Take off your tinfoil hat and come on in

[clar]

Here's my little rant: Conspiracy theories are getting out of hand here. I understand the temptation, born out of anger and frustration at bushco, to attribute everything directly to the long reach of the administration, but it's way too simplistic. This kind of thinking isn't really thinking. It's reacting. Try using some reflectivity and critical thinking skills. It doesn't help anything to entertain such thoughtless and self indulgent bullshit. It's just another facet of sheeple "thinking". Some of you sound just as nutty as the freepers who are desparately trying to come up with a way to blame this on Clinton.

Can the tragic mess in Iraq, including today's bombing be blamed on the administration? Sure, they waged an immoral and ill conceived war with no thought for what the aftermath would bring. We're reaping the bitter fruits of that decision everyday, but that's different than believing that bush and the neo-cons put out a hit on the UN.

OK, you can put the hats back on and return to your already scheduled program.

[radwriter0555]

1. Critical thinking equates with being SUSPECT of every action taken by the

bush regime.

This isn't conspiracy theory stuff. This is sorting through the lies and bullshit that are standard operating procedure for this bullshit regime.

[clar]

4. No, that's not critical thinking

Critical thinking in this case involves assessing the given situation using known facts and historical precedents, and asking who benefits. That's just to begin with. Hatred and suspicion of the administration, valid as they may be, do not lend themselves to critical thinking.

[ComerPerro]

7. Ok, fair enough

However, bear in mind that we will never be able to apply critical thinking to any action taken by the administration. This is because we will never have the truth or facts. They are incredibly secretive, and their records will probably be sealed indefinately.

[radwriter0555]

11. Sure it does. I base my knowledge of the bush regime on FACTS

not on commercials.

In August of 2000 I wanted to be well informed on the presidential candidates, so I started researching george bush. I spent weeks reading thousands of pages, articles. I read every book I could get my hands on, by, for or against the regime. What I learned changed my ENTIRE opinion and knowledge base about politics and american government. What I learned literally changed my life. That's why I am HERE.

What I learned changed how I view world events that involve specific and key players, and the same names crop up in all the freaky and sadly, tragic ones.

When it comes to bush, bush, rove, cheney, wolfowitz and rumsfeld, nothing, but NOTHING trumps the depths to which these creeps will stoop to gain power, control and wealth.

My knowledge is indeed based on VERY critical thinking. The RESULTS compile my opinion of the regime, but the facts lead to the results.

[gratuitous]

2. Thank you for your comments

And I'd agree with you, except it seems like every stinkin' time somebody says, "Oh that's too far out to be believed," it turns out to be true.

I'll provide you a few examples to counter the one you offered:

1. Bush won't go to war if Saddam cooperates

2. The Bushies won't make a connection that doesn't exist between Al Qaeda and Iraq to justify invading Iraq

3. The full report on September 11 will be released

4. Whatever's in those redacted sections of the September 11 report isn't all that important

5. Bush and Saudi Arabia aren't just going through the motions of a public dispute to gull folks about what might really be in the September 11 report

6. Dick Cheney's secret energy task force meetings won't have any impact on your day-to-day life, so don't worry about who was there or what they discussed

You know, sooner or later, I'm going to look down at my leg to see if it's really raining, or if I'm just getting pissed on.

[ComerPerro]

3. Add to that

7. Ken Lay broke the law, and should and will be prosecuted.

[clar]

13. Dear Gratuitious,

I agree with your whole list. No tinfoil there. And let me add a few comments.

1. Bush won't go to war if Saddam cooperates
I never doubted that Bush was bound and determined to go to war.


2. The Bushies won't make a connection that doesn't exist between Al Qaeda and Iraq to justify invading Iraq
Never doubted that either.


3. The full report on September 11 will be released
Did anyone believe that? Why?

Etc.

All of the examples you listed can be backed up by historical precedent and facts. Plus, it's clear that the administration benefits in each of your examples by advancing it's agenda. There's a difference between making thinking connections and just jumping on the tinfoil express.

[gratuitous]

15. Except . . .

I'll withhold judgment until I learn more about what happened at the UN headquarters in Baghdad. Simply dismissing out of hand the notion that the Bush administration ordered the "hit" on the building is counter to what we have seen over and over again from this corrupt bunch of thugs.

The examples I cited were similarly dismissed as "tin foil hat" territory when they were first broached. Perhaps not by you (which would be to your credit), but large segments of the population, heavily influenced by the popular media, really believed that the American public would be given access to the full story about September 11 revealed by the congressional investigation. Similarly, a lot of people thought that if Saddam would just cooperate with whatever the latest demand put out by the Bushistas, then the invasion of Iraq wouldn't have to happen. Lil George himself aided and abetted this fiction by stating over and over again that he hadn't made up his mind about whether or not to invade.

It's easy now to say that all of my examples are now self-evident. But a lot of people took a lot of grief for being right at the wrong time, including me. I'm not willing to let this evil bunch off the hook just because at first glance it seems too monstrous, too inconceivable to believe that they didn't have some hand in today's bombing in Baghdad. As I said, I'll reserve judgment, but don't tell me that anything is beyond this cabal's depravity, given what we already know about them.

[Old and In the Way]

16. Hi Clar, gotta add my $.02

I agree Al-Qaeda was the group that did it. But, at least indirectly, there is strong evidence of inter-relationships between the Bush family (Sr. and Jr.)/Big Oil and major players/financiers in Al-Qaeda (Khalid bin-Mahfouz)/Saudi binLaden Group. Their associations are connected to the Bush family and go back into the 70s.

So, in a sense, I have to ask if there is a mutual co-dependency between Al-Qaeda and the Oil Interests that want ME oil. Why does Al-Qaeda do things that support US military intervention and provide justification for continued control of these assets? Are Al-Qaeda's actions in the interests of the Iraqi people? If there were no bombings and unrest wouldn't our presence be harder to justify?

We know that there is damaging info in the Cheney secret energy meetings....probably oil companies conspiring to divvy up Iraq's oil. We know that Bush "knew" intelligence of attacks from Al-Qaeda were planned, but did nothing to stop them (maybe even facilitated them). How else to get the American people to accept a war without a Pearl Harbor?

So if there are historical links between the Bush family and members of Al-Qaeda, why is it so implausible to believe that events cannot be stage managed to help both organizations? Poppy was the director of the CIA and we do know what they doing in South America and the ME in the 70s and 80s....using terror to further their RW agenda.

Seems to me only 2 groups are benefiting from the terror events these days...the Bush administration (Big Oil) and Al-Qaeda. Bush gets his "War on Terror", Al-Qaeda get's its "War on the Infidels". Everyone else seems to lose.

[ComerPerro]

5. I appreciate your position

But then again part of me thinks that you just want me to take off my tinfoil hat so you can take control of my mind while my guard is down.


But seriously...
I just don't trust people (or administrations) that are just naturally lucky and seem to have even the most terrible things somehow work in their best interest.
So I am susupicious.

[greekspeak]

6. There has been so much audacious behavior since Jan 2001

that I can see why "conspiracy theories" abound. Who in a million years thought that the Patriot Act would exist? Who would have thought that a president would lie they country into war? Who would have thought that a president would flaunt the seperation between church and state? I don't even know anymore where to draw the line between "crazy conspiracy theory" and "blantently obvious clusterf*&k" anymore. So you will forgive me if I sometimes mistake my tinfoil hat with the hardhat I use to protect myself from the crap that keeps getting dumped on the American people.

[alcuno]

8. The administration is being given way too much credit.

Don't people remember Rummy dismissing the looting as rejoicing? These people may be evil and have control of nuclear weapons, but they are still incapable of understanding anyone not of their ideology. They are clueless.

[frylock]

9. required reading:

[papau]

10. Thank you for your comment - now where did I put that tinfoil hat?

Oh here it is -

back to normal

So Did Rove think putting the GOP folks in Iraq within 10 minutes of the bomb would help their election chances in 04?

:-)

[Clete]

12. Tin-foil hat off.

Yes, if we hadn't gone into Iraq without UN sanctions, those people who died today would still be alive, not to mention all our soldiers and civilian Iraqis killed to date. This carnage is squarely on Bush's shoulders and those who helped him hatch this invasion. If he isn't already trying to wash the blood off his hands ala Lady Macbeth, he should be.

[morningtheft]

14. Tinfoil HAT??!

Two things to remember:


Paul WEllstone plane crash

Northwoods Documents.


After examining those two topics, how can anything not be at least suspect to BFEE initiative?

[JNelson6563]

17. [b]...come in and have some kool-aid...[/b]

No thanks. Knowing what I do about this gang of thugs I'd be suspect of almost all things first and then begin to learn more. Seems all investigations lead to benefits for the BFEE.

Now the UN is expected to get more involved and happily send resources (troops included no doubt) to help "stabilize" Iraq......and now that there has been this horrible affront, might there be less importance put on wresting a bit of control over resources from the US.......? Will they fall into line like good little soldiers?

I will wait and see but expecting to see Team Bush reap some rewards real soon now.

Julie