Well said, Metchosin. I remember in the aftermath of 9/11, I and most people I know were thinking Interpol, or some put-together international police action against terrorists. When Bush IDEOLOGIZED this act of terrorism and made it political, involving governments and countries, we all shuddered, knowing where that imitation cowboy would go, using other people's lives. And of course he did, but went further and in different directions than anyone could have anticipated.

What if he had treated Al Qaeda as a militant group of criminal terrorists, and had gone after them with law instead of an act of war? Can't help but wonder, just as we all wonder how much better things would have turned out had Gore been able to take his rightful place as POTUS.