from SLATE

[Jim Devine <jdevine03@xxxxxxxxx>]

While at the G-8 conference, > Bush also used the opportunity to say
that Putin "shouldn't fear a missile defense system" and, once again,
urged him to cooperate with the United States.<

he might be right -- but what if it isn't really a missile defense
system? after all, it doesn't work: you can't hit a bullet with a
bullet in mid-air. Maybe it can be switched easily into a medium-range
surface-to-surface missile system, so that the US wouldn't have to
nuke Russia to punish it.

> Meanwhile, on the same day that Bush spoke about the importance of
democratic institutions, the [Washington POST] goes inside with news
that the Pakistani government arrested hundreds of opposition party
workers yesterday morning and continued to place restrictions on the
country's independent television stations. <

this is an ally of the US! and not one of those "revolutionary
socialist" regimes that David S. sneers at.

BTW, it's not an illusion that revolutionary socialist regimes suffer
from sabotage. The US does it, as against Cuba. Our Fearless Leaders
also engage in targeted assassinations, as they tried to do against
Castro. And they overthrow democratically-elected governments, as in
Chile in 1973. They tried it again against (the
democratically-elected) Chavez in Venezuela more recently...

--
Jim Devine /  "Segui il tuo corso, e lascia dir le genti." (Go your
own way and let people talk.) -- Karl, paraphrasing Dante.