People do have a habit of assuming everything is fine and those little people in the box on CNN don't have any effect on our daily lives. Yesterday I was in the gas station next door and they were raising prices. The guy who owns the station told me, "Ahh, there is nothing we can do my friend, it is in God's hands now...." But, sure as anything, people will come in the store and act surprised when stuff is hard to get and prices go up. happens every year! by the way, name the man in the photo next to me and impress me....

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

Wow - no sh*t. Our current world is utterly nuts. it makes me yearn for the days when the Soviets and nuclear oblivion were "all" we had to worry about. I work in NYC and spend a lot of time in D.C. (on airplanes back and forth too) and though I haven't altered my routine much (though you won't catch me anywhere near Times Square or in a subway this week) I am pretty much scared shitless. Maybe not for good reason but between the Iraq thing, al-Qaeda, North Korea (that gets much worse and it will REALLY screw up the bike industry), the newly elevated threat thing and oh yeah - the effect ALL of this is having on the economy it is a very scary world we live in right now. To top it off, I'm supposed to go to Spain for ITU Worlds and as much as I'd love to be really stoked about it, there's part of me that wonders if I'll even be able to get there come May, and if it will be at all safe if I can. The answer is probably "yes" but that doesn't stop me from having a healthy bit of paranoia about the whole thing. Makes worrying about a Kona slot seem kinda trivial as of late. I just hope these situations get sorted out sooner rather than later. And the cold reality of it is - my worries don't mean jack compared to the grunt with a wife and two kinds back in the U.S. who's going to go barreling into Baghdad. I wonder if this chaos is how the world felt back in the 1930s?

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"To give less than your best is to sacrifice the gift." - Pre

MattMizenko.com

Walt Boomer?

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"To give less than your best is to sacrifice the gift." - Pre

MattMizenko.com

History has an ominous propensity to repeat itself. This is very similar to 1938. Very frighening times. I am keeping my fingers crossed for an 11th hour diplomatic solution and a joyous race season.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

Dale Dye

Well, Matt, what about the Iraq Dad with wife and two kids who is already in Bagdad ?

He's the one who gets to freak out, I think. And he can't even buy a Cervelo over there, now that's sad.

Good point. A very good point.

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"To give less than your best is to sacrifice the gift." - Pre

MattMizenko.com

You are correct sir! How did you know? We were on the set of the movie "Rules of Engagement" in Morocco. Dale was the technical consultant and was also one of the technical consultants for "Saving Private Ryan".

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

He's a great character actor. Love that unique voice of his. I read his book PLATOON and DUTY AND DISHONOR, plus he really is a great United States war hero. A couple purple hearts if I remember correctly. Great Patriot.

For those of you who don't know what we're talking about the editorial we're speaking of it here:
http://www.bikesportmichigan.com/editorials/0000017.shtml

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

"its about being a AMERICAN"

Actually it's a much bigger world problem that goes well beyond the US borders, even if there is still no international consensus on the issue.

I'm still out on this one. Is there really a smoking gun? Is Iraq really that much a threat? Or is it just about oil? I honestly dunno and have mixed feelings. What does bother me are the suffering mothers and children. They've suffered too much already since the embargo and a war will make things so much worse.

In my opinion it's about both, I recently attended a lunch with a speaker whom was very familiar with the UN, and also an advisor to the president. She was very much in favor of disarming Irag because of its tie's with terriost groups that don't like us americans. She explained that the pressure we are putting on Iraq was needed to protect us from another terriost attack. Imagine a nuclear bomb going off in a big US city. In my opinion it is also to keep peace in an area that US buys much of the fuel it consumes. Image the leverage Irag would have if they would control the whole region. She explained that the division of the UN headed by Hans Blix in charge of doing these inspections was never designed to do this type of stuff, he was giving a task they never trained for. He is doing the best he can, at the same time the US is equipped and trained to inspect, The US has shown a lot of restraint with the cat and mouse games it believes Irag is playing with the UN.

Irag is great a getting at the hearts of sympathetic listeners. Remember all the claims during the Gulf war that the UN forces were bombing hotels, churchs etc. Well they were. Why? Irag was using these places as their millitary headquarters. This is an example of what Irag will do to get at the hearts of sympathetic listeners. Do I believe in starving innocent people, No. I hope for a peaceful resolution just like everyone else.

Hey I am looking at a bike right now. The price is $1599 for a 2002 if I wait the bike will be $2300+. I am also concerned about whether I should spend the money when I may need it for future cost that may be associated with a poor economy and higher fuel cost. So is the bike shop I am planning to buy it from affected? Yep. I was part of the UN force that fought the first gulf war, I thought we were finished but maybe the UN didn't nail the coffin shut?????

Hi Stewart. Thanks for your contributions during the first Gulf war. Hopefully the lesson learned from that will help us find a diplomatic solution to avoid another and if not, bring this one to a swift conclusion. My point in that post was to illustrate that if there is an inevitability to buying a bike for the next two seasons, then it is prudent to buy it now. My motives are two fold:

1. I sell bikes for a living.
2. I don't want to get blamed when prices go up and delays are long since this stuff (Iraq, terrorism)is not my fault.

Although some posters have touched on this, I was trying to avoid a protracted discussion of should we/shouldn't we start a war. I was trying to stick to the triathlon subject matter of the post, although I've frequently diverged from it myself (girlfriend post). Thanks for your input and thoughts.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

I guess this has gotten a little political. It is just like Gen. Powell said in his press conference to the people of Iraq--Your enemy is inside your government, inside your own borders, your enemy is not outside your borders.

Simple fix with France and Germany--stop sending them our money!!!

And don't you think that France and Germeny don't want war because they are financially linked with Iraq--same as Russia. But the US has given more money and time to all of these countries. If we do go to war we have the most to lose because we will be the only ones basically there. I guess if you look at in a business sense then we should just fire Sadam because the only reason he is around is because we let him be there 20 years ago. We chose him over Iran. That goes for the rest of the countries out there--call in our debts to them and see what they have to say then. All the UN does is bitch and complain about us, well give us our money back that we gave you 3 years ago. No one else is supporting the UN with money

Sorry for the rant!

Sorry Tom just a little caught up in the whole deal. I am seriously looking at a cervelo soloist 2002 right now and the price is sweet. The Shop owner already warned me of the increased price if I wait, But I am not sure of the fit???

Europe has a population of over 300 million people not including the eastern block countries including Russia.

Yes the Governments might not want a war because they have a vested interest in Iraq, I cant comment on that, what is an indisputable fact is that the European Populous as a whole is consistently polling at 70-80% against going to war with Iraq.

The people dont want it and no offence, but you dont vote in a European country so who are you to tell the population of Europe that they are wrong for not wanting their government to go to war.

Its so funny that the US governent has said repeatedly that anyone that disagree's with them is essentially no longer an Ally and Don R yesterday reffered to the French and German's actions as shamefull. Well no offence to him, but their electorate dont want to go to war, so who is their government answerable to? the US or to their electorate? If the US starts making European Foreign Policy it might as well become the United States of Europe, and that would not last very long at all.........

The real question here is how much are the US willing to alientate their "allies"

Andrew, I don't think that the US is saying those who won't fight are no longer allies of the US, but they are saying, don't block the UN vote. No one "wants" to go to war. I've seen my share of things blowing up from the first Gulf War, Libya in 86 and Lebanon before that. There may be more support for the US government position in the US partially because the attacks on 9-11 are still in many peoples minds. The policies and intentions towards countries like Iraq, Iran and N. Korea, were made very clear more than a year ago. Believe me, I was really looking forward to at least 2 half-IM races and several shorter ones this year, but once again, I am standing by for my orders to head back to the desert. No one blocked France from going into Africa recently, and Germany still has troops as does the US in Bosnia. The US isn't asking for troops to go to Iraq, they are asking those who don't agree to just step aside. Just my 2 cents.

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- Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys.
P. J. O'Rourke

I wasn't saying that they can not chose to help with the war but the US is always there helping everyone else. It is shameful what the French and Germans are doing because they have alterantive reasons behind their actions. Not saying that we don't either. But as elected officials the President has more info then we have and more info then they have let out. If you don't think that Sadam is bad or had linked to terrorism then where have you been the last few years. We don't need a "smoking gun" because thats not the point of all of this. The point is that he has broken 13 resolutions by the UN in 15 years and he must suffer the consequences for his actions, just like we do everyday. His people will suffer because of the decisions that Sadam has made. Why have the UN if they will not inforce their decisions. My question is if 13 of the hijackers on 9/11 were Saudi's then why are we not going after this so called Allie? We must stop terriosm against our country. This involves taking the fight to them not sitting waiting for them to come to us again.

Matt, you did not read the post. I made it quite clear that I dont know or care what the government thinks, be it the French or the Germans. 70 to 80 percent of the people that live in those countries do not want this. If the governments in those countries side with the US it would be against the wishes of the people. What would happen here if the government acted against the wishes of the people? oh it has, thats why you're here..............and an independent nation. Who are the governments of France, Germany and Britain answerable to? their electorate or US foreign policy?

Matt, for the record, because you disapprove of a government or their actions, it is not a right of the western world to go in to that country and implement a regime change, like it or not. No one is saying they like Sadam, hell people dont like the governments in N Korea, Iran, the Royal Families in the Middle East including but not limited to Saudi and Jordan, China, Yemen, Tunisia. I'm sure if push came to shove I can come up with another half dozen distastefull lunatics that we would all be better off without but that does not mean we have the right to go in and oust them under the guise of WMD, terrorism or some other cause...........when Heider was elected in to power in Austia and if Le Pen had been elected in to power in France, what would have the US's policy have been? take them out? given that both of these people felt Hitler was someone to be idolised they presented a threat to Europe no different than Hitlers and the US has clearly said that this action is based on a potential threat........

Chris, I am sorry that you have to or may have to go back, I disagree with your assesment of the situation.If those countries all choose to step aside, and I think Blair is under huge pressure not to follow through on this as well for the same reasons, what happens if the US goes and finds that it is spread to thin?

There are British troops in Bosnia, fighters left yesterday for the Gulf, I believe that I saw that carriers and destroyers were heading their last week but I may be mistaken.

Anyway, this whole conversation is somewhat mute, whether you agree or disagree you dont want any troops from anywhere to come to harm.

You are not going to reach any kind of concensus here.

The reporting on both sides of the Atlantic is incredibly biased in pretty much all the media and at the end of the day it is clear that the European people dont support any action (http://www.alertnet.org/...s/newsdesk/L30567527) and that here at least more than 50% are in favor of it (http://www.accessatlanta.com/...s/0203/09irpoll.html) but the polls are not as readily available here.

Thats it.....

This has nothing to do with triathlon, but it seems to that Bush and Blair are determined come hell or high water to have a war. Blair's position is really quite surprising in as much as polls show that 80% of Brits want to stay out of Iraq. All the rest of Europe seems to be saying to give the UN some more time before committing the troops. My country, Canada, as usual is sitting on the fence with a wait and see attitude, which is probably the right thing for us to do at the moment.

Let's not forget who put Sadam in power in the first place, just like Panama or for that matter, Bin Laden. The real question should be is what kind of a government will the Iraqui people get afterwards. Yes, it will be sponsored and supported by the USA and western allied interests, but will it be a genuine democracy or another Shah of Iran.

think Blair is going to come through. He is under extraordinary pressure at home to back off. No one I know or have read about in the papers wants war, the concensus amongst friends and family and their friends and family is that this should not be happening against the electorates wish's. Now will this stop Blair? It might when he realises that Bush cant vote for him next time around but we will see.

As to the governement in Iraq, the borders when they were laid down were done so in an indescriminate fashion in which you have at least 3 groups that dont see eye to eye on the run rising in the East, anything more controversial than that and they're looking at war........

My question is how long do you stay and keep the peace?

Anyone who is a peace-nik hippie who thinks that Iraq's people would at all hesitate to kill you as a westerner - not just American, but westerner is nuts. Go play human sheild, they dont want you there.



Bomb them, before they bonb us - again.

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What if the Hokey Pokey is what it is all about?

"Bomb them"

Yep, Record9ti, I was wondering how long it would be before you join in and enlighten us with the view from the right.

No offense, but short of the rabble-rousing I don't think the average Iraqi on the street would be any more likely to kill you or I walking down the street in Baghdad then we would them in NYC. I frankly haven't chosen a "side" yet - I think both have very valid points and so I won't go there (and don't even get me started on the French). But the whole "peace-nik hippie" thing - c'mon man, that's absurd. Trying to exhaust all possible solutions that do not involve someone dying is a bad thing? As for "bombing us - again" well, let me say I'm not real convinved that Iraq had anything to do with the inital bombing - and believe me, as an NYC-area resident who is now short a couple of friends I've got very good reasons to want those people brought to justice.

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"To give less than your best is to sacrifice the gift." - Pre

MattMizenko.com