tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13090306.post3232273456844092968..comments2023-10-02T06:13:32.418-05:00Comments on Moline Democratic Maverick: Are you to blame for Iraq?Dave Barretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04289405215433867162noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13090306.post-60727807262764400802007-11-09T15:11:00.000-06:002007-11-09T15:11:00.000-06:00Thanks for the comments ellen beth and rosecovered...Thanks for the comments ellen beth and rosecovered glasses. I dashed this blog entry off quickly this morning before I went to work and did not do as much rereading and revising as I usually do. Rereading it now I see that it does not clearly express what I originally intended. But the fact that this blog entry has gotten such interesting comments makes me wonder if I should more often write ambigously rather than strive for clarity as I usually do.Dave Barretthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04289405215433867162noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13090306.post-15127178321866874402007-11-09T12:24:00.000-06:002007-11-09T12:24:00.000-06:00I read your post with interest because I have writ...I read your post with interest because I have written extensively on the responsibility of citizens to keep informed and demand better of their leaders. I'd not lay the blame exactly as you describe (and I think, warn against), but I would say if people kept informed and demanded better quality government, we might not be in this mess. It was too easy for Bush to scare Americans into agreeing with his war and now his torture and spying on us. Congress saw those early Bush-favorable numbers and it still leaves them paralized. I get republican commenters on my blog actually cheering for what we would have considered to be facist or Soviet dictatorship in the past, calling my urgings to stick to American and Constitutional principles "marginalized" and "dangerous". I even see some Ddemocrats afraid to come out strongly in favor of the constitution. Ben Franklin sure knew what he was saying when he said "a republic if you can keep it."Ellen Beth Gillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02437707135406101498noreply@blogger.com