That you would utilize the intellection of Scott Evil and make the same leaps from what is said to what you interprete it to mean.

If you are to battle and achieve a measure of success, if you play football to win; it behooves you to know your enemy. If you want to defeat terrorists it is important to know there are many types of terrorist. Terrorism can be an activity directed against the state; an activity of the state directed against its people to prevent power development; or state sponsored terrorism in which the state uses another group to wage terrorism against an enemy state.

We are most recently familiar with the first type by the reports in the press. The best examples of the second type come from looking at the right wing Latin American dictatorships. The third type was common during the entire period of the cold war. One of the best examples is the US funding of the Jonas Savimbi/UNITA insurgency in Angola.

The obvious Republican problem is they, and you, seem to think all terrorist are al Qaida and have towels on their heads. This is a racial profile and neither accurate nor effective.

When I say war is political failure, I am not only parroting what is taught at Sandhurst, Annapolis and West Point---but something I strongly believe. The purpose of waging war is to achieve objectives that were thought important enough to risk lives. It is the better course to not waste assets by contending if there are other methods of achieving them.

I have never said I oppose the ability of our nation to wage war. But I am old fashioned enough to expect the US to justly do so and for non-fictional reasons.

As for terrorism, only hyperbole can elevate the criminal activities of small groups of fanatics into war. The war against the mafia--they have more members than al Qaida--or the war against the Irish Republican Army--also more soldiers-- have the same claim to legitimacy. In other words they are bogus exercises designed for the political expediency of controlling the American population by playing the fear card.

As long as the people are convinced they are in immanent danger they will support the "strong" leader that promises to protect them rather than address the root causes that allows the recruitment of these terrorists.

The Bush administration reminds me of Linus in the "Charlie Brown" strip. When he was set up with the little red-haired girl he had a crush on, he couldn't think of anything to say to her. So he hit her!

Action without thought. Kicking cow chips on a hot day. Both bad news.

Publius