The thing that separates Israel and Hamas in this and previous battles is means, not will. Had Hamas, Islamic Jihad and its supporters the means to prosecute as lopsided a campaign as Israel is currently engaged in, they would be feverishly doing so. It's easy to decry slaughter. This is a war that has been ongoing with fits and starts for 60 years in this era alone. In the present architecture, it would be occurring because of one impetus or another of Hamas' creation and Israel's predictable military reflex. A US resident, I have Israeli relatives and indeed many run the gamut between callous and racist in regards to Palestinians specifically and Arabs in general. But in this regard they are matched, indeed grossly overmatched, by racism from the other side of the conflict.

To my mind, "Waltz with Bashir" also reveals a distinguishing strength of national character: the deep and public struggle of conscience not only possible but lauded in Israel. I'm unaware of a comparable current flowing from the popular media in Palestine. Hamas, improving on doctrinaire public affairs strategy set in place by the old PLO, has encouraged a nihilism among young men that will inflict more lasting damage on Palestinians than will all the munitions in Israel -- it is the source of the tireless provocation that has again driven the militarily superior Israel to its last raw nerve.

I agree. I think the blowup about Obama's speech to students is about race. Many comment boards like this have been filled with people who don't want the president's speech broadcast in school and who also say it's not about race.

Fears of leftist indoctrination? -- A common stated point of opposition by the no-speech-in-school crowd. Since when has the American left ever been skilled enough with indoctrination to stimulate fear of their abilities? The left's one prevailing effort of national-scale youth indoctrination I can think of is civil rights and racial tolerance.

A waste of school time? An inappropriately political use of the presidential bully pulpit? -- Won't even dignify these.

So I don't care whether they say it's not about race. At the bottom of it -- maybe so far down it's hidden even to the people who say it's not about race -- it's about race.

Apropos this sidetrack and the main knucklehead column, TWO QUOTES from former senator (and non-knucklehead) Alan Simpson, R-Wyoming:

“Any education that matters is liberal. All the saving truths, all the healing graces that distinguish a good education from a bad one or a full education from a half empty one are contained in that word.”

“In your country club, your church and business, about 15 percent of the people are screwballs, lightweights and boobs and you would not want those people unrepresented in Congress.”