I think we are fighting them over there so we don't have to fight them over here, but in a different context. Terrorism is GLOBAL not region-specific to the Middle East. I think Bush is focusing his efforts on Iraq to make the "War on Terrorism" concrete for Americans, but the War on Terror is NOT concrete. It's just like the War on Drugs. Terrorism exists everywhere, including our own country (just think of the Oaklahoma City Bomber) and I think that not enough focus is being put on them.

Bush is fighting them in Iraq so he can explain away his guilt when we get struck from a home grown cell. "Well, we're doing what we can in the Middle East!" Right.

EDIT: Go see the "Do you support the war in Iraq" pick. MajorDork and I are having an interesting discussion on this.

I'm not sure I totally understood one part of your answer... Are you saying the War is keeping terrorists away from us or not?

I totally understand your thoughts on homegrown terrorists, but I don't believe they are nearly the threat foreign terrorists are. Also, if Bush focused more on these backyard terrorists, can you imagine how many freedoms would be taken away then?!

Haha, this is true.

I was trying to be clever and witty and failed miserably. Kind of like Britney Spears tried to be cool at the VMAs. But what I was trying to say is the War in Iraq is (purposefully on Bush's part) distracting us from the real War on Terror, which is a global "war." IE, Bush IS fighting them over there so he doesn't have to deal with the criticism he's getting at home. He can say, "Look, I'm fighting terrorism in the Middle East, dunno what you all are upset about!"

BUT yes, home grown terrorists aren't as much of a threat as foreign, but still the key word there is foreign, not Iraqi. It's an international thing which is what makes me disbelieve the argument that the war in Iraq is part of the war on terror.

The war has bred even more anti-American sentiment in the middle east, as well as in the global community as a whole. I'm not necessarily saying this is all TERRORIST level anti-American sentiment. I had a conversation with an Egyptian cab driver who told me he actually missed Bill Clinton as president because he thought Bush was doing such a bad job. He said he liked Clinton, because Clinton seemed interested in trying to find peace between the Palestinians and Israelis, which is a big issue for Egyptians as they border the Gaza strip.

Bush isn't fighting against terrorism, he's encouraging it.

The Egyptian taxi driver I mentioned, he launched into an explination of all the good points and bad points of past US presidents, from GW Bush all the way back to Kennedy-- and he did it in order.

It's times like that when it makes me sad that an Egyptian taxi driver-- a lower middle class international who speaks better English than I speak Arabic-- knows more about American politics than some Americans I know.

YES! Bush is encouraging terrorism with his war.

The anti-American sentiment this pointless war is causing upsets me, too. The world already has a problem with us, but now they think we agree with our 'leader' is doing.

And as for your Egyptian cab driver speaking better English than you can speak Arabic... That's another downfall of the United States. We are one of the few major countries that don't require learning a second language.

Maybe Bush could focus on that... Oh wait, he's busy starting civil wars!

9 words: Bush has made us an open target for terrorism.

11 words: Bush has mad us more of an open target for terrorism.

We've always been a target, but now Busg has given the terorists a real reason.

Bush is the terrorist.

That is a point.

Bush is a terrorist in that he inspires terror in his own people. He's a fear-monger, and I can't even tell anymore when we're being paranoid and when we're being rightfully fearful.

That reminds me of a thought I had the other day.

Every administration has its conspiracy theories, but with Bush's admin, I kinda think there are more truths in these theories than other admins.