大象传媒

"Two years ago, debating the war was considered unpatriotic."

Is that a joke? Almost every newspaper article, every news story, every debate, and many private conversations in the weeks before the 2004 election were about Iraq and related issues.

Regardless, the fact that the author attempted to draw an inference about my country's attitude regarding Iraq from the behavior of two people attending a show that 99.99% Americans will never have heard of suggests that the author might not be the 大象传媒 audience's most reliable source on American political and social attitudes.

These dispatches - rather like the one a few years ago filed by your correspondent in Palestine who wept over the death of Yassir Arafat - ought to be embarrassing for the 大象传媒 because they confirm what many of your readers already suspect: that you are astonishingly out of touch.

Your comments are always interesting, but I must take exception to the idea that debating the Iraq war was considered automatically unpatriotic. There were many who had misgivings about the war, such as myself, but I could not stand the constant self-flagellation and smarmy loathing of Middle America that is the hallmark of the Michael Moore left. "Political" drama is usually absolute garbage these days, as it takes no courage whatsover to insult the president.

Susan raises a good point. The Democrats have forgotten that an election is first and foremost a popularity contest. Instead the Democrats reveal (especially in 2004) in a Don Rickles campaign style where they feel that if they insult that "average" American (whom the Democrats hate) enough they will vote for them. Constantly calling the "average" voter a "stupid bigoted redneck" is not going to win you any friends or votes.
The Democrats have laid off that this year, but it you know they still believe it.

I don't live in America anymore. I spent 46 years in America born and raised in America.

As a country, the people decided 9/11 was Iraq's fault and followed the leader into war. Now, more of America's young men and women and Iraq civilians have died than died in 9/11 attack. The person responsible for the attack has never been caught. There were no wmd. What the Bush administration has done is increase global terrorism.

See, I don't live in America anymore so I know this, I get real news. We see the pictures of the coffins of the dead, we read newspapers that tell us the true story and not lies hidden by the media fed to an entire country.

Yes, it was considered unpatriotic, Dixie Chicks anyone? To open your mouth against a war that had and still has absolutely no purpose whatsoever but has only fed terrorists, the anger and increased danger around the world. The sad thing is what America and the Bush administration has done is give fuel to the fire of the next generation. This will never be over. There are young males being taught today to hate America and the hate will spread.

I hope in the coming election all Americans will wake up and see the entire world, it is a small world and a global one. Perhaps puttng up walls and fencing in America will keep it safe, I don't think so. There is a child in Iraq who isn't thankful his mother is dead.

Your point of view is interesting specially for one who only sees this conflict for the outside (I am not american or an Irak conflict follower). Opinions must be changing as results of the US occupation in Irak look more or less devastating, but will that change the foreign affairs policy of the US? I really doubt it.

Yes. The tide has turned. You can feel it everywhere.

Warmongering and trumping up enemies are no longer working as Republican "values," - thus Bush's rock bottom approval rating (the 70%who disapprove includes "average" Americans, btw). But the fact that they鈥檙e considered pariahs across the country doesn't mean the GOP is giving up their favorite ideas in favor of reality-based thinking or the will of the people!

In response to Ms. Stark鈥檚 touching concern for the rights of middle Americans:
Real courage was demonstrated by those who in spite of intimidation dared to confront the lies of this most corrupt of administrations - and suffered well-publicized retaliation. Bush, in an act of blatant contempt for the Constitution he swore to uphold, announced that he does not have to give reasons for anything he does, remember? Who is he afraid of, the average American? It鈥檚 plutocrats who are insulted when their lies are questioned, threatening their power. It鈥檚 dictators who, to quash dissent, secretly wiretap average Americans or insist on throwing the opposition in jail without a trial. Sterling average American values, those, again evidenced in Bush鈥檚 plummeting approval rating.

I suspect EvilDave鈥檚 鈥渁verage voters鈥� are by necessity quite thrifty! I bet if you told them the Iraq war (at $1 trillion) is costing them $9480.46 per household (46 weeks pay at min. wage) or $3,373.70 per household member, every single average one of them in the states below will be smart enough to yell 鈥�25-30% of my household income!鈥� and tick off the basic necessities the sacrifice will deprive them of (as compared to, say, a billionaire Republican donor profiting from the war). It鈥檚 as simple as the bottom line in the "average" checkbook!

Georgia 20th 鈥� $42,433;
Ohio 23rd 鈥� $40,956;
Tennessee 29th 鈥� $36,360;
Florida 33rd 鈥� $38,819;
West Virginia 50th 鈥� $29,696;

States by median household income

the bush crime family has lined its pockets from this war and its concomitant oil profiteering he bought 100,000 acres in Paraguay ya think hes planning on a quick exile following impeachment. Obama in 08