I think the public has accepted the fact that the war was based on lies

[mopaul]

i believe the general public admits to itself privately that yes, bush is a big fat liar, and yes, he lied about the wmd's and saddam and 9-11, and osama, and the economy, and social security, and they've just accepted it, numbly.

most are too occupied with work and luxury and distraction to even give a damn, and the ones who do are just outnumbered, and shouted down. but all in all i think folks realize what's going on and are too afraid and ashamed to admit it.

they've accepted the fact that bush himself is a total embarrassment, deranged and dangerous, a congenital liar of gigantic proportions, and the fact that the iraq war is a total rout and a failure. they see themselves as powerless to stop this insanity, and they'd rather not even bother with thinking about it all.

a real shitty state of affairs.

[bluestateguy]

1. I agree with you, but let me add one thing

The fact that there is no draft makes it such that, the public's growing opposition to the war notwithstanding, the American people have the option of "tuning out" the war. In other words, if you don't have a relative or very close friend over there, it is entirely possible for you to go about your daily life and tune out the war in much the same way you would tune out a bad television program. For them, the war is just a million miles away, in a place they've never heard of, and know even less about.

[bklyncowgirl]

6. You're right, this is the no-hassle war.

Bushco has made it so that while we are at war, Americans are suffering very little. Total control of the media means the worst of it doesn't get out to trouble the minds of Americans. The rising gas prices have effected people of course but it's easy to spin the notion that the war has little or nothing to do with it--it may even be true.

So slap a yellow ribbon on your SUV and like the old Paul Simon song says "Have a good time, Baby."

[Karenina]

31. Mo knows...

and has known for some time now...

[tavalon]

11. I despise the idea of a draft

and yet, it is what mobilized America against the Vietnam war so maybe we need to go there again. But it just breaks my heart.

[HereSince1628]

16. Fear of dying might have been a motivator...the draft had been ongoing

The general senselessness of the war motivated the early protests circa 1965, the nature of the Vietnam quagmire was clear by the time Johnson's escalation of bombing in the north was met with protests. Other motivators came in the form of revelations about the massacre of civilians by Americans at Mai Lai (with Colin Powell in on the cover-up), the Pentagon papers, and the Killings at Kent State.

[Toots]

24. A draft would sure cut back on "for Profit Wars"

I am in favor of re-instituting the draft if for no other reason than that. America just will not stand for such if their own blood is on the line. If a real war were to ever come along (God forbid) I doubt the draft would even be needed. Without a draft though leaders without conscience will continue to start "For Profit Wars" and no one of import will ever complain. Remember how the saying goes. They volunteered for this duty and they aren't complaining so why are you? If we want to stop these "For Profit Wars" then we need the draft. Otherwise people just don't really care.

[LightningFlash]

2. Wrong again....

Conyers petition reaches 200,000 people.

http://www.conyersblog.us

That means it is getting larger.

[mopaul]

4. when was i EVER wrong?

well, maybe a couple times, but you don't have to throw it in my face.

[KlatooBNikto]

10. You admit to being wrong a couple of times,but our great leader and

helmsman says he is never wrong.So,just take a number and line up behind him.

Another thing.He is a good Christian man.You are an atheist.So you don't count.

[liberaliraqvet26]

3. there FOXED

they STILL believe Iraq & 9-11 are connected. No matter what you say they will not accept otherwise

[joanski0]

5. I agree with you. Most of them tune it out

while going about their daily lives, and are waiting for "somebody else" to do something about it.

[dbt]

7. It's OK. bu$h "prayed over it."

That's THE loophole of the 21st Century. It excuses ANY sort of behavior in the minds of Middle Murka. As long as you're a Gawd-fearin' CHRISTIAN MAN who will "pray over it," you can starve children, set puppies on fire, drink blood from a Communion chalice, turn old people out of their homes and/or kill ragheads based on a lie and be adored for doing so.

PS: my use of the word "ragheads" is OK because I PRAYED OVER IT. See how easy that was?

[Fridays Child]

8. I think you're right about people being occupied and distracted.

Of necessity or complacency, or both, they get their news from sound bites and headlines. They don't know how bad things are and they really don't even know how insane B*sh is.

How do we wake them up?

[emanymton]

9. Don't Agree. US Public Cannot Accept 'Their' Government Lies!!

General public in US honestly believe USA and government are different. They cannot bring themselves to believe 'their' government lies to them.

[Disturbed]

12. Abuse Syndrome

Most Americans that are actually paying attention, which is a small percentage, just find excuses for the abuse and go along. Others feel that it's up to the politicians to fix whatever is broke, not their concern. Some refuse to believe that their Pres. is an ASSHOLE.

[Tesla]

13. And the majority wait to make on an opinion.........

based on what the Minister thinks on Sunday,(and Wednesday).

[mopaul]

21. my democrat dad confronted his pastor for preaching bush

and found another church.

[Justice]

14. I agree, and heard

Bill O'Liely's radio show (I was driving and need something to keep be wired and awake) - that a recent poll revealed that only 25% of respondents said they would encourage their child to join the military. He was really upset that 75% of the respondents would not encourage their children to join the military - he thought kids should be encouraged.

Remarkably foolish man.

[amber dog democrat]

15. Actually in Texas, we are not quite at this point yet.

..and we may never get there.

In this state, the reddest of the reds, I honestly believe it won't matter what surfaces or happens.
There are millions here who still feel this quagmire is worth it. They will always feel that way. It depends on what Bush myth they suscribe to : chimp patriot, god fearing chimp, person of chimp integrity... for eduated and jingoists alike, the chimp either allows the rich to get richer, or speaks to them in ways that even they can understand.

I won't see them enlisting or urging their friends and kids to sign up, but in George Bush land, much kool aide has been quaffed. At least they will put bumper stickers on their SUVs.

I am wondering how much longer our "all volunteer " army is going to continue.
Its going over like the Chimp's looting of Social Security.

No wonder the Chimp administration is so afraid of re instating the draft. They are between Iraq and a hard place.

[Bridget Burke]

18. One Bush supporter I know said WMD was a "white lie"....

Just an excuse to "spread democracy." Nobody answered her back--she's a senior administrator. Well, I did mention the oil...

Recently, she brought her son by the office & complained that he had finished college but hadn't gotten a job yet. I did NOT suggest a military career.

Just trying to keep things calm at the work place. Although I think more here do NOT agree with her.

[KansDem]

27. WOW!!!

Now we have to lie to spread democracy?

What does that say about the value of democracy? Or the value we Americans put on democracy...

Ask her if she equates democracy with a used car...

[chknltl]

17. I have reflected upon your post and now I am really scared!

If you are right, and I think to some degree you must be, then the world can charge us as being complicit in those same crimes against humanity which the world will eventually hold against bush, and his cronies. Scary thought huh? Should America lose this "war", one which is showing signs of ramping up, will we civilians be treated like the civilians who lived in Nazi Germany? Will we be marched off to those areas of the planet which we have rendered uninhabitable and be forced to clean up our mess? I do not really expect that we are going to lose this supposed war, but then neither did the Nazis. I do believe that most Americans are not aware of our crimes against humanity as I do believe that most Germans in Nazi Germany were not aware of their governments crimes either. Thinking in terms of history as I have here in this post, I ask myself this: What would I say to those same German civilians in pre-Nazi Germany that could have changed the course of their sad fate? Outside of bluntly quoting their future/my history to them just what could I say? I draw a blank here and that scares me too. I am not giving up though.

[Triana]

19. They don't give a shit...if it was DEMOCRAT who did it...

...that would matter.

[mopaul]

20. yes, these standards of morality and law are for Bill Clinton only

i wholeheartedly agree

[DeepModem Mom]

22. I'm afraid you are exactly right. nt

[KlatooBNikto]

23. I think you give too much credit to the public, at least to the 50 odd pct

that voted for Bush when you say they are ashamed. They are anything but. They think that what Bush did on 9/11, WMD's and the War on Iraq was absolutely essential to teach the Arabs who is Boss and who owns their oil.This is why, even if a new Pennsylvania Avenue Memo surfaces saying Bush ordered 9/11 there will hardly be a ripple.

We need a resolute Leader like Churchill, you know, to stop terrorists even though the terrorists are openly hiding in the WH.

[CrispyQ]

25. I agree.

There would be more outrage if they cancelled Survivor.

[housewolf]

26. I've heard rw'ers literally SCREAM that they don't care...

they don't care that there were no WMDs found in Iraq, they don't care if the president lied about it. They just want revenge for 9/11.

It's astounding to me... we lost fewer than 3,000 Americans in the WTC hit, and some from other countries. Now we've lost more than half that number again in Iraq, suffered tens of thousands of injuries, loss of limbs, etc., hundreds of thousands of Iraqis dead and injured, many parts of the country bombed into ruins and spent almost $200 billion - And still the blood-lust is not satisfied. They refuse to wake up from their trance and put an end to it.

It quite shakes my faith in my fellow Americans. I thought we were more enlightened and civilized than this.

[mopaul]

28. we've become brutes and barbarians, like we accuse 'them' of being

[KnowerOfLogic]

29. I think that people knew *before* the war that it was all lies;

they just wanted an excuse to (vicariously) kick some arab butt. People were looking for an excuse to take revenge for 9-11 on any convenient designated enemy. That's why there's no shock or surprise now, when the lies are 'exposed;' everybody already knew they were lies.

[Jacobin]

30. This is very true

Which is why the DSM is causing euphoria here that is going to lead to a lot of disappointment