The joke is when Bush and European talk about "Iraq sovereignty". That (made up country will not see sovereignty until every single occupier is out of its soil and perhaps followed with 10-15 years of civil fuck fest. Those poor bastard's will have to kill for a long time. That is why it was invaded and don't forget that. Now they can be busey in thier own backyard.

The Katrina showed that the local governments, the jewel of our democratic system is powerless in events of great importance. The cities and counties in large part and states are hopelessly dependent on our 800 pound gorilla, the federal government. This federalist system if allowed will continue to not meet the people's needs at local and grass root levels. This huge monopoly has been complacent for years with large amount of revenue coming to its coffers unchecked. Washington has eroded the "people" aspect of the government by the people for the people. It is now a government that believes it knows what is good for the people, no questions asked. Increasingly questions about the governance is being met with disdain and contempt.

particularly now after 9/11 any attempt to rein this 800 pound gorilla is met with the "national security" and "homeland security" trump card to sidestep the people's grievances. On the other hand what is good for corporations are good for people.

unfortunately the American people are still in a state of shock after 9/11 mainly because this administration has hijacked that tragic event and has manipulated it to meet its short and long term strategic goals.

I do not believe that these guys in Washington are evil or mean to destroy the "American Dream", but I believe they are in that same mode as Enron was thinking that what they do now can bring prosperity later, even though it may not be above the board. By laying about the state of the politics and erosion of out individual freedoms they believe they can bring better days.

They also I think have convinced themselves of this over exaggeration of what happened on 9/11. I again strongly believe the terrorist attacks on 9/11 deserve our utmost attention but the current strategy will not do the trick. This approach of us and them based on past experience will escalate to more violence on both sides with each getting further and further from why they are fighting. This conflict in time will become like the IRA insurgency against British where after several decades no one will know why they are fighting except for responding to the latest attack and defending against a future one.

The FEMA fiasco is indicative of this administration relying mainly on loyalty and patronage rather than abilities, skills, and commitment to service to fill positions. So long as appointee "breaks the ideological bread" and invokes god several times and is tied to the "corporate family" he or she is in.

I wonder how they are spending billions of dollars for homeland security. Lets hope they are not buying $5000 service revolvers and such. You see, the old Roni, his protege did that in 80's as you may recall if you have not conveniently developed dementia.

The US administration seems to be faced with a reality far different from what rest of the world is facing. The "BUSH WHITE BOYS" are now setting to rewrite the latest UN charter to rid this world of poverty and perhaps change the conflict based relationships between slaves and masters. They are now wanting to Americanize the UN charter, as if rest of the world is here to serve uncle Sam. Of course as usual Western Europe is on board sort-a-kind-a, you see, that is because they want the UN to be Europeanized. Its not that they care about Africa, Middle East, Poverty, Aids, or anything else. They both are concerned about this matters only as it relates to their own well being.

I just wished they would say that its all about themselves. I can sympathize with that sort of candor and frankness. What pisses me off is Bush and Europeans acting holier that though and making this hegemony seem like a high moral stand by kicking around empty words like democracy and freedom.

The modern powers (after WW2) have never encouraged freedom and democracy in deed. What ever democratic movements have succeeded since then were because people fought for them, not because Europe or US have allowed it. The democracy has only been used by West to further its prosperity and security.

This world will continue to see violence. It is ironic that we in US spend more in cat food (over $9B) than most of the countries in the world on health care. When such a disparity exists where a pet has more value than a human being its no wonder there is so much conflict. I know the " hard working hunter gatherer" says we work hard and deserve all these privileges, but I say that is true if you live in a jungle and its all about you, remember that we left that life style several thousand years ago and now are CIVILIZED.

I am again reminded how biased the mainstream media in US is against Arabs and Palestinians. The coverage of removal of little over 8,000 settlers from Gaza is an indications of the deep hostility the US government and its corporate media has towards Arabs. There were 8,000 people encouraged by over 40 years of US support to settle in an area inhabited with over 1 million Arab "native" and refugees from the creation of Israel in 1945. We the tax payers in US have financed this occupation and dare to ask why they hate us!!!!!!!

The ratio of 8,000 to 1,000,000 is the indicative of how we in US and West in general views the Arabs. Bush's foreign policy and presidents before that has been based on loathing and disrespect for non Judeo-Chriscians of the world. This is the crux of the conflict between east and west, not the smoke screen Bush is presenting to American people for invading, detaining, economically terrorizing, and disregarding Arabs and others. Chinese and Indians know that and hopefully they will be the catalyst for changing this deep western hatred for anything non-western, or else!!!!!

Invasion planners in White House and Pentagon knew that we have short memory, like all the other military adventures in the past, people have adjusted to the killings now. If the number of dead stays in the two or three a day, well, we are ok with that.

Its so absurd that Bush is now acting like someone else decided to invade Iraq. He has been saying these days that we can't pull out of Iraq because "they" the people of Iraq will suffer. What a humanitarian, someone in the bible belt should nominate him for the Nobel prize!!!!!!