"They've been promised to us on a few ocassions, but never materialize. I'm not suggesting they don't exist. But the people most adamant about their promotion seem reluctant to actually bring them into the light of day. It's difficult to get a dialog going on something under those circumstances. "

I want to see a serious effort by government to find, discuss and dismiss alternatives before war is made. I want to see cause to believe that no alternatives might be found in a few more years while we Keep saddam in a nice little box, like we have for a decade.

"It's difficult to get a dialog going on something under those circumstances."

I would suggest that this discussion has been leveled down to "war now or status quo forever". I don't think that has to be the case. And If you think war is the wrong thing, you have to focus your efforts laying the case that the war is the wrong thing to do...

So its a slef-fulfilling prophecy- of course no alternatives come to light. The anti-war side spends all their time debating against the war and defending against allegations of naivete or anti-patriotism and the pro-war side does not invest the time to bring them up becuase it might be seen as contrary to THEIR position... Plus, they are 'winning' anyway by sheer force of action if not by reason and fact.

Davin