I don't know whether or not Bush's daughters are in the reserves.  I highly doubt it.  but, if they are, of course they're not going to go to Iraq.  Beyind the fact that they would both probably start out with some type of rank/status above someone normally entering the army, it would be a disaster.  Sending anyone over there could be perceived as a possible death sentence, but sending the Bush daughters over would comdemn them to death or worse for sure.  Seriously - if you were a terrorist trying to make an impression, and you knew that the president's daughter was there, who would you kidnap?

 

This is why I doubt they're in the reserves - being from a politically influential family limits what they can do without being a national risk.  So, if they are in there, it's probably just for show.

 

Joise

Sue --  I'm sure Bush's daughters are fulfilling their time in the Army Reserves the same way that their dad served his time ..But seriously, I have no knowledge whether they(daughters) are or not, but I highly doubt they'd be treated like the rest of the Americans serving for real..

 

To All: I'm almost afraid to start writing about my complaints of Bush's campaign of his 21st Centuary Holy Crusade because I may say too many things to upset my good American brothers & sisters--I realize its not "you" its him (Bush), but HALF of the USA voted for this dummy even after he showed us what he was capable of in his first 4 years---A TOTAL FAILING report card--Going from a record surplus in $$ to a record deficit in $$--Blatantly lying & misinforming the American people about WMD & then starting the wrong war thereby creating today's largest source of Terrorist training & recruitting --- Having NO exit strategy in Iraq--Leaving Afghanistan (except for the capital of Kabul) back in the hands of crazy Warlords--- No sign of capturing or even knowing the rough whereabouts of Bin Laden , Al Zawahiri, Zarqawi etc etc---And we can't forget the wonderful job Bush has done on behalf of Big Business at the expense of Middle America & Lower America---And lets not skip how he's managed to water down any Rights to privacy you may have had---And lets just keep the all important War on Drugs going for billions of $$ instead of putting the $$ to some positive steps like Drug Awareness & Education & other treatment options etc---Bush has done more to contribute to the negative image of the USA in the eyes of EVERYONE (& its the average American that will pay in the way he/she is looked upon & treated by the rest of the world)--

--Don't get me wrong, I'm not some Left wing. liberal pascifist thats wants to get in a circle holding hands while singing "Give Peace a Chance" as Islamist Terrorists blow up the world--but please, alittle bit of diplomacy & proper reliable "Intelligence" could save alot of human sufferring & alot of $$--

--I realize that alot is expected of the USA because they're the biggest kid on the block & they get alot of unfair criticism, but they do have a "Special Responsibility" BECAUSE they're the greatest(mightiest) country on earth.....But don't look now, here comes China, the most populous country in the world with the fastest growing economy (& they don't have to police the world!!)  -- The world needs more Trees, not BUSHs.....

........till my next political rant---indigo

Hey all- Ex, I couldn't agree more with just about everything you said.  I'm a Liberal with a capital "L" and don't understand how that became something to be ashamed of.  While I'm not a sitting in a circle holding hands singing "kumbayah" kind of guy, I am pretty much of a pacifist unless there's a real reason for a war.  I wouldn't hesitate to support a war if our country were threatened just as I wouldn't hesitate to fight if my family was threatened.

 

But we're in a war that makes no sense, never did.

 

Bush's daughter's aren't in the reserve; there aren't many kids from wealthy families who take that track.  It's the middle class and poor that end up fighting, just as in Vietnam.  One of the great scene's in Fahrenheit 911 was Michael Moore trying to find out if anyone in Congress had kids in the service (I believe there is one Congressman with a son in Iraq). 

 

We were lied to to get into the war, the justification has been changed four or five times but people just accept it.  We were told we had to invade because Iraq could hit us with WMDs in 45 minutes.  When it turned out not to be true, the rationale for the war changed and changed again and changed again and people just went along with it.

 

Yeah, we removed a bad guy but there's lots of bad guys.  Why Iraq rather than the dictators murdering their people in so many other countries throughout the world?  Ya think it could have anything to do with oil?  Or Bush wanting payback cuz Saddam tried to take out his daddy?

 

The neocons- Wolfowitz, Perle, Cheney, Feith, drew up plans for a war with Iraq long before Bush was even elected.

 

My fear is that Iran will be next.  A lot of respected people who know what's going on in the gov't are saying June/July of this year will be the time that we move.  One excuse or another will pop up, Bush will sell us another false bill of goods and people will support it.  Or not.  We do have a choice.

 

I've got lots of issues to write about but will stick to Iraq for today.  And BTW-  Josie- I can't believe you voted for Bush and that you'd do it again!! Why in the world???

 

Til next time....

 

Marco

Marco I beleive you're right about June or July cause thats when my son/daughter are being deployed:  June 7th.

sue

Yeah, I know Bush's daughters would never actually go to Iraq.  I'm just so pissed about the whole thing.

Another thing I'm pissed about is that if you have money you can get away with anything.  The only crime in this country is poverty.

I mean that if you're rich enough you can get away with anything/any crime.

(except for Martha Stewart!)

luv,

sue

Martha Stewart may have been locked up, but she's doing better financially now than before she went in.  The value of her stock has increased dramatically; she's got a TV show just waiting til she gets out.  So even if the rich do get put away they end up being better off than before they went in.

 

There was a cartoon in the Washington Post today with Martha Stewart asking the judge to extend her sentence cuz she's making so much more money now that she's in jail!

 

It does suck.

 

Marco

Marco  --Regardless of my above rant, I too am a capital "L" liberal when it comes to most issues---& you're right, somehow the word "liberal" has become equivalent to spineless, socialist & hedonist....In Canada here we do have a Liberal Party but they're just like your Democrats & they're all put in power by Special Interest groups ( & addicts, poor people & minorities are NOT considered Special enough).

The only area where I become Right Wing is when it comes to Israel (I won't get into that for now)..I don't believe in violence except as a last last resort....But I won't turn the other cheek while people are being shoved into ovens, gas chambers & mass executions... enough is enough!

Hey Indigo, agree with you on the Israel issue but don't consider it being right-wing.  IMO the conservative have "claimed" the issue for their own reasons, not the least of which is that the fundamentalists believe that Israel must belong to the Jews for all the Bible nonsense (sorry if I offended anyone) to come true, so there's an unlikely collaboration between the right and left although you're right that many liberals come down on the side of the Palestinians- which I've never really understood.

 

Just wish that somehow peace could prevail there.  IMO the Palestinians need to recognize it's the other Arab and Middle East countries that have put them in the position they're in, not the Jews.  Not one Arab country took them in or supported them when they needed it most, instead placing the blame on Israel.

 

It's gonna take a long time for that to get worked out.....

 

Marco

I don't know if this has been addressed ->

 

Has anyone here, aside from me, ever lived in Iraq?  I thought Marco had for some reason.

 

Josie

Josephine --  I didn't live in Iraq but I lived in the Middle East for over 4 years(Israel--Lebanon--Egypt--West Bank (Palestine))..I follow events in the MidEast very closely though I haven't been there since 1984---I made many good friends there from many different backgrounds--Christian Arabs--Muslems--Jews (Israelis)--PLO members--Sunnis--Shiites----I would have loved to visit Damascas, Baghdad & a few other ancient cities in the area but Jews are not allowed in most Arab countries ...Its a wonderful & magical part of the world if only everyone would stop killing eachother..Things have been one big huge mess there ever since the British & some others redrew the borders of many of these countries back in the late 19th Centuary & early 20th Centuary---Perhaps Democracy will slowly help some of these countries get their act together...The peoples of these countries have suffered the most due to a seemingly uncaring & shortsighted & incompetent Leadership..

   How long did you live there & when was it??

                                  Shalom--Indigo (Isacc)

Hey Josie- never lived in Iraq, but did do some work there with their health system back when we were still friends with Saddam and pouring money into the country.

 

Marco

Hey Indigo- I'm also Jewish (or at least was raised that way) but never had a problem travelling to Arab countries.  Just checked the Christian box on the visa forms and had a separate passport for going to Israel as gov'ts in the Middle East generally won't allow you in if your passport has an Israeli stamp.  Always hated having to declare I wasn't Jewish even though I don't really consider myself Jewish (though deep down somewhere I know it's part of who I am). Something about having to be deceiptful about what you are bothered me a lot.

 

Marco

It tells one alot that Arabs from ALL countries are welcomed to Israel but the reverse is a no-no!! Israel is judged by a seperate standard......