I know what you meant on the thread Charley; I think the same; that is what I tried to understand, why many of the American people think we are heroes for invading someone elses country and confused as to why they are resisting instead of welcoming. Or the anger resulting from 9/11 fused this need to lash out that was harnessed by the big guys to accomplish their own aims. As for teaching Intelligent Design; you have to make the sacrifice and move your kids where the schools are not run by religous fanatics. Let them wallow in their ignorance. This is the best argument for a centrally controlled educational system there is. Wayne; trying to make sense of events that as you say are very obviously skewed in their reporting is not possible. What I think we can do is read between the lines. Most spectators take the obvious bias into account. At least I do. Then I wait and watch to see what the Party Line is/Where the Money is Coming From/ Who Responds and How the official response deals with the event. Then I make a connection from each aspect of the reporting and look to see who gets the benefit. If you remmember the old cold-war press and their "Kremlin Watching" posts from the U.S.S.R. They detected subtle clues by the behaviour of the top guys then built up a story based upon past practice. And they were usually proved right. Then reach back to your own experience. Thoreau once said,"Do not make too much of the details of history. It is simpler than you think." I think I have that quote right. Living through Vietnam; the parrallels are amazing. Some of the despatches from Iraq could be substituted with Vietnam and pasted onto the current scene without any change; and they would be the same. Why do I have this burning need to vent? I have children. They need education/health care/and a reasonable share of the good life we worked for. They don't need to be fighting to protect the wealthy and their interests. You know it can't be that the information available to us is totally worthless. It may not be 100% accurate, but why would we be expected to be spoonfed this priveledged info without having to do some speculating/guessing/and pondering; because the truth is I am not sure those who know actually know as much as we think. At some point they too must wing it. Nice discussion for a quiet Sunday Guys.