling, we have starving children and families. We have homeless families because someone got sick and they couldn't afford the rent the next month. We have homeless and seriously ill vets, people who served our country because their benefits are being slashed left and right. Thanks for your service, now go live on the street we need the money that would go to your medical care to go find WMDs that aren't there and fight a war we're not ready to start. Oh I'm sorry little Jimmy, you can't eat today, your low income lunch program has been cut to provide Iraqi children with structurally safe buildings. Remember to run as fast as you can out of the building if the ground starts shaking! I'm sorry Mr. and Mrs. Smith, you'll have to live on the street or in a shelter for another few months because the programs you need to get you back on your feet and be productive contributing members of society have been cut.

Yea. Real great. Lets put our country last. If we keep it up we won't have a country.

[Not Afraid]

I just love spam, don't you?

[BarTopDancer]

Originally Posted by Not Afraid

I just love spam, don't you?

SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM

[Not Afraid]

Oh, stop with that English drivel. would you?

[Motorboat Cruiser]

Originally Posted by Nephythys's email

I AM ASHAMED OF MY FELLOW AMERICANS WHO WOULD RATHER SEE TERRORISM SUCCEED THAN A REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT.

What a completely asinine statement!

How about having a president who is able to focus on going after the person responsible for the largest terrorist attack on our nation (who still walks free), rather than invade a country that should never have been our #1 priority. Those actions have led to the creation of more, not less, terrorists.

How about a president who takes seriously our need to control our borders to prevent another terrorist attack, even if it might cost him some votes.

How about an administration that could have taken out Zarqawi when they had the chance (three of them, actually) but didn't because it might undercut the case against going to war with Iraq.

With Tuesday’s attacks, Abu Musab Zarqawi, a Jordanian militant with ties to al-Qaida, is now blamed for more than 700 terrorist killings in Iraq.

But NBC News has learned that long before the war the Bush administration had several chances to wipe out his terrorist operation and perhaps kill Zarqawi himself — but never pulled the trigger.

-snip

Military officials insist their case for attacking Zarqawi’s operation was airtight, but the administration feared destroying the terrorist camp in Iraq could undercut its case for war against Saddam.

The United States did attack the camp at Kirma at the beginning of the war, but it was too late — Zarqawi and many of his followers were gone. “Here’s a case where they waited, they waited too long and now we’re suffering as a result inside Iraq,” Cressey added.

And despite the Bush administration’s tough talk about hitting the terrorists before they strike, Zarqawi’s killing streak continues today.

Sorry but the problem isn't that there aren't enough feel-good stories about Iraq on the news. Perhaps every one of the items in the OP is true (although I'm surely not going to trust the DOD propaganda site), it still doesn't erase the fact that invading Iraq did nothing substantial to reduce the threat of another terrorist attack in our country. It doesn't erase the billions of dollars being spent on this war when that money is sorely needed elsewhere. It doesn't erase the fact that we are facing serious problems recruiting new soldiers when the military is stretched too thin. It doesn't erase the fact that there are other threats that deserved more of our attention but didn't get it due to a president who's only focus was taking out Saddam.

[lindyhop]

Originally Posted by Motorboat Cruiser

Sorry but the problem isn't that there aren't enough feel-good stories about Iraq on the news. Perhaps every one of the items in the OP is true (although I'm surely not going to trust the DOD propaganda site), it still doesn't erase the fact that invading Iraq did nothing substantial to reduce the threat of another terrorist attack in our country. It doesn't erase the billions of dollars being spent on this war when that money is sorely needed elsewhere. It doesn't erase the fact that we are facing serious problems recruiting new soldiers when the military is stretched too thin. It doesn't erase the fact that there are other threats that deserved more of our attention but didn't get it due to a president who's only focus was taking out Saddam.

Thank you. You've expressed exactly what I've been struggling to articulate ever since I read this thread last night.

[BarTopDancer]

Originally Posted by Nephythys (from the article, not Nephy!!!)

I AM ASHAMED OF MY FELLOW AMERICANS WHO WOULD RATHER SEE TERRORISM SUCCEED THAN A REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT.

I am ASHAMED of my fellow Americans who care more about other countires than our own!

I am ASHAMED of my fellow Americans who want to take others rights away because of their religious beliefs.

I am ASHAMED of my fellow Americans who blindly believe ANY president or government offiical. One of our RIGHTS in this country is to question our government. It should be done more often.

I am ASHAMED of my fellow Americans who bash and call anyone who doesn't support our President anti-American. Does that make everyone who didn't support Clinton anti-American too?

[Motorboat Cruiser]

Originally Posted by BarTopDancer

I am ASHAMED of my fellow Americans who bash and call anyone who doesn't support our President anti-American. Does that make everyone who didn't support Clinton anti-American too?

A very good point!

[€uroMeinke]

Originally Posted by Nephythys

OF COURSE WE DIDN'T KNOW!

WHY DIDN'T WE KNOW? OUR MEDIA WOULDN'T TELL US!

If this is true, where did the list come from?

I'm curious where this notion of "THE MEDIA" as some sort of big brother comes from. In this day of widespread internet connections, there are many "media" outlets of a wide variety of flavors.

The stories no doubt are out there, but probably are not as entertaining or visually stimulating to get into a 30 minute TV news program. But these things are in the entertainment business, so I can't fault them becasue honestly we'd rather see Janet Jackson's boobs than hear about any of the above. Politics is so boring don't you know.

[Kevy Baby]

Wow, let's of rhetoric flying around. Let me counter your hateful comments and show you how wrong it is to state them by espousing my own hateful vindictive rhetoric (not pointed at anybody specific, kinda just an observation).

While I normally like to do more research before getting involved in such a spate, I will provide links to Snopes who did a little non-partisan response (basically: some facts, some opinions, some questionable stuff) along with a link Snopes provides with an alternative viewpoint from Voices in the Wilderness within Iraq. (I find it amusing that even those who bash the OP as whitewash never bothered to find any FACTS to support their argument.)

I've pretty much decided to stay out of matters of politics of late because there is not a single thing that could be said at this point (at least that I have seen) that is going to change anyone's minds around here. Well, that and free time for me is scarce these days.