>The Islamic extremists hated us before...before Iraq, before Afghanistan, before 9/11. And they will continue to do so unless the imbalance between haves and have-nots over there is solved. Democracy is the only way that the Arab street is going to get a grip on their problems. Someone has to help them build it.

Daniel;

I agree with the comment about the haves and have-nots problem. I dislike imposing my thoughts upon another person. Perhaps they are happy being in the state they are in? Democracy is the form of government we live by.

But if they are happy why do they wish to destroy us? A religious reason perhaps – we are non-believers. Only they have the truth. The Muslims even fight amongst themselves. You do not know what is in a person’s head or heart by looking at them. Who might be a terrorist?

In Vietnam we could not tell who might be carrying a bomb. It could be a five year old or an old person. Terrorists come in all flavors. Just think of Timothy McVay! We may all be driven to paranoia – who can you trust?

To paraphrase Chairman Mao, “As long as there is one terrorist, there is war”!

When you try to shove something down someone’s throat it may not taste too good! My mom told me how good Castor Oil was for me, as she gave me a spoonful. That did not help the taste in my case! :)

Tom