[Griff]

First, obviously I was in a pretty bad mood yesterday. I felt the need to piss in everybodies corn flakes because of what had become a pretty one sided photo war here. Rucita and Benny stepped up though which, if they'll stick around, took some guts. In my mind, we've come through the easiest part of this campaign so celebration while understandable is pretty damn premature.

Nobodies arguing that Saddam isn't total human debris, however, Bush ran on the idea of a restrained foreign policy. What changed about Iraq? Nothing. 911, which has never been linked to Hussein, opened the door for some of Bush's advisors to push their militarist agenda for our country, not the agenda Bush ran on but rather a complete disavowal of that agenda.

Does (Did) Hussein have nasty weapons programs? Sure. What country doesn't? Has he ever shown the desire to use them against anyone strong enough to respond? No. He is, like most bullies, a coward at heart and by all accounts pretty concerned with his own survival. He is (was) an Iraqi problem. Did he use Chem weapons against Americans during GW1? Nope. Did he use them against Israel? Nope.

What should America have done about Saddam? Nothing. The British Empire created Iraq with all its problems. Can an American Empire resolve the Arabs problems for them? Not likely. Can we turn America into a giant Israel with enemies behind every rock. Easily.

If Iraqis don't want a dictator, they need to step up and shoot the son of a bachelor. If no Iraqi thinks freeing his country is worth sacrificing his life, how is his freedom worth one American Marines life or one poor kids arms who happens to live in the wrong neighborhood. As we descend into this war on terror, I think we should reflect on what becomes of the America once known as a beacon of freedom as it continues to occupy countries all over the globe, imposing our administrations view of freedom. Does the child with no arms and abdominal burns feel free trapped in his hospital bed.