My immediate response when I first heard Dubya use the word "war" was "Oh, crap! Here we go again!" It was obvious to me that either he just didn't understand the situation or he was indulging in political rhetoric for the ears of those who somehow feel that an immediate, violent response will make them feel better.

"War" doesn't fit the circumstances any more than it fits when applied to drugs, crime, AIDS, or poverty. Bombing Afghanistan will win the war against terrorism in the same way that bombing Columbia will win the "war against drugs."

Don Firth