<<Finally, ABSOLUTELY have not established that *this* alternative (war) is correct simply because of the absence of workable alternatives."

should read the "absence of *visible* workable alternatives"

Some may exist, we sure as hell aint tried to find them.

"I'd hate to see what would happen to you if your car was stuck on a railroad track, and you discarded the obvious solution in favor of something you haven't thought of yet. I mean, there MUST be something you haven't thought of yet, right? It's only logical."

Tom, your analogy requires clear and present danger of inaction. That does not exist in this case, so your analogy fails.

"If you can think of absolutely nothing else you can do to change the status quo except one thing, and you are unwilling to accept the status quo, then you either take the route left or go into a mental meltdown like Landru."

I suggested about half a doizen things, and thats just ad-hoc. I bet there are plenty of things that people far more qualified than I could and probably have come up with.

"NOBODY has come up with a better idea. NOBODY. Nobody here, nobody in the Democratic Party, nobody in the pundit world. Don't you think I've looked? Good grief, look what you came up with, and you're one of the smart ones."

I am not so sure... As far as I can tell, there is not TOLERANCE or any discussion on this issue. Even if it was the case that nobody has come up with an option, there is not immediate need for action, there is time- we ARE capable as a species and as a culture of coming up with an alternative to an unjustified and unjustifiable war.

"You either use military force, or leave Saddam alone. That's it."

How about

"You either use military force, or leave Saddam alone, IN A BOX, until you arrive at a better course of action"

So far, based on the last 12 years of our foreign policy, we haven't even really tried to find an alternative outside of sanctions. The ONE time we came close, when the Kurds were on-their-way to taking Saddam down, we let them down and betrayed them. Look it up, Tom.

Don't tell me there is nothing there when YOU have not looked, when NOBODY looked. That didn't really convince columbus? Hmm?

Davin