Rainbow, check the contradiction in your two posts. I understand but
just a head's up- that smacks of hypocrisy to those that don't know you.

Those that make war are the ones in power. People do not make war
Governments do.

People however have the greater power they just choose (in the past) not
to exercise it.

Perhaps it has become time to exercise that power. Without borders,
without barriers and without fear.

It does at that, Zapchaser, you are right. Forgive my humor on suffering
not a witch to live. I do apologize if I do offend anyone. Have you
notice the anger in President Bush's voice lately and how he is having
to defend himself. When hearing him the radio today I heard
rationalization and justification. He sounds like he doesn't have a
friend in the world just from my viewpoint.

There is a lot of venemous anger directed at Bush right now and
rightfully so on most fronts as there has been for every president. At
this point I it wouldn't matter if were to miraculously solve world
hunger. The mob is brandishing their pitch forks. I see so few strings
concerning his replacement candidates and so many bristling with anger
of the moment. I challenge ONE of you to list ONE thing he has done
recently that is positive. Leave the G* out of it. What a f*cking farse
that sideshow is! Tiny little countries running around blowing each
other and thumbing their noses at us. F*ck them. They can all kiss my
ass. Name ONE thing. Come on, we gave Clinton, our joke that will live
forever a break, as well as Reagan and Carter. For everyone of you that
says "he has done nothing", please fall on your pitchfork as you are
nothing but an angry SOB that needs to relax a little before you have a
heart attack.

Oops! Change G* to G8

Make a start and give us a clue, will ya???

Zap's is a legitimate challenge to us, for during the course of 6 years
in the presidency surely Bush has done ONE thing right, no?

I would nominate his No Child Left Behind hopes. I know there have been
some real problems with it, but I think his vision is pure and that his
heart is in it.

Keep in mind that my 'model' of Bush and his administration is that he
is deeply manipulated, by the neocons on foreign affairs, and by the
Christian fundamentalists/Karl Rove on domestic affairs. Aften, when we
criticize Bush, we are talking og things that these two groups have
inflicted on us, and not things that Bush is 'doing.'

I know, he is the commander-in-chief, he is ultimately responsible, he
is the CEO of the government.

Anyway, Zap, I nominate No Child Left Behind.

Oceans

Do I personally believe war can bennifit us?

With this question I can not definate an answer. Do I like war? No. I,
like everyone else, including the beauty pagent contestants...I would
love to also wish for "world peace".

Truth is war in a sense is instinctual. To challenge and establish
"pecking order", domienance, the "Alpha", our food chain. Can this
reverted sense be advantagious to the human race? Maybe, perhaps
underlying it all it is. Like the animals, our natural selection process
has evolved. If all war, conflicts, abrasions were non-existant...would
we really have our utopia? Something to ponder, perhaps from a more
scientific standpoint. I mean, we can look to see how wars have effected
imports, exports, and our economy. Either side can debate the pros &
cons of war politically. Just another view... I think the need to spar
& butt heads is animal instinct and something of our past. However our
weapons are NOT.(Like AB said.."wipe out whole cities")


We are but monkeys...monkeys with their hands upon very dangerous remote
controls.

I do not believe in weapons of mass destruction. The idea of something
so powerful it could wipe out half the world to me is frightening. Why
make a weapon so powerful that you could destroy the very world you live
in?

True, Alanna. We need to stop worshipping the bomb or it won't even be a
planet fit for the apes to inhabit.

No, war does not help good people, only helps greedy people who supply
the money and the goods. We need to put O bama in as president and Colin
Powell in as vice president, because they want what WE the PEOPLE WANT!!
Stop the WARS!! And get our Constitution Back!! Wars only ruin
civilizations. I don't believe the Arabs attacked us on 911 Do You?? But
the enemies of the Arabs may have, kind of a false flag situation,no???

what gooddoes it do a man to gain the whole world yet lose his soul

Hello, everyone,

I posted this in the thread on WEAPONS, but just realized thatit belongs
in AB's thread here, where we weigh whether weapons have made war
obsolete. There is a new generation of weapons looming that makes the
question all the more critical AND practical....

I explained:

This [WEAPONS] thread began with a probing question from Alex: if there
were no guns, would people find other weapons?

In the last weeks I was asked to think a bit about a parallel question:
given the emergence of a new generation of weaponry, what political and
cultural shifts will be required to avoid the massive and unstoppable
destruction that these weapons will be able to inflict?

The traditional answers have been:
1. I'll build even better weapons
2. I will annihilate you if you attack me
3. I will annihilate you before you can annihilate me

In the face of the next generation of weapons, none of these strategies
will work. The next generation will be cheap, easy-to-hide, and mobile.

Some of the weapons will be technically difficult, some
not-so-difficult, and not-so-expensive.

In other words, anyone can have them, and anyone can use them, against
any target they wish.

So what kind of world do we need to create to respond to the challenges
posed by these weapons?

Oceans