American "clicking it's heels" no more? When did America do that? "Millions for defense, not one cent for tribute" is something I recall from my childhood. To which I'm eager to return, by the way.

A reasonable and prudent man, if there is such a thing, might wonder why other reasonable and prudent people think the way they do, instead of dismissing everything completely out of hand.

See, it doesn't hurt to learn. That doesn't mean agree, doesn't mean change.

At one point in my life I had 4 brothers-in-law who didn't particularly care for me. The fact that they were jerks in the first-degree enabled me to dismiss 'em. (I still think they are jerks, if they're still alive.)

Those were different days. So, I was talking with my wife once, and came to realize they had good reason to believe what they did, I wasn't the knight in shining armor I thought, and I opted to change some things. Not for them, for me.

JFK used to assign the same task to different people, asking them to promote differing views, so as to understand the various sides of issues.

This guy just dismisses anyone who doesn't toady. Look at the Treasury guy and Lindsey. (Lindsey wasn't fired for eating too much at the free buffet, no matter what anyone says.) They were fired for pointing out to the American public that there was a cost to a war.

Go figure.

Tragic. Not firing them, but why.

Arf