Pres. GW Bush looked into Putin’s soul, and saw that he was a Good Man. Do you not trust his powers of character discernment ?

You disparage my little king by printing these slanders against the valiant Putin.

– stan

tongue erupting thru cheek

What basis? Being an unapologetic and murderous tyranny and a reliable foe of individual freedom is enough basis for me.

Not that anyone thinks he isn’t capable of killing people, just for Russia Litvinenko was such a nobody.

Excuse me? Says who? The Red Army defeated the axis at a greater sacrifice than all the Western nations combined.

On what argument could they deny that great victorious power a permanent UN-SC seat (as of 1945)?

You can leave England out of your “We do their military protection list”. The US was in England because they needed the basing rights to support the Cold War. The UK was always a willing partner in the fight.

Exactly what bases does the US have in France? How many forces are stationed there?

Bases, forces, a garage full of MRE’s… all the same to you, right? you make it sound like it’s a bad thing.

It’s almost as bad as if your friend from way grade school was now a gazillionare, and just wanted to store his extra HDTV home theatre equipment in your basement. Or your living room. He don’t care. He’ll even thow in some surround sound speakers, show you on how to use it, (and in some cases, how to build it,) and pay you rent for it being there.

On second look, I seem to recall that both Australia and Canada are quite staunch US allies, and some mighty big countries. Can you remind me of the names and locations of all the US bases there? Or where the US stereo equipment is located?

The United States operates from a very different platform, and considering today’s political climate, our system is ill-equipped to deal with terrorism as effectively as Russia does. Their opposition risks personal death with the slightest objection. Our opposition risks civilization.

Indeed, the delicate balance between opposition and efficacy in this country is at once lifeline and tripwire. Lifeline upon which future freedom depends, tripwire with which to Claymore liberal democracy into oblivion.

The United States, curiously, can only count on other English speaking countries and a few lately liberated other countries with vibrant and vital Christian populations as soul sisters in conflict. The rest are merely remoras that grudgingly attach themselves for a short and convenient period to gain points for future trade-offs.

The world’s organizational status is in upheaval after a brief respite. Things have changed. One might remember the elecrtic light bulb and its eventual impact on darkness. WTC was a major move in the opposite direction.

This war was never an option like some two-bit prize fight on a Thursday night. It is a more serious business than World War II.

Our job, as the thinkers and ponderers of this new age, is to forego linear thinking, to engulf this era with supreme lateral examination so that we may place Putin, et al, in proper perspective and against a backdrop of three dimensional history.

History right now is not a snapshot of one individual, nor is it a group shot of a graduating class. It is cinema 360, going on all around us, and we should hold tight the truth that we are not on the screen, we are on the focal point smack in the center.

Odd, though. This may be as alive as we ever get to be.