Is America really this stupid? - Democratic Underground

Career Prole

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Thu Aug-04-05 10:06 PM
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Is America really this stupid?

Monday, August 1

Bush installs Bolton as U.N. ambassador

WASHINGTON, Aug 1 (Reuters) - President George W. Bush bypassed the Senate and installed John Bolton as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations on Monday over protests by Democrats that the combative critic of the world body would hurt U.S. credibility.

Five months after nominating Bolton, Bush appointed him in a subdued White House Roosevelt Room ceremony with Bolton beside him and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice standing nearby.

<snip>

Bush sidestepped the Senate confirmation process after it became clear he would not be able to overcome Democrats who held up the nomination of the outspoken conservative on charges he tried to manipulate intelligence and intimidated intelligence analysts to support his hawkish views as the top State Department diplomat for arms control.
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Wednesday, August 3

Bolton follows advice from former Sec. of State Schultz

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — John Bolton, the new U.S. ambassador to the United Nations who has a reputation for being outspoken, said Wednesday he's following the advice of former Secretary of State George Schultz and listening instead of talking.

<snip>

What was his message to the General Assembly president?
"Well, we had a lot of messages," Bolton replied. "Mostly I was listening. You know former Secretary of State George Schultz once said listening is vastly underrated as a method of obtaining information, so I was following his advice today."

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Morning of Thursday, August 4

Bolton Casts First Vote As U.N. Envoy

UNITED NATIONS (AP) - Casting his first vote as U.N. ambassador, John Bolton joined the rest of the Security Council Thursday in condemning terrorism in Iraq. He then set his sights on Syria and Iran - accusing them of not doing enough to stop foreigners from joining the insurgency.

The resolution adopted by the council strongly urged a halt to the movement, financing and arming of international terrorists emphasized the importance of cooperation particularly from Iraq's neighbors, but no countries were singled out.

In speeches immediately after the vote, however, Bolton and Britain's U.N. Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry said Iran and Syria can and should do more to keep terrorists from crossing their borders - and must keep their pledges under previous U.N. resolutions to support stability in Iraq.

"We call on all members to meet their obligations to stop the flow of terrorists, terrorist financing and weapons, and particularly on Iran and Syria," Bolton said. "We think this is very important ... to help bring stability and security to the people of Iraq and to permit the constitutional process to go forward. It's the highest priority for the people and government of Iraq and for the United States as well."

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So much for the "listening" sojourn...this was a U.S. draft resolution, so Bolton went to New York with it "in his pocket".
He ain't listening to nobody, nohow. He actually hit the ground lying.

Now...lo and behold...what's this?

Evening of Thursday, August 4

Shipment of high explosives intercepted in Iraq
Most sophisticated of roadside bombs reportedly coming from Iran

PENTAGON - It’s the number one killer of American troops in Iraq: roadside bombs.

The massive roadside bomb that killed 14 Marines Wednesday flipped their 37-ton vehicle on its top and blew it some 40 feet down the road.

Tonight, there’s disturbing information that some of the most sophisticated of these deadly weapons are reportedly coming from Iran.

U.S. military and intelligence officials tell NBC News that American soldiers intercepted a large shipment of high explosives, smuggled into northeastern Iraq from Iran only last week.

<snip>

Intelligence officials believe the high-explosives were shipped into Iraq by the Iranian Revolutionary guard or the terrorist group Hezbollah, but are convinced it could not have happened without the full consent of the Iranian government.

And Thursday, Defense Secretary Rumsfeld accused Iran of attempting to derail the democratic process in Iraq.

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Oh my...there certainly seems to be something going on here, but what on earth could it be?

Surely the dopes wouldn't gin up another war!

It's...it's out of the question! Absurd! Absurd, I tell you!!