Tell you what else is fked up. I just read the Zogby poll results (excuse me if ths is already discussed somewhere) -says that 85% (eighty-five percent) of the US troops serving our country in Iraq believe that the primary purpose of their mission is "to retaliate for Saddam Hussein's role in the 9-11 attacks."

Tens of thousands of people in Pakistan and elsewhere desire to go down in history as cartoon rioters, manipulated from the top down. Okay fine. Tiny percentage of the world's population. Tens of thousands of American kids want to shoot guns and bombs and shit at people around Iraq to "punish" the 9-11 terrorists, manipulated from the top down.

The media want us to read this crap and get all inflamed just as the cartoon rioters or terrorist punishers or homo-haters. I think it's time for me to just stop reading the paper. Only the nuts are in the news.

I never like to criticize those who are called to serve, especially as I haven't been required. But fer crying out loud - am I suppposed to thank my cousin when he gets back for fighting back ("retaliating") against the Iraqis, as he likely (85%) believes?? That's really going to take some fake-nice on my part. "Yes, thanks for doing that Chad." (. . . You fucking idiot.)