If what you said were true, then the same people would have the same responses to the same actions if someone other than the U.S. was doing it. Do they?

It is inconceivable to some people that America might not deserve the hostility we get overseas. Even days after 9/11, some extremists were saying "we had it coming." Many more were honestly upset and confused: "What did we do that someone would do something like this to us?"

When a rape or abuse victim starts thinking like this, people properly disabuse them of such notions. But in foreign policy, it's apparently okay.

Al Qaeda was founded in Saudi Arabia in response to U.S. troops based on "holy ground." They often quote this as a main reason for the 9/11 attacks. These troops were there to support the U.N.-certified no-fly zones and other operations in Iraq, a direct consequence of the first Gulf War. Should we not have become involved in Saddam's invasion of Kuwait?

Maybe we should have stayed completely out of the Iran-Iraq war. Who would have won? What would the area be like now?

The Left has consistently declared that our support of Israel is the prime reason the Arab world is enraged with us. Should we cut this aid off?

It's a given that the Left has been opposed throughout the Cold War to any confrontation, military or otherwise, with the Soviet Union, including supporting free states along its border, or movements opposing Soviet colonization of the Western Hemisphere. No missiles in Europe. No support of Contras, or anyone else like that. No troops. No money. Nothing. Unilateral disarmament.

I didn't pay much attention to politics until college, but I never saw one single instance where the organized Left did not support the Soviet position in any foreign policy controversy. Not one. Unfortunately, the Democratic Party went along with a lot of this, and not much has changed.

Should we have gone along? Would the world be a better place now if McGovern had been president for eight years?

Is peace considered simply the absence of open violence? North Korea is certainly more peaceful than Iraq by that measure.

Where does it stop? How far does appeasement go? Do you honestly think we would get affection, let alone respect, from any of these people if we just gave in all along the board?

Do you understand why Kerry lost the election? It sure as hell wasn't because of Social Security.