Bev and Jerry - The flip side of your quote is as follows, and might have come from the lips of Kruschev, Brezhnev, etc: "We Communists fought the cold war for several decades for one reason - the USA (and NATO) expressed a desire to spread their form of government to every nation on earth and we fought in Korea and Viet Nam and elsewhere to prevent that from happening. Unfortunately, we ran out of money finally and had to throw in the towel. Now you see what is happening...they ARE doing just what we warned they would!"

What you fail to realize, Bev and Jerry, is that ALL competitive and aggressive empires attempt to spread their form of government to every nation on earth...and their opponents fight to prevent that from happening. :-)

Observe the past activities of Persia, Alexander the Great, the Holy Roman Empire, Imperial Spain, Napoleon, Great Britain, Russia, Germany, Italy, Japan....the list goes on and on. At any one time in history there is a "most dangerous and aggressive" empire in dominance. Right now, it's the USA and its ally the UK.

You don't see it because you're too partisan, and are under the impression that "if it's from the USA it must be good". Nope. It's not. It's the usual self-serving empire-building at the expense of weaker nations that's been happening since before Babylon. Those who value freedom oppose such empires, no matter what flag they parade under or what rhetoric they spew.

Has not Bush promised to spread HIS version of "freedom" everywhere? That's what Hitler and all the others promised. That's what they always promise. THEIR version of freedom favours them, and oppresses others.

People like making their own minds up about HOW to be free in their own fashion, not being instructed in it at the point of an invader's gun.