Creative Speculation

By which, obviously, I mean not so much.

Yeah, I don't really understand the mindset of someone who would send a message like the one you describe. I can, and do, totally lose my temper, but not in that exact way.

Yes, certainly a particular Republican could be preferable to a Democrat. I even remember Daily Kos endorsing a Republican over a (corrupt) Democrat back in 2008; I'm not sure how DU handled that.

I think many among the ruling classes do just fine under democracy -- which typically gives them a lot of room to do as they wish -- but of course there are always some who intend to do even better.

I broadly (not in every detail) agree with Nuclear Unicorn's comments in another thread: even if one stipulates that the Bush administration would cheerfully have sacrificed 3,000 Americans in order to drum up support for war, the details don't make a lot of sense. As long as they're cleverly blowing up buildings, why not frame a few Iraqis, at least? It seems more like a drunken first draft of a thriller plot than an actual cynical ploy.

OK. But I still don't know why. I'm still stuck on the divide between "would" do it and "did" do it, and most of the reasons people have offered me for believing in "did" are... well, unconvincing to me. So, there, I'm adamant too. But I like to think it's a pretty soft sort of adamant.