A one sentence post.

[madfloridian]

"A few years back, Howard Dean was honest enough to say that we should treat the rest of the world as if we were not going to always have the strongest military."

We would be wise to think about this.

After the horrors we have done to Iraqis who were not threats, after the way we have treated other countries....we need to remember this.

http://savannahnow.com/node/204334

[illinoisprogressive]

1. thanks and agreed

[calimary]

2. That is a VERY good point. Because ours is just the current

empire. Show me one other in history that has survived. Heck, how many have rumbled across the Tigris/Euphrates alone, never mind across the rest of the planet? Damn, that Howard Dean is brilliant. How did I miss that quote from him?

[madfloridian]

3. Well, he got blasted for it.

From Dems and the other side. How dare he suggest we would not always have the strongest military. That was almost as bad as when he said we were not safer with Saddam captured.

[MH1]

11. Funny, the way you wrote it, I didn't read it as him saying we wouldn't always have the strongest

military.

To say we should treat other people and governments as if we might someday have to answer to them, seems more like a statement of morality to me.

But I guess morality is a concept lost on the right wing, except as a word they can use as a club on those who disagree with them.

[madfloridian]

12. Actually you are right....he meant more than that.

There was a lot mentioned at that rally about the use of diplomacy, it was more about not using our military as if we were a bully. I have never found the complete speech from that rally in NH, but this page covers the fall-out from his saying we were no safer with Saddam caught, to Drudge's sirens, to the statement about the military.

http://interestingtimes.blogspot.com/2003/04/i-was-afraid-of-this.html

He was speaking of not being a bully, and of diplomatic means first. It seemed to fit today's scenario as we are so hated throughout the world.

[Old and In the Way]

4. Might makes Right.

But should our nukes ever be nuetralized, we'll suddenly remember the value of diplomacy and getting along with others.

[NMMNG]

5. Indeed

One day we might not have the strongest military.

Furthermore, other nations might get fed up with us being the bullies of the world and decide to gather together to kick us down a few notches.

Where would we be then?

[DemDogs]

6. Like Dean but

This statement is not right for a lot of reasons. One, it plays right into R hands who said at the time that Dean was conceding that we wouldn't be number one because he didn't think being number one was important. (Like it or not, it is important.) It wasn't what he said, but he gave them something they could twist too easily. Two, it doesn't say but it suggests that the reason to be a decent player in foreign affairs is our own self-interest. We should be decent because that is it the right thing to do.

I don't want to quarrel with Dean because he said a lot of great things. I just don't think this is one of them.

[madfloridian]

7. Neither did his fellow Democrats running against him.

So you are in good company. There was such outrage.

Perhaps none of us should ever say anything that could get twisted. They say silence is golden. Perhaps we would become a nation that invades other countries if we kept saying things like that.

Oh, I forgot, we did that. And we executed that country's leader.

Now we are safer. I don't think I need the sarcasm tag, do I?

[williesgirl]

8. Howard is usually right on - recommended

[Auntie Bush]

9. Unfortunately, he got a lot of flack and criticism from all the

Corp. media and to this day they would never admit that error...not to mention ALL their other errors/blunders going all the way back to early Clinton days. The MSM or CM in it's greed is directly responsible for much of the destruction of our Constitution and Democracy....not to mention the Iraqi war and sooooooo many deaths and destruction.

The Media wanted George in office because he'd give them more media consolidation and less taxes. They WANTED this war out of pure greed as war is great for TV ratings and big bucks. They saw what the first Iraq war did for CNN and they wanted more of the same. How exciting to discuss war, killings, mayhem and politics 24/7 while they listened to the ca-ching of the dollars flowing in. War is great for TV, big oil the military industrial complex, Halliburten and the likes of Bush at el and all his rich friends etc.

By the way...this is also why they won't mention Clark's name. THEY DO NOT WANT HIM AS PRESIDENT because they know he'd be bad for their income.
Corp. don't want him as he'd KNOW what was necessary in the way of military equipment and would cut down considerably and save this nation a lot of the graft and lost dollars we have today.

[venable]

10. Brilliant. Kudos to Howard.

very important notion.

[renie408]

13. What a good point. Well said, Dean. n/t

[Straight Shooter]

14. Howard Dean is one of the most prescient speakers in politics.

He may have been speaking from an ethical and moral viewpoint, but I would take his words as a form of handwriting on the wall.

[omega minimo]

15. K&R ............ or not always going to have the strongest economy.......

Happy New Year, All :toast:

[Hekate]

16. Amen, Dr. Dean. We've been cursed with some truly stupid leaders lately. nt