It can't be that bad. You're here.

(You write as many comments as anyone else.)

Someone asked Nasrudin, "Is your religion orthodox?"

"It all depends," said Nasrudin, "on which bunch of heretics is in power."

***

Nasrudin sat on a river bank when someone shouted to him from the opposite side:

"Hey! How do I get across?"

"You are across!" Nasrudin shouted back.

***

Nasrudin was sitting in the corner bar, nursing a beer. A friend came to the table and asked, "Can I buy you another beer?"

"No thanks," said Nasrudin, "I don’t drink."

Glenn,

Most of what you just said is a general description of what many Americans feel and think.

The media is a joke. (Some very good, very dark humor, though. There is enough material out there to make a half-dozen Vonneguts, Pynchons and Hellers.)

The Congress is holding hearing after hearing, which is good, and finding out that malfeasance has occurred throughout the executive branch, which is good, and that's where it stops, which is bad.

The Iraq supplemental is being passed without any restrictions, because the Democrats did not have the vote. Actually, they could have stopped it in any number of ways, but didn't want to commit political suicide (by their account). I'm sure they have their reason$. The war is funded. It's that simple. We'll be in Iraq for at least another two years unless we (Bush and Cheney) attack Iran, and then it could be a lot longer.

When Republican presidential candidates are asked if they are OK with endless war, they try to outbid each other on the number and types of atrocities they are willing to commit.

The media is fully in service to power and wealth. The media is fully in service to war. There are a few exceptions, but they represent only a small fraction of the "market."

No one is being cynical. This is really the way it is.

I give you credit for doing your best to speak truth to power.

Although I was still a teen at the time, I would say that, in terms of anger and stark social and political division, America's opposing positions on the Iraq occupation are just about where they were from 67-69 during Vietnam. The biggest difference is about 54,000 dead American soldiers.

It is my fervent hope that we don't have to stand by and watch that many more Americans die before we get the hell out of Iraq.

Given that you might actually be who you say you are, I am happy to know that you are safe and that things are better in Ramadi.

As for this part of your comment:

If you lived and worked here, you would understand that if we leave now we will be back to fight a much larger war in a few years.

I would respectfully suggest that if we ever get out of there we will definitely not be going back to fight a much larger war in a few years any more than we went back to Korea or Vietnam.