Prometheus 6

I rented an interesting film last night called "The Spartan" that was written and directed by David Mamet and starring Val Kilmer. One of the more powerful and compelling narrative themes of the movie was constructed around how people in power are using the threat of global terrorism to cover up and justify their personal failings and abuses of political power. Look at Putin, for example, in the former Soviet Union whjo is using the conflict with Chechnya to further justify his efforts to reenact the failed policy of "democratic centralism." He was already hard at work to tamping down democratic reforms in Russia including intimidating the press and finding various dubious pretexts to arrest and jail his political opponents. Allawi falls into the same category although he doesn't dare yet to arrest and jail his political opponents many of whom are dead set on assassinating him before he kills them.

Allawi falls into the same category

I think you give him too much credit. Jim Henson would be proud to see how much can be done with muppets.

In terms of his impulses and desire for power he isn't much different from the politician and his advisors featured in Mamet's film. They are all opportunists of the worst sort but the critical issue is whether they have any talent or not. Time and circumstances will reveal whether Allawi has the real stuff or not. He may, after all, turn out to be a brain donor.

wow such positive viewpoints.
how dare the man in Iraq, actually say he knows more about Iraq than the American media in New York.
your personal biases are blinding you guys.

its ok to talk abotu abuses that are covered up by an overexpansive use of the war on terror. But funny, liberals always find fault in only one direction.
never do they actually deal with the real issue of the terrorism. just how we are not perfect in implementing certain ideas.
this is the failure of librals.
This terrorism issue will destroy the Dem party if they do not wake up.

Sean, can you honestly say the news from Iraq supports what Allawi is saying? Just on the face of it alone, no need for interpretations. And the power of positive thinking isn't solving a thing.

Now, you want to talk the real issue of terrorism? Seriously, I am more concerned about getting struck by lightning because the odds are higher. But what would you like to discuss?

Well, although this isn't really germane to the issue at hand let's deal with the name calling and labeling first. I'm not a liberal and I don't carry water for the Democratic Party and, more importantly, I don't know what I have ever written which leads you to think or imagine that I am a liberal save expressing an opinion that you don't find consonant with your own biases and suppositions. If you want to respond to my posts and especially if you choose to object to something I've written then deal with the issue. Skip the name calling and labeling. While it may be true that I am expressing my subjective viewpoints it may be equally true that you are being insufficiently objective in terms of your analysis of the situation in Iraq. If Allawi's credibility is built wholly on his having a greater knowledge of the people and culture of Iraq then folks like me will always have to defer to his presumably superior judgement. I well recall a certain late president of South Vietnam who continously demanded that the Eisenhower and Kennedy Administrations defer to his judgment because, after all, he knew more about the Vietnamese people than the Vietnamese people knew about themselves.