Let's see if I can get this straight:

1. People you call 'liberals' correctly point out that our unconditional support for Israel is the source of Middle Eastern animosity towards the US.

2. Wingnuts like you and the pro-Israel lobby jump on them to call them anti-semitic terrorist lovers.

3. Osama, Al-Sadr, and practically every other terrorist figure make statements that explicitly say, "we are attacking the US because of its support for Israel", thus proving point #1.

4. 'Liberals' are attacked once again for 'agreeing with terrorists', while the people in #2 continue to agrue that Israel has nothing at all to do with our problems and that the only reason we're attacked is because we're such a beacon of democracy and freedom while the terrorists are pure EVIL(TM).

I doubt you'll come back here to defend your statements. More likely you've already gone to leave your droppings at some other site. Just once I'd like to see an Israel supporter have the spine to admit what is a simple indisputable fact: that US support for Israel and its other policies in the Middle East, WHETHER OR NOT YOU THINK THEY ARE A GOOD THING, is the direct cause of Muslim attacks against America, WHETHER YOU AGREE WITH THEM OR NOT. Of course this would mean betting that the vast majority of the American people would care enough about Israel to continue putting our own national security at risk for its sake. So it's understandable that you'd stoop to the lowest distraction tactics to keep people from connecting these two dots at all costs.

A lot of people have voiced the same sentiment that I feel: the first 'Pirates' was a good movie, the other two are not. But the reason the first film was good was not because it was 'mindless fun' or because of 'low expectations'. Rather, I thought it was a thoroughly solid movie throughout: a classic adventure story patterned after the best examples from Romanticism. I saw echoes of Scaramouche, In Search of the Castaways, Kidnapped, Treasure Island, and even The Picture of Dorian Gray. The plot was solid and coherent, with just enough humor to keep it from being campy, and followed the classic staples of Romanticism: the poor orphan who discovers an exciting heritage, the roving anti-hero, the villainous nobleman, the over-pampered princess with an adventurous spirit, and the well-meaning but bumbling fop who competes with the hero for the lady's attention. Unless you simply have not developed an appreciation for the genre and think all Romanticism is 'melodramatic' and corny in itself, there were some genuine and emotionally powerful moments, such as the part where Norrington returns Will's sword to him. In short, I liked it for many of the same reasons I liked Lord of the Rings, which for both films were neither the action nor the special effects.

If I had to guess, I would say that the Disney execs were fairly hands-off regarding the initial project, because it was simply one of many, and honestly, no one expected a movie based on a theme park ride to do that well. Then, after its success, it was unavoidable that the magical aura of the first film would be grabbed by the horns and gutted, any scraps that could be fashioned into some semblance of the charm of the first movie dragged out for 3+ hours, twice. I made the mistake of seeing the second movie, and now I suppose I'll see the third one. But I plan to put them out of my mind immediately after, and see the first one again. I suggest everyone do the same.

How is it that a whole article detailing the rise of Wolfowitz fails to mention his role as a charter member of the Project for a New American Century (along with Cheney), which was pretty much responsible for cooking up the Iraq War (and, some would say, 9/11 as well) back in 1998, when they submitted a report to Clinton calling for 'regime change' and lamenting that it would not have public support unless some 'catalyzing event' of domestic terror were to occur. It should not surprise anyone that people turn to conspiracy theories, true or not, when you have cabals like this openly running the country.