Ron Paul Is Right.... Again

Rudy Giuliani tried to make Ron Paul sound insane last night by suggesting that 9/11 was a pre-meditated attack against the innocent United States. Unfortunately for everyone, Paul is right. People seem to forget the axiom - "terrorism is a poor man's war, and war is a rich man's terrorism." With our constant bombings of Iraq in the 90's during the Clinton administration, our near absolute support and favoritism towards Israel, and the propping up of weak, yet brutal monarchies in the Middle East, we have many enemies. Also there is the Ledeen doctrine, "every ten years America needs to beat up some crappy little country to show we mean business." America didn't deserve 9/11, but it would take a lot of ignorance and chutzpah to say we weren't asking for it. We can't keep kicking up shit in every flea-bourn corner of the world and not expect to track any home.

The worst of it is that not only that the war in Iraq is not helping, our efforts to frustrate Iran has led us to support radical Sunni Muslims, and the real crazies like the Muslim Brotherhood - who are actually in league with Osama Bin Laden himself.

So not only did we help inspire the 19 to attack us on 9/11, we are supporting their friends so they can help us against Iran. Oh, this makes so much sense.

Better Off Dead

Saddam Hussein was a thug. Pure and simple. He lived like a thug, but died like a martyr - thanks to the Bush Administration.

In life he was notorious for his disasterous war against Iran, the gassing of the Kurds in Northern Iraq, his heavy handed punishment of Dujail, and the torture his sons Uday and Qusay inflicted upon the Iraqi people.

In death he will be remembered for industrializing a once agrarian society, encouraging diversification in the domestic economy in order to limit dependence on oil, promoting women's rights, supporting religious tolerance, and keeping the peace throughout the territory while recognizing a right to bear arms.

The Exile's Gary Brecher already recognizes him as a genius in maintaining order, and others refer to the current mess in Iraq as the "curse of Saddam."

While Saddam was no saint, the Christians in Iraq felt protected in his time, Moqtada al-Sadr was hiding for his life, and no one was working over time trying to provide visas for Iraqis to leave the country.

Saddam was a distaster as a military commander, but he was no fool. Perhaps when reflecting on how the world would see him in light of the mess in the Middle East, there was a practical reason why he wasn't afraid to die. He must have known he would come out ahead.