[mastequilla]

Because there will always be some contrarian in any large group of people; that person who knows nothing but negativity, pessimism, gloom, and despair.

I think you misread me. I was optimistic that we would be greeted by Iraqis as liberators, that the visions laid out by many of a quick turnover to Iraqis and a quick exit of U.S. troops would come to pass, that Iraqis, having been freed of the shackles of oppression would rise up and warmly thank us for our sacrafices in liberating them. I'm saddened that we haven't seen that and that the turnover of sovriegnty was conducted in secret so as to fool the terrorists.

I'm happy Iraq is a sovreign nation today. I'm unhappy that the average Iraqi lives in fear of terror moreso today than before the invasion. I'm optimistic that the new government will be able to soon turn the corner in its fight against the terrorists.

[Southack]

"I'm unhappy that the average Iraqi lives in fear of terror moreso today than before the invasion."

Really?! They are more frightened of Zarqawi's bombings than of Hussein's rape rooms, human shredders, poison gas, secret police, and mass graves?! Which "average Iraqi" told you such nonsense?

"I'm optimistic that the new government will be able to soon turn the corner in its fight against the terrorists."

What "corner" needs to be turned? In April, the insurgents managed to kill 122 Americans. In May, they managed to kill just 81 of us. In June, they've killed only 29.

More people are dying in car wrecks in major American and Iraqi cities than are being killed by terrorists.

The current level of fatalities wouldn't even make the back page of a WW2-era newspaper.

England lost 10% of an entire generation of their men in a single ill-fated hour of their worst battle during the First World War, and they still came out on the winning side.

To imagine that losing 29 fine Americans in an entire *MONTH* is indicative of some "corner" needing to be turned is to broadcast that you have no concept of the price of war.