What song best sums up the previous year?

A Republican in a wheelchair entered a restaurant one afternoon and asked the
waitress for a cup of coffee. The Republican looked across the restaurant and asked,
"Is that Jesus sitting over there?" The waitress nodded "yes," so the Republican
requested that she give Jesus a cup of coffee, on him.

The next patron to come in was a Libertarian with a hunched back. He shuffled over
to a booth, painfully sat down, and asked the waitress for a cup of hot tea. He also
glanced across the restaurant and asked, "Is that Jesus over there?" The waitress
nodded, so the Libertarian asked her to give Jesus a cup of hot tea, "My treat."

The third patron to come into the restaurant was a Democrat on crutches. He hobbled
over to a booth, sat down and hollered, "Hey there, honey! How's about gettin' me a
cold glass of Miller Light?" He, too, looked across the restaurant and asked, "Is
that God's boy over there?" The waitress once more nodded, so the Democrat directed
her to give Jesus a cold glass of beer. "On my bill," he said.

As Jesus got up to leave, he passed by the Republican, touched him and said, "For
your kindness, you are healed."

The Republican felt the strength come back into his legs, got up, and danced a jig
out the door.

Jesus also passed by the Libertarian, touched him and said, "For your kindness, you
are healed." The Libertarian felt his back straightening up, and he raised his
hands, praised the Lord and did a series of back flips out the door.

Then Jesus walked towards the Democrat. The Democrat jumped up and yelled, "Don't
touch me... I'm collecting disability."

Tomryan

I do indeed clearly remember those very words which you quoted from Osama. If one actually tries to visualize that senario, which Osama graciously laid out for us - I think smiles would disappear from everyone's face.

It is sad, that in 4 short years, we have forgotten the way it felt during the brightly lit days following 9/11/01. It would be wise for every American to understand we are facing a far more dangerous enemy than we've EVER faced before. The Nazis and Japanese of WWII were noble in comparison to the enemy we face now. At least the enemies of WWII fought as soldiers, who understood the rules of war - not terrorists, who know, no boundaries.

Hopefully we will all become guardians of our land, and keep a vigilant eye out for anything that appears out of the ordinary. Sadly, we can never really rest as easily as we once did. We are certainly living in un-certain times.
As you said Tom - "we are the solution". We all need to realize that, and accept it. As the saying goes...it's lonely at the top.

Thanks again Tom.

paul

Be well fellow Agoners - shoulder to shoulder.
btw - Lee Greenwood's - "Proud to be an American" :-)

It is quite clear that the facts of history are missed on some of us more than others. How many Nations have adopted democratic systems because of our intervention? Does anybody know? I do know that the number of oppressive regimes we have supported outweighs it by a landslide. SO to use WWII as your straw man and say that we are the answer is quite naive. Sure I don't like terrorism, but where do we attack? At the root of the problem or the branch? Surely Iraq is not the root, I mean even Osama wouldn't work with Saddam(He didn't find his country a good example of an Islamic state).

Surely Tomryan you have heard of PNAC, haven't you? The plan is to invade Iran, or at least that was the goal. Afganistan was on the books before 9/11. Then Iraq, b/c as you put it "the weakest". Surely it was b/c of the bombing from the Clinton era, which nocked out most of the infra-strcture that we are now trying to rebuild. So, I don't see Iran happening any time soon. I do agree with you that the Iraqi people are finding it hard to adjust to a democratic system though. To quote an old Marine I still think "War is a Racket"

The world needs more Thomas Jeffersons

Tom, we are in complete agreement there. No, not as the slave owner, but rather as the man who is willing to live by these words, the balance of which should inform any inquisitive American that his present government would make Thomas Jefferson sick.

The Nazis and Japanese of WWII were noble in comparison to the enemy we face now. At least the enemies of WWII fought as soldiers, who understood the rules of war - not terrorists, who know, no boundaries.

The Nazis were noble? Sure Paul, try and sell that line to a Jew. You can start with me. Please tell me you wrote that while having an aneurysm.

"...in comparison to the enemy we face now."

This was not calling Nazis noble. This is saying the people we are facing are worse than the Nazis, as hard as it is to imagine. Remember it was Muslim mullas who asked the Nazis to work harder to exterminate the Jews. That was 65 years ago. Also don't forget that 1-2 years ago a Saudi prince was visiting a Czech. Rebulic holocaust memorial and signed the guest book as follows (I'm paraphrasing as I heard the quote on TV and the radio maybe 3-4 times back then):

"Mr Hitler was a good man and did good things but he and the Germans failed in efficiency to complete their work. This is their failure and it is sad they were not more competent."

Let's see...we (including Jimmy Carter) helped keep a dictator in power in Iran 30 years ago. He was overthrown and now Iran is, and has been, much worse with far more repression and brutality. Actually, I was only talking about world domination attempts which we have stopped and replaced with decent forms of governments. We have, to our shame, been involved in supporting repressive regimes in order to gain material benefit, and this in various places throughout the world. Please, however, understand the different world we now admit living in and come out of the outdated, "old world" think-space of the 60s and 70s. If it'll make us all feel better we can stick out our right hand, smack it with the left, and say out loud, "Bad American! Bad American!"

By the way, I don't see us doing anything about Iran now either. Not after how much the admin. botched the Iraq thing. And all the hanky panky you talked about sure has made it hard to fight a good and well needed war.

Also by the way, anyone else hear that good 'ol infidel hating Osama is asking for a truce? I didn't get the whole story, may be someone else did.