[andyfox]

"At its peak, the CIA allocated 29 percent of its budget to 'media and propaganda.'"

One wonders how the author came upon this information. By saying "at it's peak," it would seem to indicate he has relevant stats on the CIA budget for its entire history.

"How convenient for the neo-conservatives that 9/11 came along"

I believe that the war in Iraq would have occurred without 9/11 and that 9/11 was an excuse, not the reason, for the war. That said, are you implying anything beyond that with "how conveient"?

"Does anyone around here actually remember the foreign policy platform that George W. Bush actually ran and won the presidency on?"

Here are some samples:

"I’m not sure the role of the United States is to go around the world and say this is the way it’s got to be. I want to empower people. I want to help people help themselves, not have government tell people what to do. I just don’t think it’s the role of the United States to walk into a country and say, we do it this way, so should you. We went into Russia, we said here’s some IMF money. It ended up in Chernomyrdin’s pocket. And yet we played like there was reform. The only people who are going to reform Russia are Russians. I’m not sure where the vice president’s coming from, but I think one way for us to end up being viewed as the ugly American is for us to go around the world saying, we do it this way, so should you. I think the United States must be humble and must be proud and confident of our values, but humble in how we treat nations that are figuring out how to chart their own course."

"I don't think our troops ought to be used for what's called 'nation-building.'"

"[The people of the world] ought to look at us as a country that understands freedom where it doesn’t matter who you are or where you’re from that you can succeed. I don’t think they ought to look at us with envy. It really depends upon how [our] nation conducts itself in foreign policy. If we’re an arrogant nation, they’ll resent us. If we’re a humble nation, but strong, they’ll welcome us. Our nation stands alone right now in the world in terms of power. And that’s why we’ve got to be humble and yet project strength in a way that promotes freedom. We’re a freedom-loving nation. If we’re an arrogant nation, they’ll view us that way, but if we’re humble nation, they’ll respect us."