Good writing as always, although your wishful fantasy about Sharon the Butcher reveals more of your own prejudices than anything else. Surprised you didn't throw in a bit about secret DNA analysis of the infant blood found in the Passover bread.

It's bad enough to lay here watching CNN, MSNBC and the rest beatifying the poor pitiful Palestinians while portraying the Israelis as helmeted demons from hell. Countless pictures of hapless Palestinians fleeing, intercut with shots of tanks. No Palestinian is shown without a bandage. No Palestinian is shown armed. No Israeli is shown without a gun and a helmet. For God's sake, watch the channels for about two hours. They aren't even being subtle about it.

The call has gone out from the left: we're back in the saddle again. Death to Israel. Death to America. Above all, death to the West, of which America and Israel are just the obvious examples. The usual gangs are going to start the usual protest marches. Have already started them--just saw them on the news. The radical leftist internet sites are buzzing.

By the time Powell, whose spine is less than rigid, gets past all the Arabs bending his ear and gets to Israel, his only demand is going to be for Israel to stop its horrible, unprovoked attacks. Bush will probably follow right along.

I'm glad Bowser is here to balance the board for the Palestinians. Who's going to balance the rest of the world for Israel?