If all of this were just a simple matter of economics, then there would be no problems at all. If all of these ME countries cared about their populous and cared about making the lives better for their peoples, then this whole madness in the 1040 zone would be laughed at.

However –

We are dealing with people that are true believers in the cause and care not a whit for their people. Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas, Al-Qaeda, and the like are bent on 2 goals – kill all the Jews and subjugate the rest of the world. They will stop at nothing to achieve these 2 goals.

That puts Syria a very interesting place. Assad and his crew are Bathists – much in line with Sadaam’s political view. They are in this respect, the classic dictatorships. They are not the True Believers that are in Iran. They are more along the lines of Stalin. Power is their religion. So when we hear that there is talk at the State department of opening up negotiations with Syria that is very interesting. Yes they are in league with Iran, no doubt. However, if they see that Iran can come out on the losing end of this, would they hold true to the cause? I am not so sure.

Syria only stayed true to the cause after the invasion of Iraq because the Coalition stopped at their boarders. Had the Americans gone to Damascus it might have been a different story. Remember, all of those WMD’s that Sadaam had are now in Syria. Would Assad have used them in an invasion? Or would he say, “Look, here they are!!!” in order to save his own skin. Young Basher is not the dictator his father was. He is a foolish idiot. Being linked with Iran could save him or doom him, but my guess is he has not really thought much of this out.

Hey PA folks! As a former citizen of Bloomsburg, and now a citizen of Massachusetts, I have to tell you this story. It is a story of an election between an Republican Senator wanna be and a Democratic Senator incumbent. Now in this story, the Republican was much like our friend Arlan. Not much to hang your R on. There was a Conservative candidate running as an alternative - and I voted for her. Funny thing, the Republican lost by less than the amount than the Conservative candidate got. The Republican - William Weld. The Democrat - John Kerry. Had Weld won, who knows what the 2004 election would have produced. The moral of the story is this: when you sit out an election or vote for an alternative candidate because the Republican candidate doesn't fit your political mold or has done things in the past that make you want to pull your hair out, you are really helping the leftist liberal Dems. William Weld did more to destroy the Republican party in Massachusetts than any Democrat could hope for. He put a sign on the front lawn of the State House: "Conservatives Go Home!". He really was the most maddening governor we ever had (at least with the Duke you knew where you stood). But I totally regret not voting for him in his Senate race. The unintended consequences, in hindsight, are too grim.

Head in the Sand Foreign Policy

In response to Charles Krauthammer's article and responses:
http://townhall.com/columnists/CharlesKrauthammer/2006/08/11/lamonts_victory_will_hurt_democrats_in_the_long_run

Contrary to what Left and Phylo (and to a small degree Charles himself) have been arguing, this is not about elections per se.  It is about defining this nation’s foreign policy in such a way that we can survive in a world that is brutally hostile to  our way of life.  The Left’s mantra of “We are for the war on terror but not for the war in Iraq” is the death of their credibility to defining policy.  This Head in the Sand approach leaves them exposed to their true nature.  “Fight the war on terror only if it involves not fighting.  Fighting the war on terror should never involve picking up arms to do battle.  It should involve sitting down and discussion the issues over nice cup of herbal tea.  If only we understood these poor  people who only want to survive and live peacefully in this world.  Then they won’t hate us.”

BAH!!!

That is most assuredly what the fascists want.  It gives them time to reach around our comfy chairs and plant that dagger square in our backs.  These are undeniable facts that the Left will continue to deny:

1.       The war in Iraq is a large part of the war on Terror

2.       Islamo-fascists want to kill every last Jew in the world and want to subjugate the rest of the world to their  ideology

3.       It will take fighting, death, and much bloodshed before this war is over

4.       We will have to shed blood to secure this nation and most of the world

5.       Israel must survive in order  keep our nation safe

Imagine the world where the US immediately pulls out of Iraq and Israel is pushed into the Mediterranean.   Imagine the strength of the Islamo-fascists  as they gain control of Iraq / Jordan / Lebanon / Saudi Arabia / Pakistan / Afghanistan / Palestine (kiss Jerusalem goodbye) / Egypt / Morocco /  Spain.  That is the reality of the Left’s foreign policy.