Politician for sale. Only slightly used, opinions and policies depend on how much you can pay him so that he is sure to get elected. In fact, the entire American legislature is for sale to the highest bidder, which appears to be Israel, at the moment. You American fools, when will you realise that America is not a democracy? Ancient Greece wasn’t, either. It was a slave state. One man one vote! Give me a break.

I guess your trying to evoke a anger response. right? Everybody that I know thinks we live in a Constitional Republic, not one man one vote, that's just mob rule. I hope y'all don mind ma ignorince.Yes we did have slavery but we don't anymore. In fact, slavery does still exist, but mostly in the Muslim world and some other places. Since your so brillant first I'm sure 1) you will admit your error 2) explain for the people here at talkback what a constitional Republic vs pure democracy which is NOT what the US is. You will have to pardon us " fools " who along with very few other countries ( including Israel ) have a free press, open access to the internet and TV, and can go to a public library or book store and get any book by any author even if they write about hating the US. Now which of the the 21 countries that surround Israel have that same freedom? Oh, that right NONE. later and take care, please drop the Tude Dude. have a wonderful day Mark from Georgia

So where is it, in your opinion, that the Israel and Palestinians have to go? What is it that each should do to help foster peace. If people could sit down as we do, and discuss things with a true desire for peace it would happen. It is by building relationships that we overcome hatred. And by teaching kids to love just for the sake of it. But the adults must lead the way, set a example for the children to follow. As always good to speak with you my friend, and take care Mark from Georgia

Mark from Georgia: For some people, telling them that their house is on fire can provoke an anger response. But if you think that you live in a constitutional republic, why does your president constantly refer to it as a democracy? The United States is ruled by an elitist group whose power base is money and influence. Money can sway elections, which amounts to buying the candidates their seats in the legislature, no matter whether they are democrats or republicans. When they are reminded of their indebtedness, they vote the way they are told to vote. That is the reality of it, but I very much doubt that this was the way that your Founding Fathers hoped that things would turn out. The vast number of people in the United States who believe that the war in Iraq is wrong and should be brought to an end have just witnessed their newly-elected Congress pass a non-binding resolution opposing Bush’s proposed troop surge in Iraq. And this despite the fact that many of the newly-elected Democrats, and even some Republicans had stated, during their campaigns, that they wanted to see an end to the war. But, snugly sitting in their exclusive club, it was business as usual with the ones who pay the pipers calling the tune. You talk of having a free press, but are you sure that those who fill its pages are free to write what they want to write, or what should be written? Whether you agree or disagree with the many theories about 9/11, for example, your so-called free press seems loathe to give any coverage to those who sincerely doubt that the official story contains the whole truth and nothing but the truth. If there’s nothing to hide, wouldn’t a truly free and unbiassed press welcome a debate? Yes, the Middle East is currently a mess, and many of its regimes leave much to be desired, but check back and see why this might be. Could U.S. and European interference have had anything to do with it? I guess by Tude, you mean attitude, but I can’t just drop something in which I sincerely believe. The United States is the most powerful nation that the world has ever seen, and I believe that it is being manipulated by people whose agendas are, to say the least, not advancing the idea of world peace one bit. There must be a better way. You have a nice day, too.

We have problems here. We strive for perfection and a free press helps, democracy is just the shorthand for our government, by having Congress with two year Reps. and six year Congressmen, the former is the reactionary part that could respond to mob rule but tempered by the latter with six years, people calm down and so they can, in theory , reject the house's bills. Second the President can veto or authorize laws. Third the judicial branch can overrule laws that don't follow the Constitution. It is not perfect. But why do you think people love to come here ? I'm confused!! First you ask why so many people here oppose the war. Then in the next paragragh you state that the press is controlled and doesn't print the truth!! Well which is it ? Our " so called free press " implies it not free and yet people write all the time against the war which you agree with. You can't have it both ways. Lastly, your right the US is most powerful nation the world has ever seen. Never has so much power shown so much restraint in the use of that power in history. All countries make mistakes ours are pointed out in the free press by our own citizens. In most other places you would be killed or put in jail for any opposition. Even in the last couple weeks Egypt put a blogger in jail for disrespecting their leader and some silly thing about Islam. Take care Mark from Georgia

Had the U.S. press been more open, with regard to what was known about Iraq’s WMDs, Saddam’s alleged links to Osama bin Laden (they despised each other) and one or two other things, such as how long it takes to construct a nuclear weapon from scratch, using yellowcake which was allegedly to be shipped from Niger to Iraq, the American public would have known earlier that the Bush administration’s agenda was based on falsehoods. As far as mistakes are concerned, anyone with but a single strand of moral fibre will admit to making a mistake, and then try to correct it. But when the full facts began to leak out, including the so-called Downing Street memo, the administration changed it’s tune. Weapons of mass destruction ceased to be the issue, and it became the cause of Iraqi freedom. But killing hundreds of thousands of the people you are allegedly bringing democracy to, and shipping your own dead back to air force bases in the early hours of the morning in order to keep the full extent of what you’ve unleashed away from the prying eyes of the public, does not lead one to believe that this administration would ever admit to any of its mistakes, particularly as it is so painfully obvious that not even an Democrat-controlled legislature is going to take any action against its lies and obfuscations. No one in Washington wants to take any responsibility for anything. In fact, it would be difficult to find a better epitaph for any of them than: “The buck stops with Scooter Libby.” Of course bad things happen in Egypt. They happen in England and Germany and Russia, too, but if you believe that this can excuse what has happened to your once-proud country, then I feel truly sorry for you. Take care.

outlined the facts that have all been in our free press and hotly debated makes my case. Thanks!! You stated that things like that happen in other countries, you named three the US wasn't among them . Case closed!!!

Here's what I know. Obama believes in some things that I don't believe in and I believe in some things that Obama doesn't believe in. However, he is the first mainstream Democratic party politician with a chance of becoming president who has enough progressive ideas (not the least of which ending the war in Iraq by next May) which justifies everyone in the world in hoping he will become the next president, rather than the alternatives. We have to live in the space that exists. As to Israel, will they remain a strategic ally of the US under the presidency of Barack Obama? The answer is yes, of course. But the interesting thing about his AIPAC speech is that AIPAC were not at all happy with Obama's speech (in particular with what they described in the body language accompanying the speech) noting that he looked like he was forced to be there and going through the motions. Quite an interesting angle.