Hi Jake,

It got too long for me too, but I want to comment on 2 things:

You said:
I also believe that freedom is a cause worth pursuing for the world. Through diplomacy, revolution and war if necessary. This world will be much better off once all its people are free.

Diplomacy and revolution are fine. But war absolutely is not when the (alleged) sole purpose of that war is to "bring democracy to the (warred-on) people". Killing people and destroying their infrastructure/possessions simply is not a reasonable or sensible cost/benefits equation. Period. No ifs, and, or buts.

You said:
The UN made the resolutions which were violated. They then refused to enforce them. The US got 60+ countries to agree. The resolution wasn't going to pass specifically because of certain countries..

The UN has many MORE resolutions that have been ignored by Israel but the U.S. has not felt any need to war with Isreal. The U.S. didn't get 60+ countries to "agree" (with a war on Iraq) though it did BUY silence or token 'approval' from amny. Compare that to the Afghanistan war which had the whole world in AGREEMENT with no need to buy anyone.
The purpose of a U.N. is to get resolutions through BY AGREEMENT. The purpose of a U.N. is not to go off in a snit and do what you want anyway when you don't get that agreement. A country that can only respect the U.N. when it suits them is no different than Iraq was in that regard!
Finally, it is a red-herring/ruse/distraction that the U.N. "is not going to control the security of the U.S. or any other country".
I feel for my U.S. neighbours. They are being pushed into paranoia regarding security - the politician's great weapon of mass distraction needed because they are doing positively nothing FOR "the people". You have given up rights in favour of security. You are being spied upn by your own government. You are turning the "U.S. into fortress US and just as much locking yourselves out of the world as much as you are locking the world out.

Finally, a comment regarding your last to me saying 'the economy is booming'. It is, on paper. All the stats show unprecedented "growth" and "productivity".
But... what if the stats are (unwittingly?) biased? What if the growth part really reflects the higher profits being made by corporations that off-shore their work? What if the "productivity" part (which means more work being done per person) really reflects that corporations have far fewer workers yet higher profits (from off-shoring) making it look like their remaining workers are doing more owrk?? Then there's the all-time low "unemployment rate". What if, in that case, the number of people who no longer qualify for benefits has passed the mid-point so that it really can only go even lower??? In other words, there may well be far more people actually unemployed than ever before, but because they've fallen off the roles the don't count. With food bank usage rsing dramatically and bankruptcies continuing at high rates that seems more plausible to me.


>This is getting long so i'll try to edit it down a bit. If you feel I've cut something important, then bring it back up and I'll respond.
>
>>>The US is intervening in Africa. Obviously not with 100K troops, but there are diplomatic pressures being excerted. Especially since Clooney started mentioning Darfur.
>>
>>Or maybe no oil - no interest.
>
>Oil is definately THE reason for the US's interest in the middle east. Anyone denying this is a liar or a fool. Until another vast energy supply is found/developed this will be the case. Personally I would've preferred that the US started building nuclear plants hand over fist 30 years ago and spent vast taxpayer money on developing better batteries for cars. Maybe we'd be off oil. Unfortunately that hasn't happened so we're stuck sucking from the middle eastern teet.
>
>I also believe that freedom is a cause worth pursuing for the world. Through diplomacy, revolution and war if necessary. This world will be much better off once all its people are free.
>
>>>There is no way to get the UN to agree unanimously on anything.
>>
>>>The security of the United States, nor any other country for that matter, shall be dictated by the UN. The UN has proven itself to be as corrupt an institution as has ever existed.
>>
>>This is mean consumer propaganda par excellance.
>
>The proof is in the news.
>Oil-for-food
>Iran as member of non-proliferation
>Syria as member of human rights
>Aid workers exploiting child sex slaves in Africa
>
>>Of course you will not get World/UN to agree because it is simply wrong.
>>So what do you do, when you know that you will be not able to pass something trough regular procedure?
>
>The UN made the resolutions which were violated. They then refused to enforce them. The US got 60+ countries to agree. The resolution wasn't going to pass specifically because of certain countries.
>
>Lets examine them shall we...
>France, Russia, Germany : Back door stealing through the oil for food program
>In addition France was owed somewhere in the neighborhood of 40bil from Iraq and they were afraid they would get paid back.
>
>Did I mention that 60+ countries agreed with the US?
>
>>Then you disqualify oponent organisation by placing cheap accusations and making people believe into it. This passes easy, then you simply excersize all your arrogance and do what ever you are pleased.
>
>These are not cheap accusations. This is a multi-billion dollar fraud ignored by the very countries which were not enforcing resolutions against a Saddam because they have back door dealings with him. The santions had no chance to work becuase Saddam was never affected.
>
>In case you missed it there were 60+ countries that joined the US.
>
>>Try to understand that what happened was completely unjustified. You hv 9/11
>>and US forces ride Afganistan who is 'harbouring' filty rich SAUDI citisen that was SAID to be behind 9/11.
>
>Are you trying to suggest that Al Qaeda was not behind 911? If so then I will write you off as a crackpot right now.
>
>>Then you Attack Iraq SAID to hv WMD.
>>Proofs, facts?
>
>The best intelligence (around the world I might add) determined that Saddam had WMD. Britain, France, Germany, Russia, US Congress, Bill Clinton, John Kerry and Saddam's own generals thought he had WMD. I have already provided various links to this.
>
>>Do you actually believe that 9/11 was organised/coordinated from Afgan caves, using trained birds as a messangers?
>
>No. There is proof that it was coordinated from various locations around the world, including, Germany, Prague, Afganistan, Saudi Arabia, Canada and America. Again I hope you're not suggesting that Al Qaeda was not behind it.
>
>>Meny of alledged attackers were Saudis as well and most of the money
>>used to support their 'networks' is actually Saudi Oil money.
>>Sharia-Democracy is flourishing in Saudi Arabia but somehow this does not bother anybody in the White house. They are dear friends with them left and right. Strange isn't it ?
>
>I agree that Saudi Arabia is a mess. Should we invade? Let's get a UN resolution. You'd be on board, right?
>
>>>>now/future burdain on economy & tax payers
>>>The economy is booming
>>So does my hair. ( Don't you see my long long hair ? )
>
>I don't profess to know how the economy of Cyprus is doing, but over here the economy is through the roof.
>
>>When I was teenager/student growing in Ex communist Yugoslavia, meny of us tought of America as place florishing freedom, democracy, human rights, progressive ideas, top science, art ,R&R music and what else not. It was like distant dream.
>>Well, right now I wld not send my kid to grow/study and shape up there, nor wld I seek any future there.
>
>Lord knows America has its flaws, yet lets not be overly-dramatic. America is the single biggest exporter of freedom in the world. America is still producing top musicians, artists, scientists and programmers ;).
>
>>My impression is that America went of it's axe, on dangerous cycle/path of populist, nationalistic, radical politics that will eventually shake up whole world.
>
>I hope America shakes up the whole world, for the better. I hope the world decides that freedom is a cause worth pursuing for all and not just certain countries. The pressure that the free countries could exert on the despotic regimes of the world if they were united in cause, would probably be enough to free the world. If being the opporative word.
>
>>It kind of reminds me of Milosevic style build-up of national forces for virtual higher national goals . We all whitnessed what happened,
>>but Milosevic was only Balkan figure. But if America take this path then
>>God help us all.
>
>Milosevic was looking to expand. The US is looking to expand freedom. Big difference.
>
>>I just hope that rational mind will prevail in America and thing will go back to normal again.
>
>I hope that Iraq becomes a flourishing democracy.
>I hope that the mullahs of Iran are overthrown from within.
>I hope that the people of N. Korea find a way out of the hell they are in.
>I hope that the Palestinians eventually select leaders that will honestly work towards a peaceful cohabitation with Israel.
>
>Frankly I hope that the world embraces freedom and democracy.
>
>Thus far rational minds have been prevailing in America. Irrational minds are suggesting that we pull out of Iraq immediately.
>
>>>There is no doubt that companies will profit. You seem to think of this as a bad thing. I have no problem with it.
>>
>>No I don't hv problem with profit. But if you fabricate/export instability, attack another country in order to bust defence economy sector and shake up world Oil supply / prices, then yes I do.
>
>If anything the US is trying to stabalize the world oil price. Democracy will help this. Think long term.