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You could START by reading more carefully. My tagline says that democracy STARTS with reason and intelligence. That's true, it does. Sometimes, often actually, others force one to pick up arms (i.e. Hitler). But democracy never STARTS with the use of force. That's the province of tyrants. The neocons might have considered that before they invaded a country to try and force democracy on them. Regarding voting for Kerry, I can't imagine anyone from either party screwing things up as badly as the guy that's in the White House now. I used to find comfort in the fact that this guy didn't actually win in 2000 because at least then I could say that most Americans aren't so blind that they would give a silver-spoon raised, failed businessman who was nowhere to be found when a real war was being fought (Vietnam) a residency in the oval office. Well, 2004 proved me wrong. Apparently there are enough gullible people in this country to hire this guy for another four years after he did such a lousy job the first time around. Rewarding incompetence, the NEW American way.

The neocons might have considered that before they invaded a country to try and force democracy on them.

Forget neocons. This country's leaders soberly decided to invade Iraq to effect a long-overdue regime change, based on a pressing need to "drain the swamp," if possible, of dangerous regimes with the means and desire to acquire, develop, use weapons, and sponsor terrorism. This was a rational next step in dealings with one particular rogue state, and a step in a long war against rising danger emanating from the failed states of the Islamic Middle East.

President Bush has explained all of this, but you apparently don't feel that explanation is something you should engage.

Do you have a map handy? This country is in the heart of the Middle East. You want to argue that reasonable security is possible without reform in the Middle East, or that regional reform would have been possible with Saddam and sons in power for the next fifty years? Try.

Saddam's Iraq had forfeited its legitimacy by annexing Kuwait and then not living up to cease-fire agreements. It cannot be right that those agreements don't matter. The rule of chaos is not acceptable.

But democracy never STARTS with the use of force.

A Democracy does not start when the people start to talk about it; it starts when people actually do something about it. And those in power that the Democracy is to replace tend to not go quietly.

As regards Kerry...he couldn't even run his own campaign...and you expected him to run a country? And would you have wanted Al Gore on 9/11, or today? If you want to run a candidate, have them have something to say.

And Iraq has a *chance* at Democracy now because someone was willing to use force. That should make you happy. Or were they just going to vote old Saddam out of office?