It’s been said before but for some reason half of the country isn’t listening.  Since the war in Iraq estimates are continuing to assume that terrorism is on the rise.  Whether you call them insurgents, militants, or terrorists there’s more of them today and they’re Anti-American views are even more extreme.  We will never know if Bush’s re-election has impacted the numbers but common sense tells us it probably has.  Kerry may have only have been able to quench the fires but Bush has done little but throw gas on the flames. 

As a citizen I can’t help but feel left in the dark when it comes to decisions of war without diplomacy.  This black v. white mentality provided by our current administration (diplomacy v. war) taints the real options our nation has.  For example, why not reform policies and sanctions?  Yes, the UN had its problems.  Yes, there may even have been corruption in the Oil for Food program (with Saddam and the UN planted in the middle).  Yes, we needed to fix our relations with the Middle East.  But to continue stumbling down a path started by Reagan’s “end to the Cold War”, furthered by George HW Bush, and at times ignored by Clinton has no excuse!  Why hasn’t this administration listened?  Why haven’t the American people or the media held them accountable for their faults?  Why have we given this error ridden administration a second chance?  Why haven’t we learned from history?

The tumultuous situation is seemly getting worse!  Bush continues to tighten his circle in which size already been criticized during his first term. For example, “on March 22, 2004, vice president Dick Cheney claimed that Richard Clarke was ‘out of the loop’ in the fight against terror. If Clarke, who was appointed to oversee counterterrorism efforts by Condoleezza Rice, was out of the loop then the administration had an embarrassingly small loop.” (Wikipedia.com). Why the homogeneity of ideas within the most powerful administration on earth?  Saudi Arabia even had dissenting opinions during discussions to allow US troops in the country to protect against an understood potential Iraqi invasion during the Gulf War.  Iran is actually allowing a democratic vote on whether to begin again its nuclear weapons program (how serious this vote is only time will tell).

Despite a lot of assumptions that this administration doesn’t have a plan I strongly believe they do.  Despite a lot of comments about the incompetence of Bush I believe he’s quite intelligent.  This administration is playing a game.  A game that’s rules are fixed and the press, conspiracy theorists, dissenters, and American public are falling into it.  These are not stupid people.  Bush is not dumb!  And until we realize this, we will continue to play.

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