mr mahs

All the rhetoric on whether or not we should go to war against Iraq has got my insane little brain spinning like a roulette wheel. I enjoy reading opinions from both sides, but I have detected a hint of confusion from some of you. As I was reading the paper recently, I was reminded of the best advice someone ever gave me. He told me about the KISS method ("Keep it Simple, Stupid"). So, with this as a theme, I'd like to apply this theory for those who don't quite get it. My hope is that we can simplify things a bit and recognize a few important facts. Here are 10 things to consider when voicing an opinion on this important issue: 1. President Bush and Saddam Hussein.....Hussein is the bad guy. 2. If you have faith in the United Nations to do the right thing, keep this in mind. They have Libya heading the Committee on Human Rights and Iraq heading the Global Disarmament Committee. Do your own math here. 3. If you use Google Search and type in "French Military Victories," your reply will be "Did you mean French Military Defeats?" 4. If your only anti-war slogan is "No war for oil," sue your school district for allowing you to slip through the cracks and robbing you of the education you deserve. 5. Saddam and Bin Laden will not seek United Nations approval before they try to kill us. 6. Despite what some seem to believe, Martin Sheen is NOT the President. He plays one on T.V. 7. Even if you are anti-war, you are still an "Infidel" and Bin Laden wants you dead, too. 8. If you believe in a "vast right-wing conspiracy," but you do not believe in the danger that Hussein poses, quit hanging out with the Dell computer dude. 9. We are not trying to liberate them. 10. Whether you are for military action, or against it, our young men and women overseas are fighting for us to defend our right to speak out. We all need to support them without reservation.

Not meeting with the CIA for 2 weeks is more thendropping the ball... It means he could give a rats ass what happened.. He also cut defense spending.. He was interested more in preseving the rain forest or where on Monica dress he wanted to top off on.. then to be bothrered with 18 of our sailors losing their lives

The story only simplifies the tax cut for individuals not the corporate dividend tax cut..

The WTC was vplanned for 2 years before that day... The terrorists drew their confidence from the embassy and Cole bombings... Did you know it took Clinton 2.5 weeks before meeting with CIA to discuss the bombings??

You got that right.. 3/4 of college students don't use their education.. I am currently in school part time while working and in the corporate world it's all about who you know...but I will complete the degree because I feel it will be an accomplishment I can be proud of even if it takes me 10 years...

This is for people especially liberals and socialist (that's you Sassa) who think the rich are the only ones making out...from W. Plan ******************************* Let's put tax cuts in terms everyone can understand. Suppose that every day, ten men go out for dinner. The bill for all ten comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this: -The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing -The fifth would pay $1 -The sixth would pay $3 -The seventh $7 -The eighth $12 -The ninth $18 -The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59. So, that's what they decided to do. The ten men ate dinner in the restaurant every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve. "Since you are all such good customers," he said, "I'm going to reduce the cost of your daily meal by $20." So now dinner for the ten only cost $80. The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes. So the first four men were unaffected. They would still eat for free. But what about the other six, the paying customers? How could they divvy up the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his "fair share?" The six men realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtracted that from everybody's share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being "paid" to eat their meal. So the restaurant owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man's bill by roughly the same amount, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay. And so: -The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings) -The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33% savings) -The seventh now paid $5 instead of $7 (28% savings) -The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings) -The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% savings) -The tenth now paid $49 instead $59 (16% savings) Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued to eat for free. But once outside the restaurant, the men began to compare their savings. "I only got a dollar out of the $20," declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth. "But he got $10!" "Yeah, that's right," exclaimed the fifth man. "I only saved a dollar, too. It's unfair that he got ten times more than me!" "That's true!" shouted the seventh man. "Why should he get $10 back when I got only $2? The wealthy get all the breaks!" "Wait a minute," yelled the first four men in unison. "We didn't get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!" The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up. The next night the tenth man didn't show up for dinner, so the nine sat down and ate without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn't have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill! And that, boys and girls, journalists and college professors, is how our tax system works. The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up at the table anymore. There are lots of good restaurants in Europe and the Caribbean. ******************************************** So, once again. How is it that the overburdened, overtaxed supposed rich are benefiting again? To be Prepared for war, is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace -- George Washington Homeland Support Team http://www.homelandteam.com/index.php

The promblem with educations starts at the home. Teachers can make an excess of 70k in the city if they have the degrees and tenure.. Todays kids are failing in motivation either from home or role models.. To say a child in america who is poor can't receive an ample education is incorrect a person can be what ever they want in life but the desire has to be there... Children today have to decide either to play XBOX or a text book. I know what I will choose sometimes technology has it's cons

You are pissed your terrorist freinds in the middle east are getting their feathers ruffled.. Igloo is right not 1 thing in 2 years I think you should rethink that major of your's honey... International relations:laugh: Yeah and I am a prime candidate for the democratic nomination for president in 2004...

N.Korea conceded to having multi-national talks.. WOW yet another positive from the Iraqi war, man the points are adding up for this President... I don't know if you tree huggers realise this but the WORLD responds to power by giving respect.. The Clinton-Gore fiasco FAILED at this miserably.. that's why 2 embassies, Cole and the planning of 911 happened on their watch... N/KOREA learned it's lesson from Iraq and in due time so will Iran and Syria...Cheer up boys and girls the world will be a better place because someone grabbed their balls to attack this promblem...

MODERN DAY HIPPIE...

I got it from Hannity's message board.. Here is the link to the boards I think you will find it interesting.... My screen name is JOHNDFOURSENATE.. http://www.wabcradio.com/goout.asp?u=http://www.hannity.com

I agree, you can't wish terrorism away.. there will have to be many things that pan out in order for it to stop from squeezing countries who sponsor it to resolving the Palestinian Isreali situation... I can tell you this we have the momentum now to get alot of these things done...history is being made before our eyes...

I am the average American..... I'm the guy who sends you grain when your crops fail, and drinking water when your rivers,streams, and lakes dry up. I'm the guy who sends hordes of rescue personnel, trucks, and helicopters to aid you when you suffer earthquakes, floods, and mudslides. I'm the guy who sends in my sons and daughters to "keep the peace" when you can no longer do so. When those relief workers ration out that rice- I probably helped pay for it by working some dirty job that I really hate. When that UH-60 Blackhawk hoists your parents to safety from the roof of your flooded house, it's because I paid for it with my U.S. tax-dollars. When those Peace Corp members dig that irrigation ditch to help your little farming village, it is with my backing and my blessing. And when your neighbor threatens you and your way of life, more often than not it is I who will stand up and make him back down. But I weep today.... I weep for thousands of fellow Americans whom I will never know... I weep for hundreds of brave firemen, policemen, and paramedics who perished while heroically doing their duties... I weep for 244 airline passengers who never reached their destinations... Saddest of all...I weep with the knowledge that I will forever be looking over my shoulder... I weep for innocents lost... I weep for innocence destroyed... I weep for naivete shattered... But soon I will weep no more... I will dry the tears from my eyes... I will wipe my runny nose... I will tighten my belt, and lace up my boots.. And I will sharpen my knife... I will dry my powder... and I will oil my weapon.. And as I do so, I will look, and I will listen.. I will note the kind word, the shared grief, the shocked condolences... I will appreciate the support, and be ever grateful for any and all aid offered... But I will also note the gloating, the laughter, the jeers, and the perverse joy... And I will remember... I am an American... I am resourceful... I am determined... and I NEVER forget.. Sleep well, I'll see you soon. God Bless America!

I can't wait to see Bush and the boys squash that cockaroach in Syria.. It won't come to that quickly.. Iraq is a lesson to the world that we will not tolerate a terrorist sponsoring regime let's see if they are taking notes.. They will be given a chance to take their foot out of their month so they don't catch a foot in the ass... My guess they fold and give up Sadam and his cronies and all will be well but if they don't geuss where that MOAB is heading ....

I think you did too many bumps of K my freind. The thread started out American Terrrorism and then you start ranting about people calling you anti-american.. You obviously disagree with the war.. You and the likes of Janine Grafolo have egg on your face heres why... Total Iraqi casualties 1500 estimate and that's from a foreign source.. How are we terrorists if with a push of a button Iraq could have been a PARKING LOT 3 weeks ago and you and every other LOON on this board knows it.. When has a country ever avoiding killing civilians in the past..Did Germany limit civilian casulties in WWII or did we even avoid civilians we carpet bombed Germay or Japan.. Nothing will make you guys happy... You don't wan't civilians hurt.. We select targets and work around sadam's loyalists using civilians as human sheilds.. If you don't object that Sdam is a monster and murdered hundreds of thousands of his own people then how for 1 sec can you object to this war?? I just don't get it.. I will tell you guys 1 thing in since NOV 2002 Bush and the REPUBLICAN party have done what the Democratic pussy footing CLITON-BORE administaraion said they were doing fro 12 years..

Iraqis are telling American troops about places where weapons of mass destruction might be hidden, adding to the thousands of sites the United States wants to check. As combat winds down in Iraq, the hunt for chemical and biological weapons or nuclear materials is rising on the priority list for American troops. There are more potential nuclear, biological or chemical weapons sites in Iraq than U.S. military teams to check them, Pentagon officials said Sunday. U.S. forces have a list of 2,000 to 3,000 sites in Iraq that need to be checked, and weapons teams are checking up to 20 sites a day, said the war's commander, Gen. Tommy Franks. Iraqis ranging from common citizens to high-ranking officials have suggested other possible hiding places to be searched, Franks and other military officials said. "There are so many sites, we are not able to get to all of them right away," a senior Pentagon official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. "It's fair to say there are a lot of places U.S. forces are adding to the list." Captured Iraqi officials could help add to the list as well. Several top officials of Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq, including the president's half brother and a former science adviser, are in coalition custody. The Iraqis are being interrogated about the country's suspected weapons of mass destruction programs, U.S. officials said. They also are being pressed for details on where Saddam is, if he is alive, as well as the whereabouts of other former Iraqi leaders. The captured Iraqis include Watban Ibrahim Hasan, one of Saddam's three half brothers, who once served as Iraq's interior minister. Hasan was the five of spades in the deck of playing cards the U.S. military issued with pictures of wanted Iraqi officials. Franks said Sunday that the United States was holding several high-ranking Iraqi prisoners in western Iraq. Neither he nor Pentagon officials would say how many leading Iraqis have been captured. One former Iraqi official who could provide major help for the weapons hunt is Lt. Gen. Amer al-Saadi, who surrendered to American forces Saturday. Al-Saadi, the seven of diamonds in the U.S. deck of cards, was Saddam's point man on weapons of mass destruction before the Iraqi government collapsed. Pentagon officials said they did not know if al-Saadi was sticking to his prewar assertions that Iraq no longer had any chemical or biological weapons. Shortly before leaving his Baghdad villa to surrender Saturday, al-Saadi insisted Iraq has no such weapons. Also unclear was how helpful Hasan could be. He was dismissed as interior minister, the official in charge of Iraq's domestic security, and was shot by Saddam's son Odai in 1995 amid one of the many family squabbles. Saddam did not trust Hasan and was having him watched, a U.S. official said. He was captured near Mosul in northern Iraq, apparently as he tried to escape to Syria, the official said. Another half brother, Barzan Ibrahim Hasan, was targeted by a coalition airstrike Friday on a building in central Iraq. Military officials said Sunday they had not confirmed Barzan Hasan's fate. American troops also have found scores of vests filled with explosives and metal bearings that could be used by suicide bombers in Iraq, Franks and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said. Documents found at one site suggested 30 of the bomb vests were missing, Rumsfeld said. Franks said the United States has a DNA sample from Saddam to check against remains found that might be from the Iraqi president. Two Baghdad airstrikes targeted Saddam, but Rumsfeld and Franks said they did not know if Saddam was alive. "He's either dead or he's running a lot," Franks said. Pockets of resistance, as well as Fedayeen Saddam "death squads," remain in Iraq

:laugh: My dillusional little liberal why are you so confused... Must be all that conspiracy thinking that has rotten your brain.. Get your head out of the rain forest and actually listen to the plan that was outlined in the Nov 2002 when Bush spoke to the U.N about their relevence... Do you guys live in a box let me refresh your memory The original plan talked about the threat to our country either by terrorist's or regimes that sponsor terrorism.. The U.S also spoke about the humanitarian situation in Iraq how Sadam has turtured their civilians fore 25 years.. Vicman.. No WMD right?? Tell me why they were finding chemical suits all over the country or atropiene injections to repell nerve gas?? How about the diffrent missiles that were found in the bunkers under the country which also explains the detail this regime put into concealing it WMD. You saying Iraq has no weapons is like the Ministry of information saying we weren't knocking on the front door of bahgdad a week ago... You guys kill me I sware.. -First it was the war paln that was flawed because of resistance WRONG!! resistance for the most part have been destroyed.. -Then it was a humanitarian disaster WRONG.. Humanitarian aid is being distributed in the south with a route from Um Qasar to naziriah and in due time through out the whole country.. - We didn't plan enough for the looting.. wrong again... The looting has stopped and the Iraqi's are policing their own neighborhoods unlikie critics claim that we would occupy the land .. I will say it again the mission has many goals that would feed of each other..here is an example We liberate the people DON'T police for the most part and earn the trust of the people..They turn around and lead us to WMD and leadership hideouts.. The people are the best source of intel.. I can't beleive this is so hard to comprehend.. Even if we land some contracts for our oil co's big deal We won't see any Iraq's complain why should Americans..

I agree!

If you owed me 1k but I decided you can give me 100 a month for 10 mos isn't that the same?? REACHING! Vice President Dick Cheney and Lynne Cheney made $945,051 in 2002 and got a tax refund of $95,858. The Cheneys had paid $436,972 in taxes through withholding and estimated tax payments, when it turned out they owed $341,114, his office said. The income included the vice president's $190,134 salary. In addition, Cheney earned $162,392 as a result of deferred compensation from when he headed Halliburton Company. In December 1998, Cheney deferred his 1999 salary as Halliburton chief executive, electing instead for it to be paid over five years, his office said. The Cheneys' income also included Lynne Cheney's earnings for her work at American Enterprise Institute, Reader's Digest and American Express Mutual Funds. The Cheneys donated $121,983 to charity in 2002, most of it from donating Mrs. Cheney's royalties from her book "America: A Patriotic Primer" and her forthcoming book "A is for Abigail."

Boos for Bill at concert BILL Clinton was booed Wednesday night when he took the stage at the Beacon Theater at the start of a Willie Nelson concert. "The place went wild when [Clinton] was announced," said our spy. "There was loud booing and yelling." Clinton "seemed angered" and made a comment about "angry Republicans," which stirred the crowd on more. "There was so much anti-Clinton booing and yelling that when Willie came back out, he asked if everyone was all right . . . the concert was taped for a Memorial Day showing on the USA network, but even with serious editing, it will be hard to use the Clinton part at all." A Clinton aide acknowledged some booing, but added: "There was so much applauding that he had to quiet them down so he could introduce Willie. [Clinton] was not upset at all. They gave him quite a rousing ovation and he was mobbed by all the talent. He had just flown in from Mexico and went straight to the event." Lyle Lovett, Sheryl Crow, John Mellencamp, Kris Kristofferson, Kenny Chesney, Elvis Costello and Norah Jones were also there to wish Nelson a happy 70th birthday.

I would pay money to see this happen... We're waiting JANEANE Garofalo might owe President Bush an apology. When the Bush-bashing comic went on Fox News Channel's "The Pulse" on March 6, Bill O'Reilly had a wager for her: "If you are wrong, all right, and if the United States . . . goes in, liberates Iraq, people in the street, American flags, hugging our soldiers, all right, we find all kinds of bad, bad stuff, all right, in Iraq, you gonna apologize to George W. Bush?" Garofalo replied, "I would be so willing to say I'm sorry, I hope to God that I can be made a buffoon of, that people will say you were wrong, you were a fatalist, and I will go to the White House on my knees on cut glass and say, hey, you were right, I shouldn't have doubted you. But I tend to think that is preposterous." Meanwhile, Garofalo is so unpopular that Miss USA won't pose for pictures with her. At last Saturday's "Artrageous" event in Chelsea, Miss USA Susie Castillo was being herded into a picture with Garofalo by photographers when her publicist Matthew Rich started shrieking, "Not with Janeane! Not with Janeane! [Castillo] can't get caught up in her politics." Castillo is set to do several USO tours with troops overseas

The reports of AlJazeer reporters being chased out of Um qusar because of the lies and one sided reporting brought a smile to my face... Even the Iraqi's know that they were portraying the Coalition in a bad light and spreading lies... And people say our media is govermnet ran, Yeah right!!

April 11, 2003 -- Just how far will the fallout from Saddam Hussein's demise reach? Here's what an Arab affairs expert, Shefi Gabai, said Wednesday: "This is a major earthquake for the Mideast. In the eyes of the Arab masses, Saddam was the only leader who defied the West." He's right. Saddam was nothing if not drunk on power. He thrived on his military might (not inconsiderable for the region), and on using it to bully his neighbors. For this, he was admired in the Arab world as much as he was feared. That his belligerence was aimed at the West, as well, only further enhanced his stature among West-hating Arabs. No wonder Osama bin Laden loved Saddam. No wonder so many in the Arab world felt crushed by his defeat. "It is an earthquake, not just for Iraq, but for the whole region," said Qasem Jaafar, a political commentator for al- Jazeera TV, echoing Gabai's description. "We don't want to believe what happened, we don't want to believe what we saw: American tanks are creating changes in the Arab world." Best to believe it, guys. Yet what's happening is not the suppression of the Arab people and culture by the West - but, rather, the creation of a rare and wonderful new opportunity for advancement by that culture. It is people like Saddam - and Bashar Assad in Damascus, Yasser Arafat in Ramallah, the princes of Riyadh, even "moderates" in Egypt and Jordan - who suppress their Arab constituents. The more of them gone, the better the chances for self-determination and the rule of law in the Arab world. If America and Great Britain are able to coax democracy in Iraq, if they are able to strong-arm true self-determination and the end of corruption and rule-by-terror among Palestinian Arabs, maybe tides will turn, finally, in the Middle East. America did not ask for this burden. Certainly, the war was not waged to acquire land, confiscate property or subjugate populations. But most of the Arab world has been beached on an island of oppression, inequality and corruption for far too long. If it takes a Western-sparked earthquake to bring about change, so be it. The net result will be great news not just for the West, but for Arabs as well. Anyone who doubts it, can just ask the liberated Iraqis who greeted Americans in Baghdad this week.

Do the Kuwaiti's "kneel down to another powerful entity"?? You claim that we will exploit the Iraqi's but when I give you an example of another country that we liberated and did not exploit you dodge the question.... Name one country we went in and forced our values after war. Japan? WRONG! Germany? WRONG Afghanistan? WRONG! Your argumant holds no weight except what you assume will happen. We understand they have their culture that's why the interim government will be led by Iraqi's until a governement can be selected by the Iraqi's. I really have to say that I have never met anyone with such a prejudice against the U.S. that is just so 1960 pro- hippie, the american just an imperialist machine way of thinking that makes YOU sound very ignorant. I constantly hear you play down what was accomplished in Iraq why? I bet now your buddies in high places in the middle east realise that the party is over and the governement actually has to give a shit about it's people.. Are you a socialist? do you beleive capitalism is evil? I just want to know seriously.. Cheer up baby the Iraqi's are free and the world is a better place...

Exploit them like we did the Kuwaiti's??? In 91 it was funded by ALLIES like Japan and England, you obviously don't know anything about the Unites States Economy. Our economy pumps out 3 trillion dollars and your implying we actually drastically benefited from that net.. This countries throws billions around like I tip bartenders and you think we needed it.. so that's why we went to war in 91? Will some of our companies land some big fat contracts YOU BET YA rightfully so for liberating them but we were def not starving.. I love to see you drag the conspiracy theory in your 1 sided post.. The poeople are free, we R finding WMD sites and SADAM IS GONE FROM POWER..