Regarding NY Times Safire's Floo-Floo bird aticle, April 5, 2004:

It's pretty scary when a militarist tries to characterize the positions of the so-called "doves."

Only because he gets it wrong (it's almost always a "he," since the only woman that would get this wrong is Condi Rice).

In war, it's important to know your enemy.

In debate, it's important to at least have a sense of your adversary's position.

Safire, however, is arguing with two sides of his own mind. He sees to think that the peace guys are critical because we went after Iraq instead of going after Osama.

No, no, Mr. Safire, what you are describing is the little war guys versus the big war guys. The big war guys liked going into Iraq. After all, we had an army, we thougt we should use it. Armies can't attack individuals, so, hey, let's pick a likely country.

Especially one with connections to Osama (uh, sorry, I guess we were wrong on that, but, hey things are better, right?) and one with WMD (uh, sorry, I guess we were wrong on that, but, hey things are better, right?), and one that will really welcome us with open arms (uh, sorry, I guess we were wrong on that...)

The little war guys think we should have selectively chased down and destroyed the terrorists.

It's war versus war in William's head. Not war and peace.

The real PEACE guys don't want to destroy anyone. They want us to take a hard look at whatever we are doing to tick these people off and quit doing it.

Not to mention strengthening them within the context of their own culture and their own economies and their own political systems.

Not shoving AMERICAN BRAND Democracy down their throats. Democracy is the cure for nothing, not as we practice it anyway. Since what we really mean when we say democracy is do it our way and won't you please become subsidiary market for our ongoing Wal-martization of the world.

I don't mean to be get personal, but.... William here hasn't come up with a new thought in quite a while. But if you enjoy the endless iteration of the same old thinking, bouncing from one side of his brain to the other, he's your man.