[mburbank]

Kevin, I cannot figure out for the life of me why you need a strawman, and even more I'm puzzled why you want me to be that strawman. It wasn't clear to me until now that I am the bad hippie that frightens you.

1.) I agree. We have a clear enemey. They are significant, though small in number, and I beleieve we will never decrease their numbers by making traditional war, as we are doing in Iraq. I think we end up creating more terrorsim by occupying and 'colateral damage' then we defeat. You want to argue that, argue it. Hooting "THERE'S BAD GUYS! KILL 'EM!" isn't an argument. I don't disagree there is a legiotimate enemy out there. I think that the way we are fighting them is barbaric and counterproductive. In the future, please don't accuse me of thinking we don't have an enemy.

2.) For the billionth time. My particular objection to the evil we do as opposed to the evil others do is that I help pay fr the evil we do. As an american I feel it is my patriotic duty to disagree most vocally with the evil done in my name, as opposed to the evil done in Allahs name, or Sadaams name, or Bin Laden's name, etc, all of which is evil, but not evil I directly fund. For the record, I believe wanton killing is bad, no matter who does it. It's the evil I choose to write about. It's a free fuckin' country.

My children are fighting. I have to go now.