[nicollo]

I hate hate hate to quote Jimmy Carter. But there is some truth to his statement "We need to be building the kind of world we want to live in when we are not the biggest"

If you hate it so, then don't. The world that is safest for the United States is one in which we are the biggest. Your solution, preemption, is fundamental to being the biggest.

Carter is wrong because he starts from the wrong principle. Extrapolate from his view and you have a world in which preemption is impossible. No, quite the opposite.

Go with your instincts: Carter is wrong.

[DannyTN]

Where I really disagree with Carter is how to effect that change. He thinks a smile and a handshake and a handout will do it. He thinks friendship can be bought.

I'm not so naive. I think respect for human rights must be taught. And we need to focus on the areas of the world where respect is not practiced and where it is not taught. The palestinian schools for example, as well as the schooling of most of the middle east needs to be thoroughly reworked.

We are going to need to be increasingly premptive and not just when the threat is obvious as it was with Saddam. We need to build a world in which respect for human life is fostered, and that has checks and balances to keep a few from unfostering it like Saddam did.

And we should always awayts maintaing our military superiority.