Thread: A very good Article on "Axis of Evil"

In his first State of the Union Address in January 2002, George W. Bush deployed the expression "axis of evil" to describe the governments of Iraq, Iran, and North Korea...

Nearly five years later, we can see the damage caused by the president's too-cute slogan and the muddled thinking behind it. By failing to distinguish clearly among the overlapping security threats presented by rogue states, nuclear proliferators, and supporters of terrorism, Bush helped bring his own nightmare to life. Thanks to his foreign policy, many of the world's dictators do now function as a kind of anti-American axis, in a way they didn't when he made that speech.

Now, consider the axis today. Our attacking Iraq prompted Muammar Qaddafi, a Little Brother of Evil, to put up his hands and surrender his nuclear effort. But Iran and North Korea drew from Bush's idealist invasion the realist lesson that only a nuclear deterrent could preserve them from regime change. Kim, in particular, seems to have taken the point that the American war machine could instantly pulverize his tanks and missiles massed along the DMZ. This meant he needed to accelerate his deterrent efforts by trying out his Pacific-spanning Long Dong missile and cramming for a nuclear test. Bush's adamant policy of nondiscussion made matters worse, ensuring that neither country would slow down or back away from its atomic rush. He might just as well have announced a prize for the first successful detonation.

But the president's biggest act of axis-enhancement was tying up our military in Iraq and antagonizing our allies. While the global cop was busy in Baghdad, the world's other worst villains staged a jailbreak. They understood that Bush couldn't readily respond to their provocations with force. The opportunity cost of occupying Iraq has also been felt in Syria and Sudan, among the other places where evil has gone unchecked for want of effective American leadership.

"Bush helped bring his own nightmare to life." I couldn't have said it better myself.

http://www.slate.com/id/2151353/nav/tap1/


"Bush has traded short-term peace for long term instability..." - Chris Matthews.


Bottom line, we are less safe today than we were immediately after 9/11. To fix this, we have to vote the neocons, the right-wing radicals, the extremists, and the hard-line conservatives out of offices. If you find a Republican who doesn't fit those bills, by all means vote for that person.

But the best bet is to let Democrats take a stab at fixing this country.

"Never negotiate out of fear, but don't fear to negotiate." - John F. Kennedy

BULL SHIT.

No, I am not arguing because I like Bush and company. I am arguing because Bush calling them the axis of evil DID NOT suddenly create the situations.
It takes time, money, equipment and a whole shit load of resources to obtain what has occurred to be 9/11, Iran crisis and North Korean crisis….If anyone thinks all 3 started taking place since Bush was elected is fooling themselves.

Bush calling them the "axis of evil" may or may not have helped, but the truth is is that the problems were already underway.

Originally Posted by proUSA

BULL SHIT.

No, I am not arguing because I like Bush and company. I am arguing because Bush calling them the axis of evil DID NOT suddenly create the situations.
It takes time, money, equipment and a whole shit load of resources to obtain what has occurred to be 9/11, Iran crisis and North Korean crisis….If anyone thinks all 3 started taking place since Bush was elected is fooling themselves.

Bush calling them the "axis of evil" may or may not have helped, but the truth is is that the problems were already underway.

dont screw with the illusion

it is now common knowledge that in 6 years Nkorea came up with all their NUKE prowess and formed it all up on bush's watch

i like you see that bush didnt help shit with his statements nor diplomacy but the fallacy being batted around in the media that is all bush's doing is a fucking crock of shit

but makes for good press and stirs the base thus this thread