A very good read.

[eppie]

And, that is why I accused you of being myopic. If your bus is late or your milk is sour, it must be Bush's fault. I feel you and many other liberals wave that Bush bashing cloth as way to recognize each other. It's like part of the secret handshake, "... eat granola, save the planet, Bush sucks, and bike to work."

Next time I blame some problems with public transport on Bush, please correct me....but I don't believe that was the case.
I'm not a liberal as well. I don't know what liberal means in you country, but in my country they are rich people's party.
I do bike to work....in Italy even.... which means risking my life everyday. But he, I'm not a sissy, I'm not handicapped, and I'm not Italian....i refuse to take a car.:D
but seriously, you do know where your tax money is going or not? Do you honestly believe the US is just giving those billions to Iraq to do something nice with it? The fact that weapon industry and building contractors etc. make a lot of money, is not a secret and it has nothing to do with conspiracy theories.

If you recall, the economy tanked after 9/11 and many people became unemployed, growth was sluggish. You are wrong if you are thinking chaotic messes are good for corporations in general, and I recall it moved the stock market from being bullish to being bearish. So no, neo-cons focused on the economy would want non-stop double digit growth which for other than the military suppliers requires peace and stability.

This is why the Neocons were myopic in focusing on Saddam Hussien as he was the most vulnerable bully in the neighborhood. It is not easy to declare war on "all the bad people who want to hurt us", but it is easier to go after the one vulnerable nation state that was breaking all the rules. And, it helped that we already had alot of our equipment pre-positioned after GWI. I believe the Neo-cons would have profited more by preventing the WTC event and looking politically like defenders of America and by solving the Iraq problem without an invasion. But, that horse has left the barn.

I know the overall economy didn't go that well......but a lot of people (especially does knowing about the plans of the government) earned money (I also earned money on the stockmarket). This is by the way the standard way in which companies which are on the stock exchange operate. It is not about teh company, it is about the shareholders.....long term goals don't exist, because shareholders can switch (but I don't need to explain this I guess).

I don't know how that would go. I guess nobody would believe it if the government said they prevented an attack on the WTC. I mean the disaster was also to strange to imagine (if it wouldn't have happened).
Also, why are they not blamed now that it happened?
Point is the neocons don't need to have a good image, the neocons need to be in charge. Even if there is a democrat administration the neocons will have power.