Okay, troll and DougR, if you are willing to think out of the box for just a bit, I'll throw out a few positive ideas that have a better chance of long tern success in creating a peaceful planet than blowing folks and things up. And no, troll, no history lessons, no who-shot-whoms, just a plan which will involve a few more Americans to step back and consider alternatives to war:

1. We each need to individually think of solving personal problems and those between groups of people or nations in a manner that does not involve violence.

2. For those who have made it past the first step (and I know peace is not for everyone but I won't get bogged down in the "whys") I would ask a commitment of time or resources to support candidates who do not represent the business as usual Repubocratic one party system that now exists. If for instance, the Green Party had won a couple more percentage points in the Presidential election then they would have representaton in the next Presidential debates and their ideas would have at least a shred of creditability. This probably would have happened if so many folks weren't so afraid of a Bush win that they opted to vote for a lesser of two evils rather than their hearts.

3. Support H.R. 2459, a bill introduced by Dennis Kucinich, that proposed a fully funded Department of Peace. Such a step, would go a long way toward telling the rest of the world that as the World's Super Power, that the US stands on the side of peaceful resaolution to conflict. Allow this Department the resources to "promote" peace with the use the same admen who have kids the world over in Nike shoes. This department will also promote and work with the various agencies that now distribute foriengn aid, the State Department and the World Bank.

Now, I realize that these are three big steps for most folks but they are no unreasonable staeps, or starry eyed steps. At some point in time mankind will have had just enough of business as usual and see that war is not in the best interest of the inhabitants of this planet. This is how you fight terrorism. By inclusionary andpasionate thought processes.

What if the US were to hold a Manditory PEACE SUMMIT and tell the world that it is going to lead by example in a quest for PEACE and have a big ad campaine that glorified the peacemakers and SOLD peace. And what if these admen, who can see Air Jordons to anyone in the world were to devise a ad progrma directed at those who some now think are our ememies that it just wouldn't be too cool as a leader of a country to not attend this Summit. What if peace became the international fashion statement?

What if the US were to put a real effort into supporting the United Nations and not have to have private citizens come in with their own money to pay it's dues. Wouldn't that give the UN a greater level of creditility?

You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one...

If not now, then when?????????????????????

Peace

Bobert