well, we were in bed with Iraq at one point. And Vietnam. And Panama. And Russia. And Afghanistan

.

Tlaloc: But none of them to the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars a year(months?) We buy their stuff, keeping their economy going. They loan it all back to us, keeping our economy (and Gov't) going.

War between the US and China would be economic suicide for both.

The very idea is ludicrous.

tom

The irony is that Cole builds caricatures of his political enemies that are more descriptive of himself than anyone else.

In fact, it seems the US is a domestic abuser- anyone who shares our bed winds up with a black eye, sooner or later.

Why? Who is going to pay for it? You? Me? Hell, we don't pay for the war in Iraq. Who is paying for that war??? You think those same people are going to pay for a war against themselves???

Oh... Wait a minute... I forget... Conservative thinking these days says "wars don't have to be paid for"...

Look, all snide remarks aside, whether we like it or not, the US is in bed with China, and neither one of us can afford a war with the other right now (or at any time in the fore-see-able future).

No matter how much neocon "war-mongering" goes on.

End of story.

Regardless, Fallows is talking about Bill Kristol, specifically, and neoconservative bloggers, publications, and think tanks more generally. While I suppose they can garner more attention, sales, clickthroughs, or whathaveyou during wartime, I can’t imagine any of them are willing to sacrifice thousands of American lives on that bet.

I honestly believe Kristol would sacrifice a million children if it got him $5. He's just a &^%$ing psychopath. Other people are merely objects for him to use to get what he wants.

Odd that this argument never came up in the ramp up to the war. It seems that even by conservative - read: even the numbers war supporters will grudgingly admit to - estimates, the sheer number of civilian casualties outstrips the horror we were supposedly - though in reality, only ex post facto - stopping in the first place.

I'm also reminded of the phrase "a lack of planning on your part does not constitute a crisis on my part". Those opposed to the war did not shit this bed. And if more shit will be laid out upon it because of the idiocy, then I don't find it a persuasive argument by those who did the shitting that it'd be those who pull out's responsibility for said shit.

Cute argument, but really. It's your shit.

All of it.

Further, as Obama pointed out that he didn't care if the US pulling out of Iraq would lead to genocide, you have the dead Iraqi's to put into the equation. But then maybe you don't consider Iraqi's people.

By the extension of that argument, can we say that liberal bloggers who advocate an immediate withdrawal from Iraq are willing to sacrifice thousands of American lives in down stream problems to garner more clicks? It would seem to be a similar argument.

War implies casualties. Peace brings only the possibility of casualties. Unless and until you can definitively prove than a pullout from Iraq will directly result in American casualties which would be otherwise avoided if we stay.

You being a pessimist doesn't make optimists bad people.

Regardless, Fallows is talking about Bill Kristol, specifically, and neoconservative bloggers, publications, and think tanks more generally. While I suppose they can garner more attention, sales, clickthroughs, or whathaveyou during wartime, I can’t imagine any of them are willing to sacrifice thousands of American lives on that bet. The much more plausible explanation for their advocating wars in Iraq, Iran, and China is a particular worldview rather than economic incentive.

By the extension of that argument, can we say that liberal bloggers who advocate an immediate withdrawal from Iraq are willing to sacrifice thousands of American lives in down stream problems to garner more clicks? It would seem to be a similar argument.

There are folks in the Pentagon who've built their careers around the idea of a high tech near-peer enemy and the only available prospect for the job is China.