"Since then, 'Iraq' has become nothing more than a geographic notation."

This is why I spend time here. Thoughts like this. While they might be few and far between, this is the kind of idea that makes me think.

I think there are a lot of pretty smart people here, sharing ideas, and (most of us) sharing a vision and a prayer that somehow, someway, we'll find a way to turn this thing around and reclaim the nation that we once were (or supposed ourselves to be).

We can't all be Thomas Jefferson, but we can be engaged.

"The tyranny of the neurotic. You can't out talk them or out last them because that's the nature of being mentally ill."

-- blank-

Here is your chance to show your mother that you are not mentally ill.

Just imagine, though, the kind of work environment those chickenhawks must inhabit (or perpetuate?) if there is not even a modicum of empathy for those who are perhaps lower on the food chain than they are, and actually have someone overseas in Iraq or Afghanistan.

As I postulated earlier, a Draft with no deferments would quite quickly and efficiently teach these cheerleaders some 'empathy' on that score. Nothing clarifies ones priorities like the threat of imminent death; and if they've shown nothing else, these advocates and pundits have shown their sole priority is saving their own necks.

In fact, you could bet the house they'd be positively crowing for the occupation to end far more loudly than they cheered this Gordonesque expedition at the start.

For the crime of pointing out that you rather rapidly resort to name-calling I get A: Accused of name calling followed immediately by B: being called names.

And as yet, you haven't even offered an opinion substantial enough to even disagree with.

In any event I'm unable to help you with your feelings of persection. Good luck with that.

What percent of Americans support John McCain? 30, 40, 50, I don't know. I do know that there is a reasonable chance that he will be President.

Can someone tell me how the McCain presidency would be different from the Bush regime? Other than the "straight talk" of course.

Isn't there some lesson to be learned from electing bush?

And as yet, you haven't even offered an opinion substantial enough to even disagree with.

I thought that was just him venting methane out his ass.

a draft with no deferments

Wouldn't that just light up everything real bright? Just the thought of it makes me smile. Hell, if they would do I would even cut off my beard and lose a few more pounds and pull out the old uniform and line up right behind dome of these talking tough folk: shucks, I'd even line up in front of them.

Wouldn't it clarify things so quickly? In an earlier post someone quoted one of these pundits, as they are called, as saying he just wanted to get Sadaam and teach him a lesson. Of course he knew HE would never have to.

a draft with no deferments

that would help them all prioritize.

My definition of trolling is slightly different, but still valid, I think.

Primarily, it consists of posting comments in bad faith (rhetorically speaking) and of trying to hijack the comment threads to server the commenter's purpose, despite repeated attempts by others to keep that from happening.

Frankly, it happens here a lot. Some just hang in and take it, and eventually the regulars get tired of fighting with him (usually a guy). And if s/he has anything else useful to contribute, that usually finds its way into the comments, too. Others try to take on everyone else all by themselves in a single comment thread, brandishing their words like swords in movie fight scene... until they leave to regroup and return another day, refreshed for a new battle.

The first alert is noted when someone whose screen name is new to these threads decides to school everyone here on a particular issue, pet peeve, or bugaboo, and then takes offense that they are perceived as having given offense. Often, that particular issue has already been thoroughly batted around many times during discussions that do become heated, even among the regular commenters.

But one wouldn't know these things unless one read here first, or looked at others' archives, i.e., did one's home work.

i can't use these html tags worth a damn.

"drafts with no deferments" = quote from the man in the well, rest is mine.

Isn't there some lesson to be learned from electing bush?

Well, several lessons actually:

1. There is a section of the American electorate that can continually be conned into voting for the most vile, yet personable, individuals.

2. The Electoral College causes all sorts of electoral problems at the worst moments.

3. You can't automatically count on a candidate's patriotism or good intentions, least of all when they hire someone like Karl Rove.

Sadly, it seems we Americans are slow learners. Probably explains why the graduation rates in our high schools are so abysmal.

There is such a thing as a just war (WWII is the best example), and this could have been one. It's too bad that it wasn't. And I can't fault those who supported it on humanitarian grounds.

How about for the fact that we already had a major military campaign and reconstruction effort going on in Afghanistan, the locus of the organization that actually attacked us, and invading an entirely unrelated country - even for "humanitarian" reasons - was, on its face, an incredibly boneheaded and senseless thing to do.

And your post does raise issues about your credibility when you say you were opposed to our invading Iraq, but "can't fault those who supported it on humanitarian grounds." What principle, precisely, motivated your protesting in the street against the war if you couldn't even fault others for supporting it?

Nothing clarifies ones priorities like the threat of imminent death; and if they've shown nothing else, these advocates and pundits have shown their sole priority is saving their own necks.-- Iokannan in the Well

It isn't even just the threat of death that they don't want to be faced with or 'bothered' with. They don't want to be in the military and all that it entails. All the way from sleeping in a barracks setting, to getting the military issue haircut, to making their bed in the morning without Mommy's help. They don't want to be faced with that. And, of course, if they happen to be making a comfortable income, they don't want to be having to get by on the income of, say, a Private.