[Kaleban]

Well, I'd like to follow up comment here. And I'm not arguing with anyone, even Gambit, I'm just posting my opinions, for what they're worth. I could be a moron and wrong, so take what I say with a grain of salt.

Prior to Iraq, everyone did think Saddam had WMDs, true. But what do you think would happen if Hans Blix came knocking on the Oval Office door with the same demands and questions, since the USA is part of the U.N.?

Probably would have been fed to the sharks... ;-)

The WMD argument doesn't hold water either for the simple fact that North Korea is KNOWN to have them, and has been recorded as being ready and able to use them, and yet, I see no naval battle groups anchoring offshore to start air riads into Pyongyang! And since WMDs can be any type of Nuclear, Biological or Chemical weapons, there are hundreds of groups with access to these weapons. The entire argument was based off the hunt for Al Qaeda and Osama Bin-Laden, and yet we're entrenched in urban guerilla warfare with a under-prepared and under staffed ground force, trying to do nation building with one fifth of what was recommended by several Joint Chiefs! And still no admission of a mistake from ANY Republican.

The reason many other countries at the UN were voting for trade embargoes and other alternatives to war is because they KNEW what trying to invade and democratize the Middle East would cost, and are probably still laughing behind cupped hands at the folly of the Bush administration. The whole concept of bringing Democracy to the Middle East is noble, but that's NOT why we're there. Its for profiteering basically, and knowing that the American public (or at least a big enough voting bloc) can be fooled by Fox News.

The other folly in democratization is that Iraqis are NOT Christians, nor Americans. Their whole culture, from religion to government, is strictly rooted in Islam, which, while basically a peaceful religion, has its fanatics just like Christianity. Islam is very patriarchal, so most Moslems are raised in a society that encourages fealty to those in power above you. The Iraqis themselves may not want democracy, but the imperialists in our government don't care about that. They want guaranteed oil, profits and the ability to establish a permanent military installation and America friendly government in the middle of an area known for its hatred of American decadence.

So to conclude, pre-emptive war is stupid. As we will see, probably over the next decade, I have no illusions that Bush or those he surrounds himself with have the intelligence or savvy to end this in four years. And when it does finally end? There will be more people who hate America than ever before, and Americans both domestic and abroad will be in more danger than ever before.

P.S. And as to the business comment. Businesses are held to employee regulations, yes, but if they outsource to another country, why are those regulations not followed. Just like an embassy, an Indian computer programmer should be paid the same as if he WERE in the USA. The government allows corporations to outsource to 3rd world nations for cheap labor because those same corporations PUT those politicians where they are, and so the politician on a string cannot risk alienating his constituents (read: NOT the voters, no one cares about them anymore) or he can't get re-elected to further line his pockets. Government in America is just as much a business as any other large corporation, and Americans fool themselves if they think the government works for them any more. Truly sad.