Pelly,

You're probably right regarding Georgie, who appeared as not much more more than a dim-witted front of house puppet for the U.S. neoliberal regime. Still, it's amazing how many people bought the altruistic line.
It doesn't take much to rationalise things away.

(Glad you're back too :)

pelican,
did you hear Noam Chomsy on Sunday Profile? http://www.abc.net.au/rn/sundayprofile/stories/2011/3355217.htm He said that authorities in Iraq were eager to cooperate with Bush and asked to see the evidence of WMD's, but that the US refused to show it as they had none. Chomsky makes no bones about it, saying that Bush might have been tried and hung in former times, and that Australia was guilty of war crimes too in toadying association association. There was no valid pretext for the invasion.

The possible presence of WMD's in Iraq, promoted by the U.S. was the ultimate vehicle as a driver for confirmation bias in the minds of the general public.

Chomsky wrote in "Hegemony or Survival":
"With the Iraqi people at the edge of survival after a decade of destructive sanctions, international aid and medical agencies warned that a war might lead to a serious humanitarian catastrophe... The war involving the purposeful destruction of water, power and sewage systems took a terrible toll...."

Certainly it was a crime against humanity, yet the whole episode is seemingly mitigated in the minds of many on the grounds that the U.S. and the Coalition acted out of altruism.

You do carry on don't you? You sure know how to hate too.

Saddam Hussein was pushing his possession of WMD because after his army's destruction when thrown out of Kuwait, he was trying to stop Iran from walking right over him.

It must have fooled Iran, as they stayed home, so, if George is as dumb as you reckon, It probably fooled him too.

Why is it that the same people who want to destroy Oz, & the western world with a carbon [dioxide] tax, based on less evidence that those WMDs, would be happy to take the chance on there being WMDs?

Stories that the practice of self flagellation died out with a bunch of kooks in the middle ages are obviously much exaggerated. The kooks are alive & well, [well sort of], but the physical practice has transformed into a mental activity.

No guts these modern kooks, don't like the sight of real blood.

Thanks for the link squeers. Interesting and poignant comments about the concentration of power in light of the Occupy protests.

Hasbeen
Hate? What is wrong with pointing out discrepancies and lies promulgated by various governments?

You are quite happy in pointing out the perceived failures of the AlP Rudd/Gillard camp but I would not be so judgemental in labelling you a hater. That is just ad hominen attacks rather than thoughtful contribution to the discussion and keeping an open mind on what governments actually do rather than what they say.

That was entirely my point Pelican.

Lets talk about what governments do, rather that attribute some action we can find undesirable to them, without any proof, other than reinforcement of our opinion by our fellow travelers.

If I'm still around when the papers pertaining to that period are released, it will not be of much interest to me, unless of course I can say, "I told you so".

Not worth waiting around for really.