A lot of people here came out of the political closet and faced consequencesÖsuch as loss of friends and estrangement from family members.

I would not recommend ìcoming outî in the work environment ñ it may cost you more than it is worth, but I found more often than not that challenging somebody’s ideas in a social setting can be rewarding, even if the reward is somebody only admitting to you: ìI have not thought about it this way beforeî.

There is vast number of people out there who could be won by logical argument and facts ñ but you have to have them on your fingertips, it is critical in any discussion. Unfortunately, there is also vast number of people so ideologically blinded that they would rather die than admit that what they believe ñ it really hinges on belief ñ is wrong.

These are joys and sorrows of principled people being true to themselves

It is amazing how intolerant the tolerant can be and how dangerous the pacifists can be.

Some people have noticed I haven’t attended any rallies or joined in any anti-war discussions, but I haven’t argued pro-war either. For personal safety reasons. The closest I came was to explain to then girlfriend why the charge “no war for oil” makes no sense.

Since I didn’t tell them so then, I don’t get to say “I told you so” now.

Paraphrasing(?) Den Beste: There are Scot-Irish by birth and Scot-Irish by heart.

We do represent their views, they’re just too stupid to realize it….

I kill myself sometimes…

It is not really about being ScotsIrish.

I just get annoyed with extreme right and extreme left [which are getting harder and harder to tell apart] assuming everybody else is stupid or conned somehow screwing up when the truth is they are no more omnipotent than the rest of us.

In other words Coisty could be just as wrong as any of us. And it seems to me that a lot of peeople in the world think Americans have a duty to either save them or represent their views. Well no, our duty is to ourselves and whatever ideas we consider worth fighting for.

If Coisty disagrees, that is Coisty’s problem.

ìYou know, I feel so left out. I’m not Scots-Irish. At all.

I’m not Jewish either. (Ö) It must be all the Viking blood.î

My feelings precisely.

I donít have any of the genetic inheritance mentioned above (at least as far I am aware) so I will simply assume that certain human characteristics – such as being a fighter – are universal.

Heh.

You know, I feel so left out. I’m not Scots-Irish. At all.

I’m not Jewish either.

But, like Catherine, I was a born fighter. It must be all the Viking blood. All I remember of my grandparents, and all I’ve heard about their parents before them was fierce individual independence.

It brought them to America.

How about gonna bitch no matter what so it really does not matter.

So far as I can see the only thing Ireland did for the US was privide us with a lot of immigrants many of which like to fight and drink.

And before I have to get a lecture on the IRA it should be said that it is ok with me to deport them all, after all they are Irish.

My grandparents were Irish, but they over came it.

That’s a keeper for sure.

There were more reasons than WMD for going to Iraq. Reasons enough, in fact, for everyone. Take your pick. Those who complain of no stockpiles can have their complaints, as long as the other reasons aren’t dismissed.