Until a few years ago, I was pretty well convinced that the US was a destabilizing force in the Middle East, but now I suspect the Russians and US and the British before us are just moving the game along, especially when the status quo threatens contemporary western culture and existing world power structures. It is possible that the feckless W administration may have blundered around the Arab world, driven by energy interests, and stired up base rivalries, but did he fundamentally create the current state of chaos? Exacerbate is a better explanation. Can Obama prevent the worst aspects of an emerging Caliphate from becoming a platform to attack western culture? Perhaps with some deft interventions, at least he can lessen the negative impact of the most extreme elements. Unfortunately for the Arab world, it's looking more and more like extreme cage fighting, where the rest of the world looks on helplessly while the Arab world perfects internecine warfare. Was the region better off under strong-man secular dictatorships? The west didn't think so before, but now it's having second thoughts.

I cannot believe how liberals continue to blame BUSH.He has caused all of the problems in the world, going back centuries. What an amazing man!! He caused the centuries old rift between Shia & Sunni.HE caused 19 extremist Muslims to fly planes into the twin towers killing thousands. He planted WMDs in Iraq & then moved them to Syria. DEFT interventions by the most incompetent president ever to hold office!! Barak Hussein Obama is Muslim first & always. Obama bragged about killing Osama Bin Laden. He has hurried off to do fundraisers or play golf during major upheavals. Our leaders learned nothing when Russia got bogged down for 10 years in Afghanistan. An intelligent person might surmise that we keep electing money grubbing power seekers instead of patriots. OOPS, I forgot, that is a politically incorrect term! It is poor form to be patriotic. Better to criticize than to support American Ideals. How corny can you be?? Build a 100 ft. wall around the Middle East & then a 101 ft. tall ladder to check on the warring factions. Then when there is only one man left standing...SHOOT HIM!!

What world are you living in?

Unfortunately in a world created by idiots. How about your world?? Do you hate W too? Do you support our Muslim/ Marxist president? Do you support the likes of Thomas Jefferson or MAO??

Let's see:
Bush: I try not to hate anybody, but strong dislike. I agree with you that he is not the cause of all the problems in the world, but he's just one man, he caused as many problems as he could in his limited time in office.
Our Muslim / Marxist president: Well I wish we had a more Marxist President, no strong feelings about the Muslim aspect. But obviously Obama is neither.
Thomas Jefferson: Mixed feelings. He was a smart guy, but he was also something of an elitist slave-owner. I probably would have been a Federalist back in the day, but would definitely leave open the possibility of ticket splitting.
Mao: Not a fan. However, my main objection is that he killed millions through a combination of purposefully slaughtering them and just instituting bad policies, rather than a general objection against all communists.

am amazed that so many support Communism. It is a fools' errand. Che Guevara marched 14,000 men & boys into a stadium in Havanna and gunned them down. Fidel, recently apologized to the Cuban people recognizing that they had suffered needlessly under his regime. He admitted that he was wrong. Mao killed 70 million and bragged that he could kill many more because there were many more millions. It is beyond me that killing millions can produce the utopia they claim. Name one successful communist country!!There were ant slave owners around the world during Jeffersons' time, including Democrats and even other black people.Native Americans (Cherokee) had slaves in the Carolinas. You stated that "Obama is neither" Muslim or Marxist. As Al Gore would say "that is settled scince". Obama is clearly Muslim and Marxist. From his own mouth and actions!!! You show your ignorance by stating otherwise. There is just too much evidence to support the facts. " Obviously Obama is neither" I wonder how you feel about "Shariah Law" ? Lenin would call you a useful idiot!

I'm not sure what the connection is supposed to be with the atrocities that communists have committed and communism itself. I'm more on the reformer side of things, violent revolution is a bit too scary for me, and does have an unfortunate tendency to end in dictatorship.

Do you actually believe that Obama is a Muslim and a Marxist? That is wild. I always thought that was just something people said to screw with survey takers / troll liberals. If you think it's actually true rather than just something bad to say about the President, what does that even mean for you? How does the whole Jeremiah Wright scandal fit in with Obama being a Muslim? For that matter how does being a Muslim fit with the anti-religiosity of Marxism? Shariah law and communism couldn't be more opposed to each other.

I'm amazed that so many people have no idea what communism is. The GOP likes to portray Obama as both a communist AND in Wall Street's pocket. You can't be both. If Obama was a communist, Obamacare would just be free healthcare for everyone provided by the government and there would have been no bail outs. What evidence is there that Obama is a Muslim besides his skin color? ZERO. Not a single shred. AND YOU CAN'T BE A MARXIST AND A MUSLIM they are complete different ideologies that completely conflict with each other!

You are a parrot for the extreme right.

And you have no answer to my post!!!

Obama is not "clearly Muslim", you inbred reeetard.

Let's see..... His Father was Muslim, his grandfather was muslim.His brother is CFO of the Muslimbrotherhood. He was raised a Muslim in Kenya and Indonesia.He lives by the word of the Quran. He praises Islam constantly. If it quacks like a duck etc. etc. etc.!!!

I know tons of people raised in Catholic houses that aren't Catholic, Cletus.

And he does not "live by the Koran", you ignorant inbred.

As far as "praising Islam", why shouldn't he? You bigots think they are all terrorists, which is just ignorant.

Go back to banging your sister.

His father who he didn't know was a Muslim. But his mother and grandparents who raised him were Christian, apparently that counts for nothing? Obama did not go to Kenya until he was in his 20s, so you got that wrong. And why do you say he lives by the word of the Quran? What evidence do you have for that? And he praises ALL religions constantly, as the President of the US should do as the US has no official religion.

taqiyya

Yeah, let's elect Barak Hussein Mohammed. What could possibly go wrong?

While I agree with a few but certainly not all of your opinions, you seem to think your opinions are "fact" and they are not.

Also, when you're wrong, you are so very wrong it would be laughable if it were not so sad..

OK, Sue! tell me where I'm wrong. I would venture to say that you do not think Obama is Muslim or Marxist. Do you want a one party system? I am laughable? I would hate to see you suffer under Shariah law because it is here. A federal judge in Oklahoma city overturned a ban on Shariah law in Oklahoma. She was recently appointed by Barak Obama. A judge in Phoenix, Arizona decided a case based on Shariah law. These are FACTS not conjecture. But don't take my word for it. Check it out for yourself. I am amazed at how many people believe the lies from Obama. He is proven wrong every day. He has not kept his word on any campaign promise. The man is the new Manchurian Candidate!

Che was Obama's Mother's Hero...

joe get back to the mental hospital. they are looking for you!

how did they overlook you? You have not tried to disprove any of my points. Let's make it easy for you by taking one point at a time! How do you explainObamas' quest for a "one party system" ?

As stated in the wiki definition for Communism: "characterized by single-party rule or dominant-party system by a party which claims to follow communism, usually with a professed allegiance to Marxism-Leninism as the guiding ideology of the state. None of these states achieved communism, and the term is used no matter to what degree that state or the movement associated with it actually follows communism, if at all."

I am not a pure communist, nor a pure socialist, or a pure capitalist or for a pure democracy. I like aspects of all - many of their ideas are not mutually exclusive. I like and participate in Americas representative democracy although I would like a bit more social controls - which will still allow America to be a representative democracy. We already have social controls and social programs which allowed for much of America's dominance in the late 20th century by pumping billions into schools, roads, hospitals and through the military - into the private sector among many other ways. Conservatives want to end this as they seem to think that chaos is directed by their deity or omniscient business leaders without understanding that evolution is a messy messy business and that rules are what guide it - either rules by nature or rules by man.

The only person I consider an idiot is one who blames others for things and is not willing to look at himself critically as we all make mistakes, but you only learn from them if you are willing to admit to mistakes and then be flexible in addressing them which unfortunately works against idealists. Idealism is the ultimate culprit as if you cannot change with the times - when the times change you will be left behind. The only constant is change so wallow in your certainty as so many leaders conservative, liberal, communist, Marxist, whatever have in the past and be relegated to history and used by conservatives as a lesson to do nothing.

70 guest votes, a pretty good percentage.

YET it is the GOP using Orwells 1984 as the play book and the right wing movement to FASCISM........right-wing nationalist ideology or movement withan authoritarian and hierarchical structure that isfundamentally opposed to democracy andliberalism

2. any ideology, movement, program, tendency,etc, that may be characterized as right-wing,chauvinist, authoritarian,

LUNTZ and the GOP NEWSPEAK how it works.

http://www.mohamedrabeea.co...

It’s not what you say, it’s what people hear.
You can have the best message in the world, but the person on the re- ceiving end will always understand it through the prism of his or her own emotions, preconceptions, prejudices, and preexisting beliefs. It’s not enough to be correct or reasonable or even brilliant. The key to suc- cessful communication is to take the imaginative leap of stuffing your- self right into your listener’s shoes to know what they are thinking and feeling in the deepest recesses of their mind and heart. How that person perceives what you say is even more real, at least in a practical sense, than how you perceive yourself.

When someone asks me to illustrate the concept of “words that work,” I tell them to read Orwell’s 1984—and then see the movie. In particular, I refer them to the book passage that describes Room 101—or as Orwell basically describes it, the place where everyone’s personal, individual nightmares come true. If your greatest fear is snakes, you open the door to a room full of snakes. If your fear is drowning, your Room 101 fills to the brim with water. To me, this is the most frightening, horrific, imagi- native concept ever put on paper, simply because it encourages you to imagine your own Room 101. Words that work, whether fiction or reality, not only explain but also motivate. They cause you to think as well as act. They trigger emotion as well as understanding.

Fascism knows no boundaries. Obamas actions show his own brand. He would love a one party system . He would love to change our constitution to allow him to continue to be president.He is that narcissistic.! The present Republican party is so disfunctional that it is conceivable it could happen. Socialism would throw this country into a depression so deep that it would bury this country. I wonder what would happen if we adopted our founding fathers ideals and did a "do-over". Would we be as great as we once were? Walk a mile in another mans' shoes and you have his shoes & you are a mile away. That is the communist/socialist way!

"Obama is clearly a Muslim and a Marxist. From his own mouth..."

Putting aside the absurdity of a muslim marxist, on the one hand you say believe cause he said he was a muslim (without a cite to this alleged admission) and then you ignore all of the times he has publically stated he is not a muslim.

If the "truth" is "is from his own mouth" then you must believe him when he says he is not a muslim.
Or more likely, you just want to believe what you want to believe. You ignore what is inconvenient, extrapolate and expand when it suits you.
BTW,,, why on earth add the part about being native american and the descendant of a slave holding Cherokee? Not really a valid response to the Jefferson comment. That took a weird turn. Then a turn to Sharia Law? Of course that little tidbit makes your strange rant a little bit more understandable and sad.

I notice that all liberal posts do not answer the history of communisms murderous past. You deny that Fidel & Che Guevara killed thousands that Mao killed millions. Pol Pot killed millions.You will defend Obama regardless of the strong evidence against him. Remember " I AM EMBARRASED BY AMERICA BECAUSE WE DON"T SPEAK FRENCH" & " FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY ADULT LIFE, I AM FINALLY PROUD OF MY COUNTRY" These words from the President & First Lady of the United States of America. Don't you find that a little Elitist & Arrogant?? I suppose that you think it is perfectly acceptable for The Obamas to insult this nation. YOU will contribute to the down fall of this nation through your Narcissisism & Arrogance. What do you stand for ???

[Obama is clearly Muslim and Marxist.] I'm surprised you have voter ID.

[am amazed that so many support Communism.] Who?

Communism/Marxism is a dangerous illusion of belief for people who have a fear of freedom and failure.

Here we have a Faux New clone who is so poorly educated he thinks regulated capitalism and Marxist are the same. Capitalism needs regulattion or it will crash the economy 1929,2008. At least the dems are smart enough to realize this and want to re-regulate the banksters. Repub just keep making the same mistakes over and over again. ie cut taxes at a time of war.

I graduated, with honors, from University of California, Berkeley. Where most of your compadres come from. Where do you get the idea that "regulated Capitalism & Marxism is the same. I certainlyknow the difference having been in the business world for over 50 years.Capitalism DOES need regulation or would be overrun by greed. I know the difference!! But Communism has no bounds when it comes to corruption. Just ask the Chinese or the old Russians ( and even some of the new ones) Ask the Cuban people who have suffered for over 50 years under Fidel. Name ONE successful Communist Nation!! You cannot! You may be too young to know about John F. Kennedy. e cut taxes and the economy took off . Communism squelches innovation an entrepre neurs. There is no incentive to excell. This is the world that Obama wants. Strict Government control. Heavy taxation to redistribute wealth.Business & commerc need regulation to have an even playing field, but not the extreme regulation of Socialism like the EPA or other punitive regulators. The Sierra Club is the best example of out-of-control regulation. They have the state of California tied in a death grip. You are welcome to your brand of government. Good luck with that. I'll stick to self reliance. The Dems are not smart enough to understand anything but strangulation of free enterprise!!!

Except that tax cuts have never been shown to increase jobs and tax increases have almost always been followed by economic growth. Just look at Clinton's 90s.

The tech and Internet boom was due to raising taxes? News to everyone. "Never" except recently under JFK and Reagan, inter alia.

I didn't say that the booms were do to raising taxes. I was showing that tax cuts have NEVER been show to lead to an increase in jobs, and tax increases have never been shown to hurt jobs. In short, conservative fiscal policies have never been proven to work. And you might want to check your statistics about Reagan. Obama, Clinton, Kennedy, and even Carter created more jobs than him. And when did Kennedy cut taxes? That didn't happen until after his death...

First, you cannot count!Some idiot proclaimed that 500 million black slaves were killed on voyages from Africa to America. Try adding how mant ships it would take and how many would be on board to accomplish that!. Obama was raised as a Muslim in KENYA, INDONESIA, & HAWAII where he also got his first indoctrination into Communism by Frank Marshall Davis, the communist leader in Hawaii. His education in America was paid for by Bill Ayers' father, a communist leader in Chicago. From his own mouth, Obama has embraced Islam. His Brother is CFO of the Muslim brotherhood. Obama has many muslim brotherhood members & supporters in his administration. The head of the CIA, John Brennan, is a converted Muslim having joined in the 1990s. You are pathetic!!~ I am a Native American . My grandmother was Choctaw & my great , great grandfather was cherokee in the Carolinas. He had a tobacco plantation and had black slaves working his fields. You are too stupid for words!!

I have read your posts. Your constant reference to Obama being a Muslim as well as your other delusions demonstrates you have no grasp of reality. However, keep posting. It's obviously therapeutic.

You need to do more research. Obama. The evidence is overwhelming. He was raised in Kenya & Indonesia by Muslim parents. Hews guided by the Quran & went to Muslim schools. His father was Muslim. His brother is CFO of the Muslim brotherhood.Obama said that the sweetest thing he has heard is the morning call to prayer. Other delusions??? He is a Marxist. He was raised in Hawaii by a Communist leader, Frank Marshall Davis. His Mentor in Chicago was Bill Ayers' father, a communist leader. What would be therapeutic woud be for youto take off your blinders. From his very own mouth, Obama praises Islam every day. He refuses to call ISIS / ISL Muslims. The politically correct term he uses is "insurgents". I wonder how you will fare under Shariah law???

Aww, crap. I just wrote a reply to another response of yours based on the idea that you actually believed this stuff. Now I realize you're just one of the trolls I was talking about, which I guess is good for my opinion of human intelligence, but less interesting.

Just keep drinking the Koolaid. Liberals deny any facts because it doesn't match their agenda of propaganda. I notice that you won't try to dispute any of my facts because you don't have any

Oh, I love the associations game! Let me try :P

G W Bush is a gay member of Al Qaeda. How do I know that?

Look at him holding hands with the King of Saudi Arabia, also known as the home of Osama Bin Laden and most of the other Al Qaeda 9/11 hijackers.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_z...

Here he is enveloped caught in a romantic kiss with the same King of Saudi Arabia (looks pretty gay to me).
http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/0R6Q...

Oh, and did you hear that his father, George H W Bush had business ties with the Bin Laden family.. who just so happen to be related to Osama Bin Laden - the leader of Al Qaeda!?
http://www.globalresearch.c...

Coincidence!?!?!? I think not!!

Did I win a prize? A golden tin foil hat would do the trick nicely ;)

It is proper to take blind people by the hand when you talk to them.

Exactly.

In other news, this is really a fantastic article. One of the most educational I've read on Politico.

Were you referring to lack of physical sight, or mental blindness?
Like Garre43 & Quite Likely?

How the heck did you spell my name wrong? It's in the thread directly above this post.

Like the old blind guy wearing a sheet. He's supposedly quite blind ~

yeah, especially Bush;

This thread = Top kek

Thanks for this - the conservative argument goes along with so many conspiracy theory accusations, but it is so interesting that someone who is so stupid and so unable to reason or understand anything is also able to mastermind conspiracies and cover-ups involving multiple departments of the government - if someone was that good wouldn't you hire them to get things done? You can't have it both ways - unless you are conservative as then you can say whatever you want...