From a political point of view, the Iraq war is over.
Americans will continue to die in George W. Bush’s failed war and U.S. taxpayers will continue to pay $12 billion a month to fund his folly but, politically, the war is no longer the issue that drives voters to the polls or determines their vote.
Exit polls in the Ohio and Texas primaries last week show the issue that determined how primary voters cast their ballots was — survey says — the economy.
Americans are now more concerned about paying $4 a gallon for gas at the pump and the prospect of losing their home. As a campaign issue, Iraq is dropping faster in the polls than Bush’s approval ratings.
Of course, the Iraq war is a direct cause of the economic problems that now top voter concerns. You can’t spend $12 billion a month in a far away war without it dragging down the economy back home. The old conventional wisdom that war is good for the economy doesn’t play out this time.
But cause means a lot less than effect in politics. Voters are, by nature, a selfish lot. They care a hell of a lot more about their own self-interests than they do about more global issues that affect this nation.
Voters need to understand that their empty pockets are directly related to that far-away war that is now Page 2 news and a back-burner issue.
Local governments are going broke because they can’t afford to buy gas for school buses or collect taxes from foreclosed homes. State governments that depend so much on federal funds find those funds shrinking or gone because the fed is diverting all its resources to pay the $12 billion a month bill in Iraq.
So when voters say the number one issue is the economy they are really saying the number one issue is an economy devastated by the high cost of an illegal and immoral war.
Too bad they don’t realize that simple fact.
47 thoughts on “It’s not the economy, stupid! It’s the stupid war!”
Griff , you’ve almost got it . Why do you think the money supply is inflated ? Because we’re spending ourselves into bankruptcy on the stupid war . Why do you think oil prices are over $100 a barrel ? 1. because we have the middle east in a turmoil because of the stupid war 2. the stupid war gives the multinational oil companys cover to steal us blind . Allowing oil speculators to control our energy pricing doesn’t help either .
How can 300 million people come down with brain cancer simultaneously? Global warming? Something in the water? It seems the tumor is now 50-states-big.
Nice rant, though, Doug. Keep your powder dry.
😀
No “Pork Barrel” jokes, please.
I guess its just too late for an Arnold Ziffel and Dennis Kucinich Ticket.
I support the Dems 90+% of the time. Right now the role of the Dem candidate is to get elected, first and foremost. We only can hope that whichever Dem get in, that that Dem will be be honest, do right, save our system, and be a stand up Pres. And also reach out and work with the GOP as well.
I want a Dem to win the White House with a 55+% majority and see a larger Dem majority in Congress.
So, yes, in that context, I am indeed partisan. Is that so wrong?
Vote fixing. (sigh…) Its just so… banal…
— Kent Shaw
Seal glad you made those points about crooked elections. Here’s part of my previous post on election fraud. We are still hearing about 3 Counties in Ohio where the vote may have been rigged for Hillary Clinton. Perhaps both sides cheat for the “Establishment’s favorites”?
“Unfortunately many of my Democratic friends take the position that only Republican’s cheat during elections. I have news for them. Both sides do it. And, that is the dirty little secret. It’s a nod and a wink between the Democrats and Republicans. And, if you ask me both sides do it. Period!
I have no respect for anyone who cheats the Voters. In fact, they ought to be strung up. The best thing to remember is we all need to be ever vigilant about our votes.
Technology these days cut both ways. It can be used for good or bad things. I for one would encourage members of Congress to hold hearings on technology and privacy. Its time has come, especially in respect to data theft etc. If data can be stolen so can the vote.”
It’s so refreshing to see people on this site that think out of the conventional wisdom ‘box’, the convetional wisdom box that’s thrown out to us by the corporate media treating us as if we are Trained Dogs meant to Bark and roll around to recieve our dog treat.
The Democrappers are such worthless stool samples and being a recovering Democrat and leaving them permanently I feel a hell of a lot better.
I read the SF Chronicle a lot since its the area I’m from and the postings pages have just so many little drones getting all excited about the Democrappers and it just makes me want to ralph.
At SF Gate The posters on it just don’t seem to have any outrage about Hairy Reed and his love affair with getting retro-active immunity for the Telecommunications Industry.
The Democratic Dog & Pony Show goes on while most of America just seems willing to be lead by the nose, its thoughts amount to little more then: Heil Gas Pump!!!
It is a pleasure to read posts on CHB which by far has the highest caliber of thought I’ve seen in any web page.
Hey Seal, Nice Post!
It’s the water, and a lot more.
Right on, Woody! When the democrappers gained the majority in the house and senate last election, I fully expected the first thing they would do was to fix the voting machine system to create a separate paper trail for verifiable recounts. I hoped they would pull all those Diebold machines off line and run tests on them. Everyone knows that some of them were rigged to count Bush into office.
However, there was no mention about it at all. That’s when I knew we were in a hell of a lot of trouble. All those machines are still in opperation with claims that they have been investigated and passed. But the only investigations were done by the company. They won’t give the codes so they can be independently checked out.
So, the question is, why haven’t the dems done anything about it? Until they do, we will never know the true result of any election. And, considering that the machines are rigged against the democraps, why would they not be hot to fix it? It makes no sense unless you consider that the entire election is a sham, no two parties competing, just a dog and pony show with the results fixed way ahead of time.
Well Strato-
Regarding th role of pols and bankers in the rape and pillage of our economy… it was Bill Clinton and our illustrious Congress who repealed Glass-Steagall in 1999 and started the entire mortgage bubble and subsequent meltdown. Oh, and don’t forget Greenspan… the most scurrilous, self-serving banker of all.
I don’t get your point… the role of the Dem candidate is to get elected, be honest, do right, save our system, and be a stand up Pres.
Your post makes it clear that partisan politics is your only concern… piss on that.
I believe the biggest issue is the fact that elections are not transparent or verifiable. But no one seems to want to deal with this issue.
***The war is NOT “the number one issue” affecting the economy… at least not yet.***
The job of the Dem nominee is to link the war with the economy. The USD 12 bn/mo…much of it off the books…doesn’t help rebuild the infrastructure (and create jobs by doing so). It keeps S-Chip from being fully funded. It keeps kids from big able to afford college other than going into huge debt and keep us as a nation in huge debt. All reading this can add to this list.
Problem is both Dems have voted time and again to keep things status quo, cringing at the Bush telling the country that they “don;t Support The Troops.” McCain will do exactly the same.
Anyone have a solution to this?
The purpose of the Iraq invasion was/is to make the Bush family/Cheney/Rumsfeld/MIC/oil/etc. criminal cabal billions of dollars. They even dreamed of walking away with control of the Iraq oil fields. There was no other reason for their lying us into invading Iraq. To say that they have been extremely successfull with their plan is a gross understatement. They are the recipients of that 1 & 1/2 trillion dollars now gone forever.
This has been a classic mafia style takeover of moving into a business illegally, bankrupting it and walking away clean, leaving the owners (us) busted out to suffer the consequences. Through a combination of machine rigging and muscle they stole two elections to get in power and remain there. That has given them 8 years to rape pillage and plunder and engineer a condition that will continue to make it profitable for them for years to come, if the nation survives what they have done.
It is strictly a criminal enterprise led by a Bush family criminal gang and should be treated accordingly. Issue warrants and arrest them all. The evidence is a matter of public record.
Of course, it’s the war, stupid! That is the key to the plan. The engine that drives the destruction. But call it what it is – a policing occupation. The “war” was over in a week.
Bush’s War may not be totally the blame, but Bush is.
Hey Carl… I knew you were layin’ behind that log. And I knew you were tryin’ to help with the rant. The problem is… if the pol idiots get off with blamin’ it all on Bushco’s war, then they’ll not get the comeuppance they ALL truly deserve. Not a dime’s worth of difference between any of them up there – as pappy would say. Something about feeding them fish heads comes to mind.
Hi Helen,
I live in Ridgefield, Wa which is about 30 miles to the south and east as the crow flies from the mountain. Rest assured it’s “near”…! We do not want to be any closer…:))
In 1980 it was raining ash so thick that you couldn’t see but 50 feet in front of your vehicle or less and we had to put pantyhose over the intake of our auto air filters. The panty hose provide a large surface area for air flow whereas simply placing a drum tight filter over the air filter intake would fill up with ash and choke down the engine.
Volcanic ash ingested into an engine can be highly destructive to say the least, much less the lungs. We still keep face masks in our glove boxes of our vehicles just in case.
Sorry to hear about you having a vehicle related tragedy while visiting the “visitors center”… : (
I’m happy to hear you are fellow Washingtonian. I always enjoy your well-thought commentary.
Carl Nemo **==
Hi Almandine…
Thanks for your thoughts as usual. : ) Rest assured my “friend in thought” that “the war” is a huuuuuge economic issue along with the unfolding housing debacle.
It represents the tip of the iceberg concerning the Republican raisson d’etre for pirate based laissez’ faire trade and capitalism in general.
This engineered war based on “cooked” intelligence might be peanuts relatively speaking compared to the multi-trillion dollar banking-based housing debacle; but it represents everything that’s bad about conservatives, free trade, minimal to no regulation, and the general “blue sky” policies that screw the American worker, the economy and the environment over for the benefit of this nonsensical, unbalanced, global economy that has unfolded in the past decade or so…!
To hell with regulation, oversight or intelligent assessment of business based impact on the environment, the economy or the well-being of “we the people” as a whole is how these greedy, short-sighted businessman or women think. I’ve got mine, or want mine now and to hell with the rest of you swimming towards the last environmental lifeboat; ie., the planetary habitat, the environment and the well-being of our Mother, the Earth!
We have cunning, although they be “village idiots” destroying our collective earth-tank for just a few dollars, Euro’s, rupees, rubles, or yuan more…!
Doug Thompson wrote a fine indictment concerning this financially destructive war; statistics be damned! If the amounts seem small compared to the GNP or whatever, then all I can say is that we’ve wasted “one dollar” too much along with one too many priceless lives!
Carl Nemo **==
Carl,
You live near Mt. St. Helens? I’m here in Tacoma — are you near Castle Rock? I took a trip down your way last July and, unfortunately, totalled my car while driving up to the Johnston Ridge Observatory.
Sorry for the “off-topic” post folks.
“Can anyone remember the surplus we had before Bush got his hands on the budjet? ”
We had 1/2 TRILLION DOLLAR SURPLUS when GW took office. when he leaves we will have 1 TRILLION DEFICIT.
The “spend and steal” GOP (Genuises of Propaganda) have spent 1 1/2 TRILLION DOLLARS MORE than we have taken in!
Well Carl…
I think the folly of Doug’s rant is to bedevil the “voter” as being “selfish” because s/he is “concerned [first and foremost] about… the prospect of losing their home”. Further, “They care a hell of a lot more about their own self-interests than they do about more global issues that affect this nation.” Finally, “Too bad they don’t realize this simple fact… that the number one [problem] is an economy devastated by the high cost of an illegal and immoral war.”
I’ve read enough of your prescient posts to know that you understand that Doug is WAAAAYYYYY oversimplifying… to the point of being wrong. The war is, in fact, a drain… but it would hardly even register if the broad economy was sound and hadn’t been raped by the pols and bankers for so many years. And voters??? Bread and butter are always more important than foreign wars – especially a war that they’re told is to keep them from having to fight at home.
As for local and state gov’ts going broke for lack of a fed funding? BS. Try the credit markets and the increased costs related to exorbitant municipal bond auction interest rates, etc. You know this stuff.
And Doug – I don’t mind “in your face” rants… but at least get the facts straight. The war is NOT “the number one issue” affecting the economy… at least not yet.
I’d like to offer a little encouragement for our messed up Government and Congress. Firstly, we have made some progress because many of the republicans are retiring in Congress like rats leaving the sinking ship. Last I heard it was something like 17+- not seeking re-election. That is a good sign as so many of them forced upon the American People draconian legislation like the Patriot Act etc.
In addition, we replaced many of the GOP in 2006. So that is a good sign. Denny Hastert’s seat has gone to the Democrats. So, the good news is that the system works. We are chipping away the dead wood, all-be-it slowly.
The next thing that needs to happen is to weed out those Democrats that would damage this Country as we have come to know it. The bottom line is that it is up to us if we want to save this Country. Leadership is an American responsibility and we all need to inform ourselves about the issues and take our elected offices back. We need to send a message to both parties that if they sponsor un-American legislation the Public will summarily dismiss them from office. Make some of these Crooks feel our pain!
It isn’t just about the cost of the war; it is about how all of our money is being squandered and pilfered. Can anyone remember the surplus we had before Bush got his hands on the budjet? Has anyone come up with a plan to get us out of the hole Bush has gotten us into? Getting rid of the embezeling bastards that are in office might be a start.
Yo fredlox…
Doug Thompson can surely defend himself, but his editorial was simply to point a finger at the most obvious financial crisis in our times; ie., the war and the bleeding of this nation white as a function of the engineered conflict started on “cooked” intelligence, courtesy of the Wolfowitz-Feith-Cheney rogue intelligence pipeline. Doug is not intentionally presenting half or partial truths concerning this nation’s financial problems. Why, what would be his motive…?! /:| Your criticism is unfounded and without merit.
I’m sure he is well aware of the Federal Reserve’s ongoing monetary based banking scam that was created in the early part of the 20th century, 1913 to be exact along with passage, but non-ratified, Income Tax Act of the same year.
The focus of his article is this “in our face”, ongoing U.S. Treasury draining, criminally inspired debacle that’s seemingly been forgotten by the electorate now blathering about “it’s the economy”…! Of course the MSM isn’t hammering Iraq down our collective throats on a daily basis because the current top-rated newsworthy item is the Obama, Hillary and McCain show”…no?!
Obviously the electorate has the attention span of chickens or less… : |
Carl Nemo **==
Doug you are only half true!
It is the economy and the war!!!
Even without this war the economy would be bad because every USA dollar in circulation was BORROWED into circulation.
Russell L. Munk Asst. Gen. Council Treasury stated about money creation.
“The FED as it is often called has several ways of allowing money to be created, but the actual creation of money always involves the extension of credit by private commercal banks”
Meaning that ALL money is created by the form of a loan by private banks.
Private Banks charge interest for the money they loan out.
I wrote Mr. Russell L. Munk in 1991 where does the money come from to pay bank interest since all money is created by them.
His reply was, “Money for paying interest on borrowed money comes from the same source as the other money comes from.”
Meaning you have to borrow more money just to pay the interest on that firat loan..
By this type of monetary system there is NO way that the country or the private citizen can ever get out of debt..
The Federal Reserve Banking system was designed to take money/property out of the many and give it to a few..
So even without a war the nation would still fail economically for there has never been any money created to pay Bank interest.
Also the nation has SO much debt that there isn’t even enough M3 money in the world to pay the USA debt.
So Doug tell the whole truth please!!!!
Flouride…Flouride…Flouride!
“Yep, it just might be the water”
There is no other logical explanation why perfectly normal people would justify the waste of 12 BILLION DOLLARS A MONTH on illogical emotional reactions that they would never accept from anyone under any other circumstance.
Maybe we should do a comparison of the voting records in the areas where the water is contaminated. If there is a RED TREND in these areas, then we may have stumbled on something. (ggg)
Yep, it just might be the water!
After George Bush leaves office the Republican Party will still be there; and the invasion and occupation of Iraq would not have been possible with out the unquestioning support of the Republican Party — and their “Clintonian” allies in Congress.
Hi pollchecker,
My household has our own high quality well which I have tested regularly. I live near the base of Mt. St. Helens and the acquifers are extremely pristine and pure with only small amounts of calcium and magnesium and is almost devoid of trace minerals which aren’t bad for the human body, but can be acquired by using sea salt or taking liquid mineral supplements on occasion.
Even Portland, Oregon the nearest city to the south has extremely clean water from the Bull Run reservoir which is filled by rain and runoff of from the mountains etc. But, with air pollution from China being detected over the Pacific Northwest, who knows what the future holds for this area?
Unless people have access to certified; ie., tested water, I’d suggest people to drink quality bottled water and to set up a delivery service. Not all bottled water companies supply a quality product, so you need to check out the source of their water too.
It’s estimated that there are 80 million Americans now on the Prozac class of drugs which allows them cope. The trouble with this dulling of the “fight or flight” mechanism creates a nation of almost bovine, docile creatures. Even fluoridation has been linked to the altering of brain chemistry. Some of the strongest brain related pharmaceuticals have derivatives of fluorine as part of their chemical structure. As little as one part per million is thought of as being too much for the human brain.
So the recent disclosure that city water supplies are testing high with a “devils brew” of trace pharmaceuticals, along with heavy metal toxicity is not surprising. I’d hate to think of what a percolated sample of a city landfill might show.
The fall of the Roman empire was tenously linked to the lead found in their dishware, goblets and even the clay pipes they used to transport water throughout developed cities within the empire. If humanity survives then archeologists just might link the rampant use of brain chemistry altering pharmaceuticals along with massive pollution as the undoing of peoples in the 21st century.
Yep, it just might be the water… : |
Carl Nemo **==
“Maybe it’s the water”
Don’t think it hasn’t crossed my mind. Make the people complacent so they won’t ask questions.
And they say we need to be protected from terrorism from afar. I think we need to be protected from them.
Thanks Doug for defining just how stupid the American electorate has become when it comes to connecting the dots.
Even moreso, why would anyone in America want to nominate John McPain; ie., “Mr. 100 years in Iraq” as the Republican nominee…?!
Why would anyone gravitate towards “Billary”;ie., if they had truly done research on she and her husband along with her current track record in the U.S. Senate etc. We can even exclude the Bill and Monica debacle which is small potatos compared to their ongoing treachery as a couple against “we the people”…?!
America is doomed because we evidently excel at being stupid…!
Maybe it’s the water… :))
Carl Nemo **==
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