no the blood thirsty nitwits on the right played right into their hands. Given how catastrophically wrong the right has been about everything under the sun, maybe the right should eat a little crow and take a big old swig of STFU.

Violence begets violence. Our stupidity in "prosecuting" this bogus "war against terror" and all it entails played into OBL's plan perfectly. We're well on our way to becoming the very things we claim to despise. In fact I'm not sure he could have predicted accurately all the boneheaded moves we'd make in response to 9/11. That takes a unique form of American cultural myopia, overhyped fear, and lack of perspective to accomplish. You'd think we'd get tired of getting outsmarted by the very people we trained to do this type of thing, but clearly they've learned the lessons of the teacher and improved on them. Question is where do we go from here.

calm well reasoned evidence based arguments should persuade human beings of the validity and truth of a conclusion. But sadly this is "teh Amerika". Land of the disinterested, home of the pathologically jealous and submissive. A citizenry seemingly incapable of evolving past fear of the "other" and apathy regarding all things "non-shiny". Time will tell. I'll enjoy telling stories by sterno light of people like GG who had the courage and moral fortitude to fight the good fight speaking truth to power. Hopefully hoary texts will remember unsung heroes no less than despots.

This country would be better off if we let the South secede from the union. Let all the enlightened Southerners move up north and the Northern fundies move to the South. Then we can have us a little cultural/economic experiment. My prediction is South goes right back to its ugly classist roots and the North prospers without the South and its idiotic politicians hell bent on returning us to the Dark Ages. Let's see how the South survives its next natural disaster without Northern tax dollars. Lets see how it survives when Northerners refuse to buy their products or visit their dumpy little bug infested swamps to catch rays or gamble in their crappy little riverboat casinos.

I'm actually exhausted having to claim fellow citizenship with the same working class bible thumping morons from the South constantly voting against the interests of the working class. The South should become the same harmless curiosity the Amish are and left to their own devices. Can't say I'd actually miss Texas, Florida, and Alabama (we'll even throw in the money pit of Alaska) et al.

Besides it would be fun to watch Queen Palin buffoon around dispensing pearls of wisdom to her subjects, " . . . and such, and like, ye all, dontchya know, cause like The Iraq and peoples need maps, and such, and like we are the true Americans and such, and we don't need no latte sipping yankee know it alls and such telling us how to treats are propty, and such and like, and drill baby drill like Amen and such, causin I know I'm not decended from no apes and such, and that the Grand Canyon was created a couple a thousand years ago and such causin I got the dinosaur I rode in on parked out back which Trig is watching and such, GO BAMA ROLL TIDE . . . . "

The Southern politicians ensure the autoworkers get screwed and I guarantee I'll never buy a product made in the South or set foot in a Southern state again. My Ford has 150K is 15 years old and has cost me exactly two sets of tires, oil changes, wipers, one battery, doesn't leak, paint looks brand new, never needed an alignment, doesn't squeak or rattle, . . . I couldn't be happier and I helped a Northern neighbor make a better life for his/her family. I look forward to the day when we can say to the Southern Confederated States of Hillbillystan--good riddance and godspeed. Can't really see what the Conservative South has contributed to this nation other than some decent food, Tennessee Whiskey, Jazz and Blues music, and a nasty tobacco addiction. Beyond that I'm at a complete loss.