hi Allen.
One last time.
Indulge me if you will... please.

Ok your the president of United States. IN September of 2001, your country has just been hit by people who's goal is to destroy your country and kill as many as possible in the process.

Sixteen UN resolutions against Iraq has come and gone because Saddam broke every one of them. Each time he breaks one, the UN in all it's wisdom come up with a another one, stating that if this one is one adhered to by Saddam's gov't, "boy, you better watch out boy we're coming after you...".
In the mean time intelligence reports from United State, Britain, Russia and the United Nation itself all say the Saddam is armed with WMDs, no doubt. And Saddam is acting/pretending like he is hiding something. He is restricting the inspector from doing whatever they're there to do; moving cargos around before the inspectors arrive and he has force them [inspectors]out of Iraq several times.

What was Bush to do?
Wait for another attack?
Wait for UN to finally do something?

I don't think Bush had much choice.

It's always easy to be a Monday morning quarter back and hind sight is 20/20 as they say.

We're beginning to find out why UN, France, Germany and Russia were against the war in the first place. They were all taking bribes from Saddam. But I guess you don't believe that either.

So I'll just leave it there.

Considering all that, I think Bush is doing well with the country.

>and it is amazing to me how much respect your country has lost in the world at large.

That's too bad. Personally, I think US has cared too much about how they're viewed by others in the past.

>Charles, back to one of your comments earlier, do you honestly feel that Kerry could be any more "dangerous" to your country than Bush, Cheney et al.

My answer would be YES. Kerry cares to much about what the others think. He'll put the interest of the world community before ours. He wants so much to be accepted the the world.

BTW what has UN done lately to solve any international crisis?



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>>I guess the thing that disturbs me most, is that I really do not believe Kerry has a core and therefore I do not think I can predict with any reliability what he will do. I think he is is intelligent, and I don't question his motives, but I think is personally conflicted in so many ways that he may be pressured in ways that are very dangerous.
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>Hi Charles,
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>I've read most of your posts on this thread and you certainly seem to have an excellent grasp of the political landscape in the U.S.
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>I'm not an American, but like millions of others around the globe, I've been following this election campaign like no other. I've been following the candidates - not from the perspective of which party they belong to - but on the basis of which one appears to have what it takes to be a good leader for your country. This isn't based on their promises, but just on my gut feel from listening to them speak on the issues.
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>I reflect on the position your country was in four years ago compared to this day - and it is amazing to me how much respect your country has lost in the world at large. If someone would have predicted this to me four years ago I would have laughed them out of the room - but today - this perspective is widely held are ourside your borders.
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>In a lot of ways, I think that successful government is much like a successful business. Almost all successful businessesThat come to mind added to their success through strategic partnerships. Unless a country is totally self-sufficient (and I can't think of one that is), it too must rely on strong partnerships with other countries. Can anyone argue that the U.S. is in better position today in terms of strategic partnerships with other countries than it was four years ago?
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>I read a newspaper article today written by a U.S. citizen who moved to Canada 12 years ago (her husband is from here). The jist of the article was about how she initially really missed her country - and how over time - by having the perspective of being on the outside and looking in - the profound sadness she has for the current state of affairs.
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>She closed by making the comment that her family has told her that if Bush wins the election, to "make some room for us..." Her family, by the way, up this this election, has always voted Rebublican.
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>Regards,
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>Al