Whistle Stop - That was my post, not Larry's. As far as what you say, yep, I understand your point which was well-expressed.

Doug - Hey, I'm STILL not sure just what I would do if I were in George Bush's shoes right now. It's a hell of a messy situation, and if I come up with a neat and perfect answer for exactly how to deal with it, I'll let you know, but don't hold your breath waiting...

I think I would be more likely to use covert means of response to terrorists than conventional military action on small countries...and I think I would move heaven and earth to resolve chronic problems between Israel and the Arabs/Palestinians/etc in the meantime...so as to lessen the possibility of further crises.

But, hell, what do I know? Am I fully informed on all the factors involved? No. Are you? No. It's just that your gut tells you to strike back...and mine tells me that further violence probably won't help, because it certainly hasn't in the past.

I think it's a difference in basic emotional temperament, not a difference in moral concepts of right and wrong that is dividing us. (We all agree it's wrong to kill innocent civilians.) Or it's a difference in spiritual concepts on some level of what each of us terms "reality".

We run around like dogs chasing their own tails when we have these discussions, because we're really not focusing on the same things. The intentions get lost in the words, and the words get misunderstood.

- LH