Don, your first long post here in particular I admire.

I certainly see dangers in Bush (and Blair) and their apparent refusal not only to listen but also to control the terms in which debate is permissible.

I also see similar dangers in many organised religions, although, ironically, most express themselves to be benevolent despite in so many cases having killed many in the names of allegedly religiously justified invasions or offensives.

Bush and Blair seem to concentrate these dangers. They seem to find support for their intransigences in a belief system.

The oddest thing however seems to be the overt Bush christianity but Bush's link with the so-called "neoconservatives", who, in the terms in which they are usually verbally attacked, are hypothesised not to be christian.

This seems to be inconsistent in parts - but Bush and Blair and their belief system certainties seem to echo religious belief system certainties, and both alarm me!