What will happen the next time an American is kidnapped

[Kid_A]

in Iraq or Saudi Arabia, or any of those countries that hate us? Do you think the White House will eventually cave in to pressure, both from people in this country who are getting more and more pissed off, and the Iraqis who want us the hell out of their country? How many more beheadings is it going to take before we go all Mussolini on Bush's lying ass?

[Commendatori]

1. Cave in? Not in a million years.

Bush won't admit that he made a mistake, or "let them win."

It will take as many beheadings as there are Americans who get kidnapped.

[BigDaddyLove]

4. I think that if enough Americans get beheaded.........

then public pressure to do something will prompt Bush to finally do something....but only when it looks like doing nothing will hurt him politically.

Also, the moment that a fair-haired, fair-skinned, pretty young woman is being held captive and being threatened with the loss of her head, the American populace will stand up and demand that SOMETHING be done.

[Commendatori]

7. Hope you're right, but

I wouldn't bet on it. He'd sooner recall American civilians and replace them with military, which would have looser rules of engagement and would kill even more Saudi / Iraqi civilians.

Common sense and public opinion will never win out over political considerations on this one, I fear.

[BigDaddyLove]

8. Political considerations are driven by public opinion...........

in this administration.

If they sense (or obtain polling data) that an overwhelming amount of public outcry is in favor of doing something with regard to headless Americans, they will do whatever is necessary to save their sorry asses.

They only want to remain in power, and if it looks like they will lose their mantle if they don't act, then they will act; what doesn't matter to them is which way they act...they won't just do something because it's the 'right' thing to do.

[Commendatori]

10. If that were the case, we'd be

pulling out all of our troops on June 30th. We might do it on June 30th, 2005 under President Kerry, but until Bush loses the number of troops we'll have over there will grow.

[BigDaddyLove]

11. I dunno about that...........

If we completely pulled our troops out on June 30th, things there would erupt like never before, which would be bad for Bush and won't happen.

Further, I doubt that Kerry would advocate a June 30th 2004 pullout for the same reason.

[Commendatori]

12. In either case, I want to believe that you're right,

but I'll state my case from another angle: there is nothing in Bush's presidency so far to indicate that he'd ever do the right thing. I appreciate your optimism but see nothing about Bush or what he has done to justify it.

[BigDaddyLove]

13. Oh, don't get me wrong.........

I don't mean to say that Bush would ever do the right thing on his own, just that if public opinion demanded that the right thing be done, and it would be a political risk to do otherwise, he would begrudgingly do what was 'right'....but ONLY if it would help him politically to do so.

Like appointing (or testifying before) the 9/11 commission that he was against until it became apparent that he 'had' to do something in order to look like a leader.

[Commendatori]

15. Let's hope you're right. My fingers are crossed. (n/t)

[Norquist Nemesis]

21. Spot On!

This is the driving force in the hairpin turns to policy of late. Maybe they think the base is solid and they're trying to swing the moderates over, but it only pisses off the base as they've been so used to the heavy handed tactics up to this point. As to the moderates, they're not stupid.

[Borknagar]

14. If

If that were to happen (with the young fair-skinned girl) I actually believe the USA would set off nuclear bombs.

[Nihil]

17. I doubt it

My money would be on the organisations shutting down all news of the
impending execution, drowning out any rumours with a "Michael Jackson"-type
high profile domestic story and "tragically finding the mutilated body".

No opportunity to bargain would be admitted.
No chance for the public to get upset about it in time to *do* anything.

The after-effect would be to keep the xenophobic hate sessions going.
No need to use a nuclear bomb just for some poor kid who thought she'd
make enough money to start her life back home. They'll want to save
the occasion for a "real" event - one that hurts them directly.

Can all of the potential bright-eyed recruits stop & think for a minute?
It's all down to a roll of the dice as to whether you become a Jessica Lynch,
a Lynndie England, a wiser but sadder vet, a PTSD sufferer or maybe just
an anonymous flag-draped coffin. And the odds of each are changing.

[madrchsod]

2. nothing

or a really big bomb..it`s either/or with bushbot

[GreenPartyVoter]

3. More useless outrage after the disembodied head is displayed all over

the media.

[Sequoia]

5. I'm a beheading President

glitter eyes, smirk.

[TrustingDog]

6. Bush loves this...

the more beheads, the more angry he can get, the more 'patriotic' the freepers get, more to get out of PatriotAct, more bombings on those evil-doer Iraqi citisens.

it's all win win for him and his death merchants.

[sniffa]

9. no matter what country

they happened to be kidnapped and beheaded in... it wiLL be another vindication of the iraq war. don't ask me why, but that's what i'LL hear.

[radfringe]

16. I think the odds lean

towards anyone being kidnapped will be beheaded, shot or otherwise killed

yes, these terrorists are making demands in exchange for the release, but they don't really care if the demands are met or not. the demands being made are just for show, so they can say "you didn't give us what we wanted, so we killed the hostage".

will bush* do anything constructive? nope, he'll rattle off some rhetoric (quite clearly and without the umms and errrs) and then do something destructive.

the way he is handling this is to approach it as a conventional war -- invade, depose and put in a puppet. leaders of the so-called axis of evil may be supporting terrorist activities, but they are not running the show. these groups operate out of the governmental loop and therefore are not under any governmental control.

[Disturbed]

18. The soldier that was captured?

I wonder if he will be beheaded?

[Vickers]

19. Oh, probably just some harmless frat pranks

You know, like beatings, dogbites, forced sleeplessness, nekkid shenanigans, rapes, etc.

Good, clean, American fun!

BRING 'EM ON!!!!!

[Solly Mack]

20. As long as it's not his head falling, he doesn't care how many

beheadings take place. He'll use each and every death to justify his insane war.

[Disturbed]

22. Beheadings

The more the US retaliates, like in Faluja (The Warsaw Gheto of the ME), the better it is for the "terrorists", "insurgents", because it brings more to their cause. These beheadings may freak out many Westerners but many in the ME have seen them in person and are not as appalled. Some may even feel that they are justified.

[Solly Mack]

23. It is a vicious cycle.....