Hi Chris,

I'm happy to call it a day on this particular thread. Allow me a few concluding replies and you may have the last word.

Quote:
char: "More Americans have died in Iraq than died in those 9/11 attacks, but being a Republican means never having to admit your mistakes."


I'm not sure what relevance the ratio of US troop casualties to 9/11 victims has to the rightness or wrongness of military intervention. And, as you are certainly aware, the Republicans have admitted many times that mistakes have been made.

Quote:
char: "As for the dead Iraqis, you simply label them as the "enemy" and appear unconcerned. I thought that we were doing this for the Iraqis (seeing as how the WMD thing didn't work out for you), but never mind. I see that was about as true as the WMD charge."


That's patently false. As much as you'd like to think otherwise, 'disagreement with char' does not equal 'unconcern for Iraqis'.

Quote:
char: "It shouldn't surprise me anymore, but I don't see how people who are convinced that potential enemies are intently watching Jane Fonda and me for encouragement can imagine that those same people don't get a little upset that we invaded an Arab, Muslim country, occupied it, and oversaw its descent into hell while blowing away a goodly number of its inhabitants."


I'm certain they do get upset. But what's so unusual about that? These Islamic extremists/terrorists are perpetually 'upset' about everything. Iraq is just the latest excuse. If it's not Iraq, it's political cartoons in a Danish newspaper. If it's not cartoons, it's a Winnie the Pooh doll on a co-worker's desk. If it's not Winnie the Pooh dolls, it's Muslim prisoners upset about the direction their toilets are facing. In short, there's nothing that DOESN'T upset them.

Quote:
char: "I suppose there must be advantages to just doing and thinking what you're told all the time, or you wouldn't do it. You should explain them to me sometime."


And it is inane, childish comments like this that make it very difficult to take you seriously sometimes. I'm confident that in your more lucid moments, even you see the silliness of these sorts of comments.

As I said, you have the last word. And thanks for the exchange (and the package).

later, bud. iowan1