I don't know about God, but my favorite picture is of the volcano in Java. The earth can be a very angry and dangerous partner in our lives. We presume to lord it over nature, but nature laughs at our presumption.

I don't feel any personal or national culpability for all the Sunnis blowing up Shiites, or vice versa. If a U.S. Soldier kills a civilian, then we are to blame. That is nowhere near the majority of Iraqi casualties.

Look rising levels of arab-versus-arab violence in Lebanon or Gaza and explain to me how that is our fault. Contrast our role with the much greater impact of Syria, Iran, or the Koran.

I agree with Mister Tee
At least in large part, don't you see.

Your President is not to blame
for a war that has the world inflamed
He's never bombed London; he's never bombed Spain.

You may call him a monkey, a chimp, or other names
But you can't stick it to him as the cause of all the pain.

(Yeah, I flunked poetry 101)

I've long had a particular fondness for the paradox of Romans 11:32, which runs something along the lines of, "God has consigned all men to wickedness that he may show them his mercy." I remember the first time I read that I laughed, but more and more I think it's the greatest line in the book. Doomed and saved, saved and doomed. Two great tastes that taste great together.

I don't feel any personal or national culpability for all the Sunnis blowing up Shiites, or vice versa.

Well, except for the fact we disarmed the army keeping the factions in line, however despotic that rule may have been.

And except for the fact we've largely destroyed the civilian infrastructure.

Nah...no culpability. As we hide behind the walls in the Green Zone.

It's a tragedy that we could be --should be-- doing so much good in the world, but make such awful choices.

Bush has done enough harm in Iraq to rival Saddam.

Bush has done enough harm in Iraq to rival Saddam.

Wow...

Mercy -- an excellent suggestion. I need it, and I need to express it much more strongly than is typical in my life. Might we extend it toward "the monkey" as well? Or does our division and hatred preclude that gift to one with whom we disagree?

Its sad today that everything comes down to playground name calling. As much as I despise some of this country's leaders (on either side of the political wall), or even our governor, I have never stooped to calling them names like "chimp".

I may not like the person, or what they do, but I still respect the office they hold.

I respect the office of the President of the United States, and I am deeply disappointed that it has been occupied by an ignorant, drug-addled man for the last six years. "Chimp" and "monkey" are kind compared to the labels he deserves.

"Chimp" and "monkey" are kind compared to the labels he deserves.

I have always respected Jack's restraint.

The Sunni and Shia branches of Islam have been killing each other since Muhammad's death (June 8, 632 CE).

If America's toppling of a dictator is our "fault", then the subsequent power vacuum created by said toppling was our "fault" too. A large number of Vichyssois were beaten, humiliated and lynched following the liberation of France during WWII: I guess that was our "fault" too.

Perhaps we should have let the Nazis keep France, as they demonstrated a keen ability to keep the trains running on time (no strikes!).

The end of Saddam Hussein's reign of terror merely allowed Islamic religious intolerance and catch up killings to begin anew. I am shocked that anybody (least of all Jack) would confuse Saddam's ruthlessness with the foreign policy and military campaigns of an American President.

We're the good guys, Jack...Iraq was broken before we got there.

Jack, I dunno about W being "ignorant". He does have a Harvard MBA. (And the only President to have one IIRC.)
A little bat-shiat crazy maybe, immoral, corrupt...but I dont think he's ignorant. Not in the least.

If your father is the head of the CIA, you can buy a degree from any school, Yale and Harvard included.

Possibly...but he wasnt head of the CIA until '76. W graduated from Yale in '68, and got his MBA in '75.

Yeah, well, whatever George Sr. was doing in the late '60s and early '70s, he could get his kid a degree from anywhere. Just like he bought him all the jobs the little coke head ever had.