blockhead,

"The plan was to invade Iraq, put a friendly, pro-USA government in charge, negotiate contracts for US oil companies, and have guaranteed oil source, just like Iran in the 1950s. Good old economic imperialism as we have used for the last 100 years. The fact that Bush and Cheney failed to complete their mission is in perfect keeping with their well demonstrated incompetence in other areas."

Ok...so if it was all about the oil, where is it? In case you haven't noticed, we are not conficating oil from Iraq and gasoline prices are up due to a the short supply, among other reasons.

So we didn't put in a pro-USA government in charge...last time I looked they wanted us there (mainly for protection and to maintain the government) and we have not asked them for any oil. So I say again...if the war IS about the oil, WHERE IS IT?

"...after all, most of them don't know any soldiers, and they are under no risk of being drafted, or being asked to make the smallest personal sacrifice to really support the country."

"There it is. That's why people aren't protesting in the streets. If we were calling up 19 year olds for service into the military using a real lottery...student deferments not allowed, how long would we be in Iraq??"

The point it, it's a VOLUNTARY military now. You don't WANT to go to Iraq? Then get out...NOW...BEFORE you are called to serve in Iraq.

Oh but...you LIKE those MILITARY BENEFITS and LIKE that MILITARY PAYCHECK. Well guys, it works like THIS...you take the paycheck and benefits, you go where your supposed to go and do what you're supposed to do.

Heck, half the time, even if you DON'T go, you'll still get an Honorable Discharge. Of course you LOSE the pay and benefits and can NEVER get them again (not to mention you lose ALL the retirement years built up)...but then, you don't have to go to Iraq.

"Indict our cute, little puppy dog President for invading Iraq and killing Iraqi citizens, indict our tough-as-nails V.P. for his imperial ways, indict Rumsfeld, Powell and Rice for conspiracy to go along with the decision to invade Iraq, indict the Republican party and the Democratic party for complicity in the decision to go to war, indict the Swift Boat Veterans for their efforts in prolonging the war, finally indict everyone who labeled me as "unpatriotic" when I declared George W Bush to be unfit for any public office both in 2000 as well as in 2004! The entire German nation put Hitler into power, the entire German nation kept Hitler in power, thus, the entire German nation is tainted with the stench of Nazism; similarly, the entire USA reeks of the funereal stench of George W Bush!"

How about we ALL just march down to Washington DC and take out EVERYONE in the government? Someone DIDN'T vote for the war...they should have fought HARDER, shouldn't they. Let's just round up everyone who doesn't agree with us or who we don't like and take them all out. Oh yeah....that's what Hitler did, isn't it?

"On Memorial Day we'll hear about men who gave their lives for their country, but many lives were not given, they were taken, and taken stupidly and carelessly. And there has been great public piety about those men and their "sacrifice" on the part of politicians who blithely sacrificed them."

Who did this to them? Terrorists did this to them. Look, whether or not you agree with the war, you HAVE to know it isn't your average Iraqi fighting against the US. WHY would they? They know the sooner we're done, the sooner we get out.

So WHO is it who's fighting against us? Well, if we go with the premise that it ISN'T the local Iraqi trying to kill US servicemen and women, then we have to conclude it is Al-Qaeda, do we not?

Now if you accept the opposite...that it IS the local Iraqi fighting the US servicepeople...then why not advocate blowing up the WHOLE country then going home? After all, the sooner we finish, the sooner we go home, right?

Oh and I do have a question for those who say this war is about oil...if it WERE about oil, then WHERE is it? Why haven't we started pumping it out and bringing it home and refining it. Sure would drop the price of oil, wouldn't it? And given this, if any Iraqi complained all we'd have to say is that the oil we take is to PAY for the war.

But logic dictates it's NOT about the oil...never was. If it were, we'd be having a lot lower gasoline prices right now.

I had a mother-in-law who died of this sort of thing...NOT a nice way to go!!!

I haven't always agreed with his stances, but I prays for him and his family.

The reason is glaringly simple...just look at most of the letters on this subject.

Why does he need them? Who cares, he'll get the REST of the vote? And on and on and on!

Well, that's why. Because Appalachia believes no one gives a crap about them...that's why.

Oh and before you say, who cares about them? Remember that Al Gore would have WON the Presidential election in 2000 if he had just won his OWN home state...which happens to be in Appalachia!