Crimped

The recent N.I.E on the actual state of the Iranian nuclear weapons development, i.e. they do not have a nuclear weapons program, is a real crimp in the overall trajectory of the Bush administration.

Under the heading of the war on terror, Bush is known for two policy directions.

The first is ramping up and/or conducting war. At this point the alleged master mind behind 9-11 is still at large. No problem as Iraq was the administration's choice for war from the outset and the substitute for the mastermind. 9-11 was the convenient initial explanation for this war. The real reason is still unclear to most Americans who lack access to relevant information. The writers and editors of the main stream media apparently went on strike when Bush took office.

In lieu of any concrete and complete understanding we have misdirected calls for victory, (what is victory in Iraq?), very confused associations with patriotism, a blood drained taxpayer, continued deaths of brave young men and women, and a rabid violence crazed right wing foaming at the mouth for battle with 'Islamofascists" and anybody else opposed to their way of thinking, and that would be the vast majority of people in the world.

The administration has done a professional job of confusing, blurring, and diverting accurate information about the war. People don't really get it but amazingly and consistently want out. This has meant nothing to the alleged democracy based administration although a mild attempt to get out of Iraq has been put forth by the Democrats.

Afghanistan remains somewhere in the depths of the American subconscious although we do know that the opium and cannabis production from that country is back in full force. That country remains a splintered fiefdom run by war lords and American partisans. Coulter would call it a splendid success, the rest of the world would not.

The second policy direction of the Bush administration is the removal of democracy and the shredding of the US Constitution. This is also part of the 'war on terror." A free and open society with a finely honed bill of rights doesn't jive with a privatized corporate run war profiting mega-machine.

Dissent was the first thing on the Bush hit list, you are with us or against us. Excuse me - but what about the obvious fact that the 'with us crowd' is poorly informed, incompetent, authoritarian, anti-democratic, and exponentially bellicose to begin with and we have a little problem with that?

The attack on democracy by this administration is probably unparalleled. The ability of the "with us' crowd to clandestinely listen to you, enter your house, whisk you away, maybe torture you, pick you up in any country and send you to rendition land...anybody still got any stomach left? Nausea is the underlying feeling tone of the last 7 years.

So Bush has got a little crimp in his trajectory. He's foaming for more war, Cheney is foaming for more war, and the crowd that thinks the term "Islamofascism' is appropriate, wants more war. They may still start the war anyhow. Since when has an intelligence estimate meant anything to this group? Even with the rug pulled out from under the whole operation, the new rug is being carefully laid down.