I am not a pacifist. I am deeply opposed to militarism, especially US militarism. In the wake of 9/11, I opposed the invasion of Afghanistan as a "solution" to the US being attacked by terrorists. The invasion of Afghanistan and the overthrow of the Taliban WILL NOT stop terrorist attacks against the US at home or abroad. The invasion of Afghanistan was all about vengeance, just like the war on Iraq is about vengeance. And that is why the majority of Americans, who are very militaristic, and broadly defend the US' imperialist policies, are behind those wars on innocent Afghan and Iraqi civilians.

The current wave of vengeful militarism being pursued by the US may well result in the downfall of our nation. The proper response to 9/11 was to send out the Special Forces to actually take out Bin Laden, once we were convinced that it was Al Qaida that attacked us, with or without the cooperation of the nations which are harboring him and the Al Qaida network: Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Invading and occupying two sovereign nations that were not connected to the attacks on the US WAS NOT the right response to 9/11. "Harboring terrorists" was a lame, pathetic excuse to pursue the Bush Doctrine of unilateral, pre-emptive, unprovoked invasions and occupations of sovereign nations in violation of international law and the UN charter. The only meaningful result is the US waging imperial wars in other peoples' nations, to maintain the US grip on the world oil supply.

Vengeance for 9/11 was the justification for bombing the hell out of people who had nothing to do with the attacks. That isn't a sound military policy rooted in the concepts of self-defense, nor was it a sound military solution to the threat of attack by Islamic terrorists. They'll be back, and with a vengeance to match our own.

An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind. And both Bush and Kerry are using that tactic as if it were legitimate and sound military self-defense. It isn't. Not only is Iraq much more dangerous now than it was with Saddam contained and neutralized, but the entire world is now teetering on the brink of destruction of the leading democracies, all in the pursuit of militaristic vengeance, and an American thirst for Muslim blood which is every bit as horrific as the Islamic terrorists' thirst for American blood.

There are millions of ways to protect the US and and the world's interests in the Middle East, but neither Bush nor Kerry are talking about them. They both are talking about maintaining the corporate militarism strategy status quo, to keep control of the world's oil supply as it begins to run out. They could care less about the death and damage that wreaks on the peoples and environment of the Middle East. Or Nigeria. Or Venezuela. Or Russia.