From: mike larkin
Luke Weiger <lweiger at umich.edu> wrote:
C.G. (perhaps unwittingly) made a good point: this sense of desperation could also be used to describe the political psychology of many Bushies. They were so desperate to end Islamic terrorism that they were willing to lie their way into war, and torture suspects, and...
Do you think they're really desperate to end Islamic terrorism? I'm with Chomsky that they're not particularly concerned about it. Except to the extent they can tie it to rogue states and the need for missile defense, etc.
^^^^^^
CB: Yes, the Bushies and others like them need a replacement for the Red Evil Empire to justify high levels of military spending. The "end of Islamic terrorism" would create great pressure for a peace dividend. U.S. policy has grown addicted to having a big "threat". Is the term "military-industrial complex" still in vogue ?
Same with the war on Iraq itself over the last 12 years. A giant military needs war to rationalize its size.