[mburbank]

I missed where I said we did it on purpose.

The phrase collateral damage was invented because there was a messy truth that needed a nice blanket pulled up over it's head.

Here's another phrase from the folks who came up with that one:

"We had to destroy the village in order to save it"

This is what happens in wars.

If I thought we were over there for purely altruistic purpose I would feel less sick about it, but I'd still feel sick. I just don't see any other reaction as appropriatte. I think any other reaction dehumanizes the other side, makes them 'the enemey'. And people believeing other people are 'the enemy' is what leads to war.

And I don't think we're over there for altruistic reasons. In fact, I almost hope we aren't. If we are, we're going to be very, very busy. And our allies will get mad when we invade them. And we'll have to cut china's most favored trading status. The last President to make any serious connection between our foreign policy and human rights was Carter. Remember him?