A Reply To The Reply

Yes, I agree - our leaders are "awake", but I'm not convinced they have a clue as how to deal with all this, and they've been clueless on contingency planning for what may happen. I watched FOX NEWS SUNDAY this morning. Newt Gingrich and Joe Biden were agreeing with each other concerning this "lack of appropriate action". I never agree with Sen. Biden but found myself shaking my head in affirmation to what was being said. He expressed it as; "a seemingly nonexistent learning curve" within the administration. The problem is not being aware or awake but lacking ability to deal with the situation.

Iraq and the Shia/Sunni situation is a mess. Afghanistan is a mess. Why is Al-Sadr still living, why are tribal Imams still running things, etc., the questions can go on and on. Why are we not pressuring the Pakistani and Afghanistan leaders harder? While logical and reasonable answers (excuses) can be given to these kinds of questions it also indicates a definite lack of planning and action. If more troops were needed to keep control of an area, for example, why didn't it happen? The Kurds are very stable. They always have been. They don't have the tribal differences that mainstream Iraq has. The "PLAN" worked there because of the societal differences. I suspect that our military leaders were "awake" to this within “Iraq proper” but our political leaders would not allow them to do what was needed. Iraq will not survive as a stable nation unless we change our approach.

The Europeans have historically been slow to awareness. They are asleep at the switch. I've always found it strangely funny that they see Bush as a "unilateral Cowboy" with a "Cowboy Diplomacy". I call Bush's diplomacy "Brokeback Cowboy Diplomacy", very wimpy and "bendoverish". As for the EU learning something in their dealings with the Devil in Iran? It's meaningless, all "Dipstick" has to do is increase his supply of oil to them. They’ll cave, cave, cave …, after all they're still asleep and dreaming.

We've known about Iran and Syria being "sisters in the same brothel" for many years now. Although the Arabs will fight each other to the death from within, they unite and fight as one against an outside, INFIDEL enemy. This has been the case since WW1 and the famous, T.E. Lawrence. Historically, the Iranians (Persians) have been outsiders, but Islam has changed all that. Yes, the Arabs (Muslims) are good at propaganda. We haven't just been slow to respond; our efforts in this area have been absent - the learning curve again!

Democrats shouldn't even be in the discussion. They are, without any doubt, simply anti-American. And yes, it hurts us.

Our leaders are awake, but are walking around in a daze. Plenty of sharp people have given them answers but they keep doing the same wrong things. I think Bush's will and leadership is the driving force behind all this. A strong leader can be very good, but an obstinate one can get us killed. The "success trend line" is pointing down, not up. Either we need to change what we're doing or change leadership. Unfortunately, President Bush has spat upon so many conservatives; a liberal seems to be next in line.

Barbar Lerner is correct; hesitation is very dangerous. And our leaders seem incapable of doing nothing else.