So, my buddy Sly_Dog tells me that it's time for an update....he gets a bit testy when I don't update.  But don't ever call him a teste to his face...for that matter, don't call him a ballchin either.  Eh...I digress.

   I guess it's time for the obligatory War/Iraq/Saddam/Bush/Terrorism/Afghanistan rant. 

   Simply put, I think that the current US Administration is manufacturing reasons to create a war with a country that has no real capability to do the US any direct harm, in order to distract the US citizens from the fact that the economy has been in the crapper for the last two and a half years.  Prior to the attacks of 9/11, the economy was already on the verge of recession...so let's not try and blame that for all of our economic woes.  Dubya has turned a $600billion surplus into a $1.2trillion deficit in two years.  Way to go Georgie.  I know...go get us some oil, that'll fix it.  (Why then is regular unleaded now over $1.70 per gallon in most states?).   Okay, that last bit was a cheap shot, I know the two aren't completely cause and effect.

   The most egregious thing I have seen during this whole debacle is Powell, Bush, and Rice all trying to link Iraq with Al-Qaida.  This flies in the face of logic.  While Saddam may be an inept, totalitarian, murderous leader; in the Arab world he is considered a moderate.  That is not a joke, people.  If nothing else, Saddam has held Iraq in a state of stability, in a very unstable region.  He does not use religion in the way that Al-Qaida does...in fact, he seems to almost flaunt it, because he can.  Al-Qaida are a bunch of extreme zealots, very strict in their beliefs, and very willing to die for them.  Saddam is a lying, cheating, murderous bastard who uses chemical warfare on his own people, but who would *never* be willing to die...he loves himself too much.  Most devout Muslims (and indeed Arabs in general) consider Hussein to be politically moderate.  Furthermore, the majority of the known attackers in the WTC tragedy were from Saudi Arabia (remember them?  they called us in when their next door neighbor Kuwait was invaded?)  

   The bottom line here is that emotion and patriotism (see my old blog about the misattributed quote from Caesar) are clouding the judgement of otherwise thoughtful, intelligent Americans.  Let me spell it out clearly here people:

   Iraq != (does not equal) Al-Qaida.

   Iraq has no tangible or credible ties to any sort of responsibility to the attacks on the WTC. 

   This 'war' we are at with Al-Qaida(oh, and by the way, what ever happened to the War Powers Act?  I thought the President could have troops at this state of alert/conflict for 30 days before congress had to either approve or disapprove going to war?), is being redirected to a complete different party (Iraq).  Why?  Well folks, I hate to beat a dead horse here, but the answer is simple and twofold.  Oil, and pride.  I'll leave it to the reader to determine which is a weaker reason to commit your fellow citizens to killing and being killed.

   Finally, let me say this.  I am not a conscientious objector.  I am not a pacifist.  I believe in maintaining a strong defense for our country.  I also believe in standing up for the little guy, redressing injustice, fighting the good fight, baseball, apple pie and Chevrolet (although I drive a Toyota).  What I most emphatically do NOT believe in is a government lying to and trying to manipulate its citizenry in order to achieve political and economic goals.  If George W. Bush wants to build an empire,  fine.  Bring it to the people...tell them that you want to build an empire, and 'here are three easy steps to doing it', and then ask what they think.  Quit patronizing us and doing things 'for our own good'.  I am so sick of inept politicians, with IQ's that barely break into triple digits trying to tell me that they know what is best for me and my fellow Americans.  If you want the oil, and feel that the only way to get it is through force, then TAKE IT!  But don't expect me to believe your insipid and transparent lies about how Iraq is a demonic terrorist organization, hell-bent on the destruction of the US through murky and obscure tactics that you ominously refer to as 'Evil'.  Evil my ass.  You want to know what I think is evil?  Evil is amassing the most powerful military force on earth, with the most sophisticated technological weapons ever devised,   and unleashing them (or even the threat of them) on a country that is already being crushed under economic sanctions, exposing our citizens and theirs to massive harm, all to knock twenty cents off a gallon of gas.  That's 'Evil' my friends.  Especially considering the $100 to $200 billion price tag that this 'war' will have (and that's not even counting how much we will have to spend afterwards rebuilding infrastructure and supporting whatever new regime goes in).

  If we tack on another 5 cents a gallon, can we stop this nonsense?  I'll pay it.