A good thought, except for the last part that it does not faze us. The support for this war is somewhat broad, held by a slim majority; however, the support is also somewhat soft. The substantial minority that opposes this war, however, does so quite vehemently.

Let's not fall into mindless America-bashing. Instead, let's work to get things back on track. As many are.

At this point in our history, telling it like it is does not constitute America bashing. It is the telling of the truth.

This country is the most aggressive, bellicose nation in the world only because it can be. It has beaten down everything that gets in its way for decades, it reneges on it's obligations (note Karzai's pleas for Afghanistan) and it takes inordinate pride in itself.

At a time when Americans are determinedly doing what they can to discredit France, there is not one out of (a generously tilted estimate on my part) five-hundred households in any given town or city in this country that doesn't have toasters to teevees which were made in China. China is a country with a most egregiously exploitative and cruel government that saps the marrow of it's citizenry, and summarily executes people for minor offenses. There is not a word against China, which also disagrees with America on the Iraq issue.

America supports China, and an infinite array of other countries that literally abuse the wage slaves under their domains so that it can wallow it it's petty pleasures and cheap goods. What's not to bash?

America allowed a man like George W. Bush to become an illegally selected official, and under stressful circumstances gave him unhampered authority to declare war on any nation, without the consent of congress, that he desires to decimate for his own purposes, without being answerable to this nation. All done without a squeak.

America allowed further inroads against it's freedoms by electing many more Republicans to carry on in the new tradition of eliminating the rights of it's citizens. What did the now protesting minority do? It sat on it’s hands on election day, then sat around tearing the failed Democratic party to bits, instead of rallying around it and attempting to remake it into the powerful populist voice it once was.

Here we are being exhorted to get this country back on track after we have so passively avoided using willpower to do something about it when we had a chance. Minnesota was probably lost because of an artificial fastidiousness assumed as a cloak of high principal, by a collection of whiners because what "happened" at Wellstone's memorial service was so un-cool, so politically incorrect.

America needs it's collective ass kicked, and some common sense of decency reinstalled, and it needs a spine, not least of all.

Unlimited power is not strength.

If saying these well thought out things is mindless America bashing, then so be it. Je accuse.

If you want to use a country for an example, how about Iraq, itself. In the tradition of "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" we were good buddies with Iraq, until the Bush family decided that we don't like them anymore.

Also, I have not been sitting on my hands. I voted and I try to make my voice heard, it just seems like no one is listening these days.

Iraq is the country we are going to rape. No one says it is ruled by a good and just man. We are bellowing about Iraq without end, and without an end to the lies regarding it's status as a threat.

If you didn't sit on your hands, then good for you and the rest of us who have tried. No need to feel defensive.

The point is the trashing of a nation that has some guts, and some savvy about war with the Arabs, as it also had with the Vietnamese. There is no need for this government to allow the bashing of France without a word in it's defense, except for one little niggling thing: Throw the dogs a bone (we'll feed them France) and let them kill each other over it, while we do what we will. We are their dogs. I say we as the collective citizenry. Do you imagine I include the obviously conscious among us who frequent this site? If any among us have done nothing, it would come as a great surprise to me.

Sorry, I didn't mean to get all defensive, I'm just getting sick of it; the France-bashing,the attitude that if you are against the war you are against the troops, the fact that we are going to violate UN resolutions to go after Iraq for violating UN resolutions, just the whole big mess.

No offence taken. You're justified in a having a minor case of craze from all this jive assed hatred being spread across the nation with a trowel. Hang loose, and keep the faith as best possible. We sure aren't alone in our feelings. That may be scant comfort in the eye of the storm, but it beats nothing. Right?

Dear Anonymous Mouth-Frother:

I agree with virtually all you said. My point was simply that the protest movement is alive and well, and we should be proud of it and build it. Just as Jerry is building his pecs.

Still, regarding the clip Jerry put up, it is not appropriate to compare what we are doing in Iraq to the Holocaust. What we are doing is mindless. It is evil. It will make America weaker, and hurt the cause of democracy throughout the world. It squanders our hard-earned victory in the Cold War, at least for the time being, and maybe for good. It turned the most propitious moment in the history of democracy to dust.

But it is not the Holocaust, and we won't let it become that. All is not lost. A lot is, but not all.

Let's keep our heads clear and our tone reasonable. Aggressive and unrelenting, but reasonable. We can't alienate the Boo-boisie, because they are in charge. Only with discipline can we hope to roll back events and send Bush back to the ranch.

That's all I ask: perspective, courtesy and discipline. Why? Because it increases our chance of retaking America as a force for good.

Hell yes.

America is big and fat and has most powerful military forces.

Im VERY afraid those americans will use weapons of mass destruction like they already did in hiroshima and nagasaki.

The War of the world is the worst case scenario coming into sight again these days... it will perhaps be a FAST VICTORY, but the consequences for the WORLD will affect ALL living on earth.

So please americans dont rush it and put these hundreds of billions of dollars used for imperial war game scenarios into something useful for us all (environmental pollution, water, alternative energies, food for all etc) and the view of the people of the world will change towards the u.s.

itll be rewarded with peace