I remember the news during the Viet Nam era and it was NOT the newsertainment it is now.

That is the main difference. People now are underinformed and do not seem to have a lot of intellectual curiosity. They seem so removed from what our country is doing in their name and really don't seem to care much.

People during Viet Nam watched the news - for news. People read newspapers too. Maybe they weren't anymore curious than today but the news programs only offered news and that is what was delivered - night after night we saw newsfeeds from Vietnam. We heard commentary and clips that were not pared down to 15 words bits.

What I see now? In the beginning, there was lots and lots of coverage of the bombing of Bagdam with the green lights and sirens and oh, wasn't that exciting! Then, when it wasn't over in 100 days, we and the news moved on. Because the news is not to inform - it is to entertain. The war became old and boring. The news shows had money to make so they needed something new to keep their audience captive.

Currently I see very little actual war coverage or discussion on local or the big 3-4-5 stations. I see lots of what I consider fluff presented as important.

During Vietnam, there was little place for the latest misadventures of starlets and aging football players and ex Playboy bunnies. That belongs on entertainment shows or gossip papers. Unfortunately it is what we got now under the guise of "news".

Bread and circuses anyone?

(Anony has been my "name" for quite awhile - longer than this current crop of anony-mooses)

There are those, like the Former Army Captains, of the header, who recognise that we are never going to have the mercenaries or the military big enough to pacify Iraq and if that is our intent - then we need more boots.

And the only way to do that is to draft Americans.

There are those (like myself), who dispise the draft but want to see it seriously discussed to somehow wake up people to what is happening. To what has been done. I want to realise that they are going to have to pay for the actions of the political leaders they supported?

How do you wake up the "republican" base who votes for the likes of Bush to what he is saddling us, all of us, with? Hit them in the pocket, or in their gene pool. I don't know how else to do it - does anyone?

And quite frankly, "we" have created a disaster and now we are damned if we do, damned if we don't. We have run away from Viet Nam, and Cambodia, and Afganistan and a few other once strategic countries. We could cut our losses and leave Iraq too - but one of the posters is correct in that it would create a mess. Turkey, Iran and Syria would all move in eventually to stabilise the chaos. What they didn't control, terrorist/mafia groups would. Hating America would be the unifying thread.

The difference between Iraq and the other countries we cut our losses with - Iraq has oil. A lot of it. leaving it creates a very desirable, and valuable vacuum.

Those who got us in this mess, planned to stay. They can't leave now, but know the country would not support what it would have to support to "win". And so, billions and billions of dollars later, and thousands upon thousands of deaths and injuries later . . . we have a forever war on our hands. Once we hit the generation point, we'll have it ingrained - like Palistine, like Lebanon.

Truely a tiger by the tail scenario.

The security measures getting on and off American flights are rediculous. If I was a European looking to go somewhere for vacation? No way would I go to the USA. I've recently travelled through 3 countries (3 continents) and by far - the most unpleasant portion of my travel was getting on and off the US portion of this flight - and going through customs was obsurd.

Are we safer? I guess all the lines and guards and 3 oz bottles in a plastic 1 quart baggie make us feel safer?

The bra thing is just stupid - if they are going to go that far - they need female staff and a change room. Cost too much money - oh! But it's for security!

Also - I have had metal buttons in jeans set off alarms - it depends on how high the sensitivity is set. So it is believable about the underwire bra.

So - are boys and girls doing the "strength and flexibility" pole dancing training? IF it is just girls - guess that says something.

This is too damned creepy. Are the kids going to dress as strippers too? I mean, that is what pole dancing came from, right?

No ballet dancing bar or mirrored walls come from the porn industry. Both boob jobs and pole dancing come from the world of stripping.

Who thought this was a good idea?

They sell bras for 7 year olds?

What are they - Bratz Bras?

I don't know about the other issue, the thing that seems bizarre to me is that a girl of 7 is wearing a bra. Females have a lifetime of bra wearing - what a pity that childhood can't be bra free.

Then again - children have been sexualized in this country and girls especially. I had a 7 year old niece tell me that "boys don't like fat girls" and worry about getting "fat"

How do we get this destructive genie back in the bottle?

Brightstar - if you feel so "trapped" by women, why not free yourself and find someplace other than Broadsheet to hang out on - it only seems to aggrevate your sense of belittled-ment.