"There is hypocrisy, vulgar materialism, expensive ugliness, addiction to high sounding ideals which are rarely permitted to interfere with shrewd, cold pursuit of narrow self-interest..."

This description fits this weekend's protesters very aptly.

The protesters claim to be against many unnecessary future deaths, yet that is exactly what this war is going to prevent.

The protesters claim they don't want to see blood spilled for oil - yet that is precisely the policy of Germany, Belgium and France - small nations with a total dependence upon foreign oil, who are willing to deal with a policy of "oil for weapons and tyranny."

All this hypocrisy is lost in their pursuit of blind, narrow self-interests.

The vast majority of protesters believe that by undermining the Bush administration or the United States - that their particular agenda will be put in a more powerful position.

Indeed if you listen carefully to the rhetoric of the protesters, you will see only anger and hatred - two emotions most incompatible with compassion and goodness.

Indeed this is the true mirror image truth which they cannot perceive - they are aiding death and destruction. Their hatred harms others - first and most importantly, themselves.

Bush acts as a finely polished mirror for the hate-filled of the world:

Saddam sees him as a tyrant.

Protesters see him as an exploiter.

Schroeder see him as a Hitler.

Islam sees him as an oppressor.

Leftist intellectuals see him as ignorant.

Yes, indeed the irony is not lost upon those who have broad enough perspectives to perceive it.

I do not hate the protesters who pursue their goals, nor the manipulators who exploit those with diverse and narrow self interests, nor the nations' governments which have the same - for to do so would be to compound the problem and feed the hatred like fueling a fire.

Understanding motivations and people requires a balanced view which is impervious to the weight of emotional swings of resentment.

SDAI-Tech1