[mburbank]

Kev; I'll keep it short as we've been around this track a time or two by now.

Believe it or not, I listen to what you say. I'm pretty sure you aren't an idiot, and I'm interested what an intelligent, well meaning sort makes of the current global situation. In some degree, I'm heartened by the idea that you see things as hopeful, because it offers the possability that I'm totally wrong in my 'toldyasoism'. In fact, the only area in which I am almost (almost, not totally) certain you are wrong is the idea that history will judge W kindly.

I also challenge your assumption that in the absence of an aggressive USA, there would be no changes in any other countries. Statis is unnatural, change is law, and while I do not argue that we have major impact, we might not be the Prime Mover.

Those caveats aside, respectfully, here's where you make me worry. You take all opinions which don't match yours, at very very least half of our country, and you ascribe it all to either the blindness of Bush hatred or the habitual weakness of Americans. I think a greater degree of doubt would serve you (and most people) well. I imagine that no matter what opinion you hold, you'll find that not everyone who disagrees with you is blind, or weak, or an idiot.

I simply do not think that good can be squeezed out of so much killing. Far from 'itoldyasoism', I genuinely hope in the long term you are right and I am wrong. The killing has already happend and shpws no signs of stopping. It would seem to me a far better outcome if in the end it came to something than for me to be able to say 'I told you so.'