Teribus - The guys on the other side of any issue one feels strongly about always sound wrong, ill-informed, prejudiced, and like they are being "apologists" for evil.

It's the nature of the human mind to see it that way. We're all subjective creatures, based on our past experiences and upbringing.

So don't get too worked up about it. You'd probably like me fine if you knew me under some normal situation and we didn't happen to get around to discussing politics.

Go ahead and argue your side as well as you can and I'll argue mine.

I just don't consider Saddam to be nearly as important or as dangerous as you do...it's not that I am apologizing for him. I consider the USA to be very important and very dangerous. I understand that you don't see it that way (the dangerous part, I mean), and I don't find that surprising. There are obviously going to be any number of people out there whose faith rests on the assumption that the USA is the protector of the world. After all, Rome had many supporters, didn't it? Millions and millions of them.

Just consider me to be a Briton on the northern side of Hadrian's Wall. That's why we see it differently. And we will probably continue to do so until the dollar ceases to exist or Hell freezes over, whichever happens first.

If you had been born in some other location, you might be enthusiastically supporting Saddam right now and/or joining Al Queda. Would that make you an evil person? Not if you did it in all innocence, believing you were fighting against evil.

- LH