For the Democrats: "We bomb white people too!" or "Don't worry. We'll fix the Bill of Rights...honest." or "It's our war now. Give us the damn White House."

For the GOP: "Millionaire white guys rock." or "Let us finish destroying the Earth." or "You've may be down to a shirt and an underpass, but you are safe." "Vote GOP: Compassionate Fascism..Working For you!"

In defense of Mr. Wittes, though he scarce need mine, informed demagoguery is more pernicious.

Mr. Smith,

You are logical, obviously. So, consider the premises. The true purpose of TSA screenings is not to protect the safety of passengers, airline personnel, or potential targets. Rather, the goal is to inure Ameicans to a post-privacy world. And train Americans to be subservient, compliant sheep.

A real success story, to the ruling class of this country.

Rather, he should be tried for war crimes, and if convicted, hanged.

Mr. Schaller, your post is contemptible..a smug exercise of "white man's burden", clearly. Don't lecture the courageous man who dared to confront the most powerful leader in the world. For over a century, the Arab peoples of the Mideast have been subject to European colonialism and American hegemony (read economic imperialism). Bush's illegal and immoral invasion and occupation have wreaked untold human misery among a people that never harmed Americans nor threatened our vaunted "national" interests. We, the people of the U.S., can never make reparations sufficient to fully compensate the Iraqi peoples for the harm, direct and indirect, that the U.S. has caused them. Save your misplaced sympathy for Bush, and instead consider the suffering of the Iraqi's.

Glenn,

Your piece is thoughtful and prescient. You raised the ultimate question: what does the US gain from its unstinting support of Israel? The evidence suggests, quite strongly, that the US has actively, during most of the post WWII era. striven to foment discord, if not hostilities, in the Mideast. The last thing the American mandarins want is a peaceful, unified Arab peoples, in full control of their resources. Divide and conquer, pax Americana style.

We are the world's greatest hypocrites...the one aspect of exceptionalism I allow.

What a load of Zionist crap. Slaughtering peoples in a land occupied by your government isn't war, but rather a war crime.

What next? nuclear weapons?

the dead have no privacy rights...

Divide and conquer..that's how the few rule the many. The Taibbi quote is pungent. At least medieval serfs knew their station. Americans think they are free (at least, free to agree to power). Instead, we dwell in the world's largest open air prison...debt peonage.