Okay, I actually sat and read most of this thread, so I thought I'd weigh in.
(I'm new, so HI!)
I think the world would be a very different place if Gore was president right now. I don't believe the US would have backed out of the Missile Defence and Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaties. We wouldn't be looking at a nation that has had massive losses in the employment sector and we also wouldn't be seeing a nation that has seen it's deficit balloon out of control, despite the fact that many in power were all former CEO's and CFO's (of successful companies, no less).
As for the war in Iraq and The War on Terror: Bush can't be solely responsible for Iraq. There are other characters in this little play. Rumsfeld, Cheney, Wolfowitz, Rice, etc. Bush makes decisions based on the advice he gets from these people, his cabinet. Many of these people have been chomping at the bit, since Gulf War I, to get back into Iraq and finish the job, so to speak. I do however think that Gore's response to 9/11 would be somewhat similar. Look at Clinton's reaction to the bombings a few years ago, he did respond with force.
I think 9/11 would have happened regardless of who won the election. It was a build up of years of American foreign Policy, not the actions of any single man; that's really rather naive. bin-Laden has said as much himself, he talks about years of American oppression and influence in the Gulf as being the motivating factors in orchestrating the attacks.
As for he who asked why it is we discuss and debate such things, consider for a few moments that there are bigger things in the world other than yourself. People are dying everyday, and just because you don't see it, it doesn't mean it isn't happening. It is the complacency of the youth of today that will lead to greater tragedies in the future.
Anyway, I do have more to say, but I think that's a pretty good intro ;)
D
