Again it took me a while to get back to you, but what with all that Christmas madness I guess I have a rather good excuse.
Anyway, I don't doubt that the majority of the US population want your troops out of Iraq as soon as possible, but it's not that easy any more. You refered to your country as an empire and that's what it's all about, isn't it. Like the British a century ago you guys go into a country, conquere it and then want to leave without taking responsibility. Now, you took away the Iraqi (evi) government, then you fail in establishing a new one and that's it? If you had given a little more thought to the matter before taking out your bombs, you might have realized that it would become another Vietnam.
The other thing how easy you people can change sides. Now, this is actually about a conversation I had with a Brit when the War in Iraq started, but I'm sure the same statement could be heard of any number of Americans. Anyway, what he said (I quote): "I was against the war but now that our boys are down there, I'm for it to support them."
Being for a war does not actually support the poor sods who have to fight it, does it? And having been for that war, the American people can't just ask for their boys to be returned to home base now. It's all rather more of a Grand Slam than a Home Run, to keep up metaphor.
About our "beloved" chancelor, well she is quite right-wing but not as bad as Thatcher used to be. It's a bit like in your country, the candidates' politics for that office are rather similar so that normally it all comes down to personality or spite. And I'm afraid our former leader pushed through some rather unpopular reforms so Angie got into office because of spite.
No prob msfogg, and with the new year beginning if you'll allow we'll just let this thread drift and take things up in the future when time allows. And I still say that if there were a red button Americans could push to bring all US troops home today, most of us would push it. Every poll that allows for that choice (many don't even allow it in discussion) shows that's what Yankees want. Now we're constantly told we should stay, that it's the right thing to do etc but Americans are and always have been notoriously isolationist as a people. I assume you're belly laughing by now.
The hypocrisy of "support our troops" has been with us since war began. The "troop supporters" want them to stay and risk being killed, the liberals want them home and safe. But the US has no corner on that brand of hypocrisy. It's been around since the battle of Marathon.
Happy New Year and happy trails! I won't be checking here so much (I'll be back in the spring, like weeds) but if you want to yell at an American you can always send a shout out to egomet_bonmot at the big Y dot com. Cheers.
