I look forward to watching face to face debates between McCain and Obama. McCain is a charming, ironic guy, but his native intelligence and knowledge of the world pale in comparison to Obama. He calls his years of being in Washington "experience," but he does not seem to have learned the lessons that good experience teaches! And his integrity is more and more questionable. How he plans to get himself out of the Iraq Quagmire by claiming "experience" will be interesting to see! And I have no clue what he means when he talks about "winning" this War! Does he? Does anybody? Obama is just out of McCain's class when it comes to formulating ideas and talking policy, and he knows this was (and is) a "stupid war" that we have no business fighting!

The big question to me is: are the American people still so stupid and uninformed that they will vote for another conservative, "charmer" in 2008? That would be really, really depressing!!!

Kate Madison

Depoe Bay, Oregon

Dear Mr. Hedges-

I have always been an admirer of yours and gave each of my grown children a copy of your excellent anti-war book "War is a Force That Give Us Meaning." I am an ardent "peacenik," and a strong believer in the Golden Rule. I also believe in living simply and responsibly and caring for my friends and neighbors. And I am a non-theist! What that means for me is that I do not believe in an all-knowing deity. Nor do I even believe in a disinterested God--as a force that exists as a necessity for morality to manifest! Instead, I guess I would call myself a secular humanist, though I dislike labels. But I am a vegetarian--who does not believe in killing animals for food anymore than killing people for War!

When you talk about the New Atheists, I think about people who are essentially amoral and without heart. "Cut off at the neck" is the way I would describe them. I do not think you are talking about me or my friends who believe as I do. I do not flaunt my beliefs, or expect others to embrace them. But I do insist on my right to think critically and without sentimentality! This God that Americans (especially) have invented, seems to me to be a narcissistic concept, although I agree that many good works are done through churches. However, the idea that there is someone "up there" who is looking after me and knows what I am thinking and in whom I should put my faith seems absurd. I embrace the idea of loving community and in each of us "being our brother's keeper!" And that is enough!

Kate Madison

Depoe Bay, Oregon

I am not happy or pleased to acknowledge how badly the American MSM has failed us in reporting on Iraq. It is a sad fact that the Fourth Estate is mainly a wealthy, corporate, agenda-driven bunch of people--more concerned about their own welfare than the welfare of our country! Wait.......does that sound like some of our better known politicians? Yup! The difference is that our politicians are elected and in some ways accountable--though not really, with the American public being as naive and gullible as they appear. But mainstream journalists seem to get "comfortable" embedded in the offices of power--and are afraid to "get out of the bed"!

Let's face it, we have way too few Cassandras in journalism these days, and the ones we do have are off on the side in the alternative press. Tom Friedman, David Broder and their ilk are bought off by their "corporate sponsors." They were not interested in the truth about the Iraq War--only in their own special interests and access!

In the television media, only Keith Olbermann seems to have found a way to tell some truths, and that is only allowed to go on for 20 minutes at the beginning of his program. The last 40 minutes (when not insulting commercials) are devoted to silly "games" to make the first 20 minutes less uncomfortable for viewers who do not like to be upset! I cannot forget Bill Moyers, who speaks outrage at every opportunity. But he has so few viewers, that one could say "nobody listens!"

Uh huh--we are a nation of sheep. And our media feed us our daily grass. Actually, if we demanded the truth, we could get it--not from the people in the MSM, but from dedicated journalists who are not in major papers or on major TV stations--like Dahr Jamail, who writes dispatches from Iraq almost every day. Trouble is, most people don't want to be upset by what they hear and read! They might just have to take to the streets!!!!