Mission Accomplished

[JakeD]

http://img244.imageshack.us/img244/4596/20060924missionacomplisio7.jpg

On May 1, 2003, President Bush landed on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln aboard an S-3B Viking jet, emerged from the aircraft in full flight gear, and proceeded to "press[] flesh," as The Washington Post put it, as he shook hands and hugged crew members in front of the cameras. Later that day, Bush delivered a nationally televised speech from the deck of the Abraham Lincoln in which he declared that "[m]ajor combat operations in Iraq have ended," all the while standing under a banner reading: "Mission Accomplished." Despite lingering questions over the continued violence in Iraq, the failure to locate weapons of mass destruction, and the whereabouts of Saddam Hussein, as well as evidence that Bush may have shirked his responsibilities in the Texas Air National Guard (TANG) during the Vietnam War, the print and televised media fawned over Bush's "grand entrance" and the image of Bush as the "jet pilot" and the "Fighter Dog."

Four years have passed since this shamelessly glorified photo-op took place, and yet we still have troops invested in the war. The administration keeps calling for a surge. Oh yeah, and...what was the mission, again? Instead of doing what(hopefully) normal people would have done and asking exactly what had been accomplished, the media formed a god damned daisy chain around Bush and spent days jilling each other off over his entrance. Shock and awe, indeed.

With all of this dickery in mind, how has your perception of the war changed from four years ago? How has your perception of the administration changed between then and now?

[Amaurote]

I can't believe I ever supported this war, even if my rationale was the Orwellian "imperialism is preferable to fascism." I never believed in WMD for a second, but I am terrified by the work the two governments put into cheating the majority of the electorate that did - and I'll be actively opposing any wars like this in the future.

The only good thing to come out of this is that neoconservatism has been its own gravedigger. The only shame is that its taken so many Iraqis and Coalition soldiers with it.

[Bones]

This war and adminastration have gone to hell in a handbasket. Removing Saddam was the goal. He's dead. Jobs done. Time to come home.

[Bassmama]

The "war" was Bush's personal vendetta- he had a hardon against Saddam for 'dissing' daddy Bush & used the World Trade Center tragedy to get his way & lied like hell. I disliked Bush from the beginning- he manipulates, sneaks, lies, & is a self centered arrogant fuck- I thought so before & am even MORE sure of it. Nothing's changed. His conduct while he's been president has been criminal, IMHO (the New Orleans fiasco, the lies he continually spews.... all his actions prove it as far as I'm concerned) & considering the amount of young men & women that are dieing in this bullshit "war" he's gotten this country involved in, my feeling is that he & all his asskissing buddies should be tried for murder- COUNTLESS charges.

Firing squad after torture would be about right, IMHO. So, I guess my opinion has not changed, except to get even MORESO.

[Bones]

His conduct while he's been president has been criminal,I find myself comparing him to Hitler. MY country shouldn't have a leader like Nazi Germany did.
I used to support this guy!! I'm ashamed of myself now. I believed invading Iraq was finishing a job that should have been finished by the first President Bush. But all it has done is caused more terrorism. This is WWIII. And it's never going to stop. Even if we pull totally out of Iraq we are going to have to fight it somewhere else. And it will probably end up with the world invading America. And that will end the world. Cause we will nuke them. I'm not ready to see the end of the world.

[Mr. Bojangles]

I tried to avoid these threads because I'm afraid that I'd offend someone. Fuck that. This war IS and WAS started using lies and deceit. Too bad. We elected this asshole. WE did. Our political process is flawed, certainly, but we DID elect him. While this fuckstick has been in the drivers seat, we've invaded 2 countries, and started something that there is no way to stop. We CAN'T pull all of the soldiers out of Iraq. If we do, we leave a country in ruins, with no one power strong enough to hold it together.

How do I feel about it? I hate it, but I don't see an intelligent solution to it right now. We could always do what we did in Germany...such as occupy the country FOREVER.

[Sean]

i'm still of the belief that GWB was "elected" through lies and deceit. you americans (i say "you" because i'm canadian, and also speaking to the general public, not just those here) should've noticed right from day one...

[kittyroze]

i'm still of the belief that GWB was "elected" through lies and deceit. you americans (i say "you" because i'm canadian, and also speaking to the general public, not just those here) should've noticed right from day one...

Those of us who noticed were ignored when we spoke up about it. What's done is done at this point, sadly. Time to move on and fix things in 2008.

[Bones]

How do I feel about it? I hate it, but I don't see an intelligent solution to it right now.

Agreed. Nuff said

[trekbugging]

i originally supported him the first time he was elected--the next time i didn't vote for him and he has lost any and all lustre he had with all that he hasn't and has done-- agreeing with the replys above-- we need to change in 08--but right now i am very scared about our choices to replace GWB-- at least he can't stay in because of 2 terms--but what will his replacement do and who or what will it be?

[Bones]

we need to change in 08--but right now i am very scared about our choices to replace GWB

Honestly. I don't see any good candidates. Whoever becomes the next President is going to suck even if they have the best intentions. I'm not assaulting their character. I'm sure they are good people. Except Hillary. She creeps me out. I just don't think any of the hopefuls are presidential material.

[kittyroze]

I'm a big fan of Obama - partially just because he's articulate. Hilary has been disappointing me as of late.

[Bones]

I'm a big fan of Obama - partially just because he's articulate. Hilary has been disappointing me as of late.
I have to admit Obama is a very good speaker.

[Amaurote]

Of the two, I much prefer Hillary: she isn't as good a speaker as Obama, but she has a much better grasp of policy, and I for one am sick of Obama's "My life is an example of how a fantastically wealthy Ivy-League educated half-black child can overcome the odds and gravitate sideways to a position of immense power" routine. Yes, yes, we get it already. Richard Nixon was much closer to the American working-class than Obama ever was.

[Amaurote]

He's evil, anyway - the Jewish Task Force confirmed his evil-sinning wickedness just the other day:

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