I had decided in our first gulf war, that it would be a disaster to proceed to Baghdad and that came from learning about that part of the world in my assignment at U.S. Central Command. That was preceded by realizing in the midst of the Vietnam War that we had invaded a country that was not a domino and were facing a dedicated adversary that was determined to pay any human cost to defend their political goal.

As Nixon took over, I started to see Tricky Dickey’s style of integrity start to infuse itself into our military. I then watched how an Army general named Colin Powell could rise through the ranks solely through politics and because of our military’s successful efforts to greatly reduce racism and then show his true colors when he discriminated against gays by supporting “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” The fact that he was at the U.N. WMD show told me the facts were going to be based on politics not facts. Like you Ondelette, I paid a lot of attention to what inspectors were finding in Iraq and how utterly stupid it would be for Saddam to risk having a realistic WMD program. Saddam was a horrific monster, but not stupid. I believed that international pressure and inspections would hold him at bay and that military force had to be the absolute last option.

The major reason I saw this tragedy coming was because I knew what most of those serious experts either didn’t know or want to recognize, that the political morass in Iraq and the overriding tribal thinkers still wielding power, plus the religious history and neighboring players, especially Iran, would swallow any military invasion as happened in Vietnam. I knew that the oppressed Shiites would have only one goal and that was sectarian rule and not a secular nation. I also was fairly certain that our military was not adequately prepared for insurgency warfare.

I have no credentials as a foreign policy expert and do not consider myself an expert on the Middle East. I was really looking more at the soul of G.W. Bush and his puppet masters Cheney and Rove and in my heart knew that anything they supported had to be wrong and inhumane. I was naive in one way, until I saw that an invasion was actually going to happen, I wanted to believe that the international community, my Democrats in congress, the MSM and saner heads would prevail and prevent the invasion. Thanks to all that I have learned since entering GG’s and your world, I am now much less naïve and much better informed, especially about the MSM.

Not difficult for those with open minds who continually thirst to learn more. Very difficult for those with closed minds who are insecure and swallow that insecurity by maintaining they are right regardless of the facts or consequences.

I know about Japanese Middle School, although they don’t really have an equivalent, but their culture is so different and tightly controlled that I don’t think it would add to the discussion. The need for intervention has to start first at home and with the community. The macho thinking about respect is at the heart of the problem. If you “dis” me, I have to maintain my honor by coming back at you or you will be able to bully me. All the death because of gangs is done on this simplistic basis as is teaching a child through force. Don’t learn to think, just learn the code of your community. Don’t walk in the shoes of your adversary because it might weaken your resolve. Don’t address your internal feelings; shove them down until they burst out through anger and violence.

Too many schools also support this thinking or they ignore the bullying and pretend they either can’t see it or do anything about it. It’s obvious that too many of our citizens remain trapped by this same thinking and carry it on into adulthood and in dealing with other cultures and nations. Yes, you do have to stand up to a bully and that is exactly what most of us are doing through this and other blogs. The most dangerous bullies are not those that use physical force but those who use propaganda and preying on the uninformed and weak psyches.

Unfortunately, senator Byrd represents a dying breed of the quality of character that used to represent the people. Those of us old enough to remember, know that the divisiveness that exists today did not always dominate. I heard former senator Baker talk yesterday about his father-in-law Ev Dirksen and his colleagues who knew how to respect each other's views and then compromise for the good of the nation. Nothing is sadder than seeing the grand ole Byrd continuing to honor this political ideal and see him one by one end up standing alone.

Chris, I just had a chance to read your excellent response on your ideas of radically new perspectives. I like all of them. Reeducation camps and a Truth Commission are brilliant. We would have to come up with a new name for the camps because anything tied to the communist boogey man won’t fly. Maybe we could call them Rest and Recuperation from Fighting Those Terribly Non-serious Liberals and Libertarians and Disappointing Moma and Discovering the Joy of Confessing Camps. Karen, truth would have to be defined more clearly for the common sense thinking impaired neocons and religious ideologues before they would understand how to testify and prepare their cases.