Janet

Repair damage to the CIA's rep? Can that be done after bin Laden?

Pardon me, but I fail to see the correlation between the CIA's reputation and bin Laden.  The CIA has had a negative reputation for many years, and I fail to see that bin Laden's activities have changed that fact.

Peace!

Janet

The explanation isn't really an explanation, it's a copout.  The people using the word incorrectly know exactly what they're doing - trying to intimidate the Democratic Party.  Perhaps we need to come up with something equally intimidating to call them.  Any suggestions?

Peace!

Janet

Austin, Tx., has lost its brightest ray of sunshine with the passing of Molly Ivins, but her work will live on forever in the hearts of those who loved her.

Rest in peace, dear soul!

The neocons I know- many within the State Dept- are not talking about a tactical nuke or two. They want to erase an entire city. Think Dresden. They think this would cow the terrorist but more importantly make it unfashionable to be a jihadist, or support the radical madrassas, because what they might bring down upon those around them. A variation on the MAD strategy. These guys are deadly serious. Some talk in terms of a long ago conflict between the cro magnons and the neanderthal for the resources of the world , jihadists and their peoples being the neanderthals. They say it's time to assert the primacy of "our kind" This by the way, is a common (albeit over-the top radical member) AIPAC metaphor for Palestine vs Israel I frequently hear.

Albert Einstein said that, if there were a third world war, any war/s after that would be fought with clubs and stones.  Could it be that he actually saw the "cro magnon - neanderthal" thing?  

Tactical nukes could very easily do the job without the overkill.  Why can't they be happy with destroying what they "have to," without destroying everything in the surrounding geographic area for eons to come?  

Since when did almighty G-d step down and allow us to take over?

Peace!

Janet

right and if the american saxon's play it so Israel does the deed it will instigate an anti-semitic blowback that would just roll off the back of the hardcore pro fascist (let's find a way to scapegoat Israel) saxon's. Although I while this was operative thinking for some back 50 years ago, I am not sure if it still floats. But I wouldn't be surprised if at some levels it remains an operative thought modality for some.

In any event, as deterrents go, I am not sure that a repeat of Hiroshima and nagasaki will do the trick. In today's world it might unleash further catastrophe rather than nip it in the bud.

I don't know that Israel actually wants to "do the deed" and reap the backlash of hitherto-unparalleled anti-Semitism.  European nations do a lot of business with Iran, and that could easily reignite the anti-Semitism that was prevalent in Europe during the 1930's and, especially, during the Hitler regime.  Therefore, I doubt very highly that Israel would opt to be the "scapegoat" of which you're speaking.

A "repeat of Hiroshima and Nagasaki" isn't a reality at this time, because nuclear warheads are now designed to be much smaller and could, thereby, "take out" particular sites rather than entire large areas such as was the case with Hiroshima and Nagasaki.  However, once the bombing started, other nations/states in the ME could very well retaliate against U.S. interests and the state of Israel, whether or not Israel actually "does the deed" for the U.S., and the total area being bombed with nuclear warheads could be unimaginably widespread and horrific, IMHO.  

Just my two-cents' worth!

Janet