hrm...I say based on this and most I know...the answer is no.


• Americans are pro-choice (67 percent)
• Americans support the Geneva Conventions with regards to torture (57 percent)
• Americans don't want the government snooping in their bank and internet records (67 percent)
• Americans want the USA Patriot Act changed or eliminated entirely (81 percent)
• Americans support protecting the environment at the expense of economic growth (55 percent)
• Americans believe that global warming is happening (86 percent)
• Americans believe that it's the government's responsibility to provide health care (69 percent)
• Americans support the decriminalization of marijuana (55 percent) and support the legalization of medical marijuana (78 percent)
• Americans think we've lost the war in Iraq (64 percent)
• Americans are opposed to attacking Iran (68 percent, according to a CNN Poll)
• Americans support labor unions (60 percent)
• Americans want government funding of embryonic stem cell research (56 percent)
• Americans believe that free trade hurts American workers (65 percent)
• Americans believe rich people and corporations aren't paying enough taxes (66 and 71 percent respectively)
• And overall party affiliation? 54 percent of Americans are Democrats (with leaners) and 39 percent are Republicans (with leaners).

Source?

My thoughts, since I consider myself to be an American:

• Americans are pro-choice: What a woman does with her body is her decision.

• Americans support the Geneva Conventions with regards to torture : This a grey area for me. I am not a fan of torture, but then again I am not a fan of terror groups sawing off people's heads and posting it on the internet either for their next of kin to see. Al Queada doesn't know WTF the Geneva Convention even is. If they do, they don't follow it, and sometimes the playing field has to be leveled

• Americans don't want the government snooping in their bank and internet records: 100 percent in agreement. Unless there is compelling proof I am breaking a law, stay out of my life.

• Americans want the USA Patriot Act changed or eliminated entirely: What fruit has this yielded other than another bloated government entity? Results would be nice.

• Americans support protecting the environment at the expense of economic growth: This is another grey area as it borders on bullshit. Going "Green" might be one of the best ways to stimulate our economy, create new jobs, industries and ween us off the petroleum tit which frankly does nothing more but enrichen our enemies. Plus a penny saved is a penny earned. If you conserve a resource for whatever reason, you don't need to buy as much of it.

• Americans believe that global warming is happening: Probably, but meteorology is still an infant science. When looking at what little evidence there is to track climate data over the past several millions of years, this warming is a gnat fart occuring during a period when the earth is actually cooler than average. People will adapt. its not the end of the world and it will wake us up to being more responsible with our one and only planet.

• Americans believe that it's the government's responsibility to provide health care: Paying 40% (Such as Germany or Canada) of our earnings in taxes still saves me money compared to footing a hundreds of thousands of dollars medical bill and gives better peace of mind.

• Americans support the decriminalization of marijuana and support the legalization of medical marijuana: Tobacco and booze is legal and more distructive than weed ever could be.

• Americans think we've lost the war in Iraq: Disagree. I am in Iraq and have travelled over just about the whole country. There is HUGE progress made. It might just be because the Iraqi people have figured out that if they leave us alone, we might just go away. Plus, the Iraqi people also just want to move on with their lives. No single person, party, or group can claim a victory here, but in no way is it a loss either. It was, in reality, never our war to win. It was, still is, and always will be up to the Iraqi people to figure out when they want this to end.

• Americans are opposed to attacking Iran: Agree. It would be stupid and we can't afford it. We would also be taking the bait on this one.

• Americans support labor unions: No. Labor Unions have just about killed manufacturing in this country. They do not make any sense from the stand point of globalization in that wages are too high to make products be competatively priced. Those operations still in the US have moved to technology such as robots to do the work cheaper anyway. They do very little to keep the jobs they are trying to protect in the long run.

• Americans want government funding of embryonic stem cell research: Don't agree or disagree. This is research that can be done with or without government funds. Just because Uncle Sugar won't pay for it doesn't mean its an illegal concept. Its nice to have the government pay for R+D in new fields, but if there is a buck to be made, private industry can figure it out.

• Americans believe that free trade hurts American workers: Perhaps. See also "Labor Unions". Innovate or Stagnate. What do we want to do?

• Americans believe rich people and corporations aren't paying enough taxes: Everyone should pay their fair share.

• And overall party affiliation? Neither. They both piss me off by their counter-productive bickering to the point that alot of incompetence and waste is occuring on a daily basis. Now is not the time for it.

__________________

Wow LummusL, you and I could be twins....LOL

• Americans support the Geneva Conventions with regards to torture : This a grey area for me. I am not a fan of torture, but then again I am not a fan of terror groups sawing off people's heads and posting it on the internet either for their next of kin to see. Al Queada doesn't know WTF the Geneva Convention even is. If they do, they don't follow it, and sometimes the playing field has to be leveled

We can't sink to their level, or what was ever the point?

• Americans are pro-choice: What a woman does with her body is her decision.

• Americans support the Geneva Conventions with regards to torture : It would be gray for me if I had any trust of those in power. As it stands right now, totally against.

• Americans don't want the government snooping in their bank and internet records: 100 percent in agreement.

• Americans want the USA Patriot Act changed or eliminated entirely: Bye bye.

• Americans support protecting the environment at the expense of economic growth: 100% agree - At the root of America's resugance IMO.

• Americans believe that global warming is happening: Global warming is fact, the only things argue about is our part in it and whether we can do anything about it.

• Americans believe that it's the government's responsibility to provide health care: The government is too incompetent to run HC themselves. Some blend of government and private sector is our best bet.

• Americans support the decriminalization of marijuana and support the legalization of medical marijuana: Undecided.

• Americans think we've lost the war in Iraq: Shouldn't have been started in the first place. From that stand point we've lost. Was a complete cluster in it's non-military execution. From that stand point we've lost. Way, way, way too many lives lost. From that stand point we've lost. No hope for the future of the country...jury is still out.

• Americans are opposed to attacking Iran: Agree 100%. i say we help them build a nuclear reactor and give them no reason to be enriching.

• Americans support labor unions: Some. Mandatory unions like teacher unions (that then use money to lobby) are wrong. just like anything, unions can be taken to extreme...but they are essential for the health of the country.

• Americans want government funding of embryonic stem cell research: Agree

• Americans believe that free trade hurts American workers: Depends.

• Americans believe rich people and corporations aren't paying enough taxes: Finding the balance of civic responsibility and fostering health capitalism is difficult. The pendulum needs to swing back from the Dark Ages...I mean the Bush years, but not too far.

• And overall party affiliation? Was a staunch republican growing up, switched to Ind, then to Demo, now just disgusted.:o

We can't sink to their level, or what was ever the point?

Well, just asking them nicely "Please tell us what you know" has not worked all that well. Its good to uphold standards but the terrorist has just as good a chance of being middle class and well educated as they could be someone with nothing else to lose. If you are fighting an idealogical enemy who is frquently very inteligent with beliefs deeply rooted in religious dogma that pretty much lends itself to having no reguard for any concept of the laws of man, than that places us at a severe disadvantage.

Long story short is the enemy ends up having free riegn to do whatever they want and they know that well. Alot of the War on Terror has to do with the terrorists testing how far the US people will allow the government to go in order to proscecute this war. The are very media savy, and know that all they have to do to win is tank all support on the home front. The nightly news is a business and thus is servant to no one but the ratings they chase after. In that reguard its the best tool the terrorist has in its arsonal, because people trust Dan Rather more then they trust George W. Bush.

So. Sometimes the gloves have to come off, Sanchek. Above all else, we still have to be professional.


• And overall party affiliation? Was a staunch republican growing up, switched to Ind, then to Demo, now just disgusted.

Same. I am fed up. It doesn't help that I am deep down in the muck too. I am military but I am on loan to the Dept of State, so now I feel like I am playing both sides of the fence and I am currently stationed in Baghdad. Politics effect EVERYTHING, even my little part of the machine, and it makes everything really frustrating. I am not voting in this election, because I would rather just throw politics out the window and focus on the job at hand from an objective point of view.

If we prosecute a war on terror by implementing terroristic tactics ourselves, how are we any different than them?

Americans are pro-choice - I agree, no ones business but the woman involved.

Americans support the Geneva Conventions with regards to torture - Torture has always been counter-productive to gathering good viable intelligence. Without a question this has brought not only innacurate intelligence but also caused an upswing in terror groups recruitment.

Americans don't want the government snooping in their bank and internet records - Isn't that what made places like the Soviet Union bad?

Americans want the USA Patriot Act changed or eliminated entirely - I agree, Bye Bye.


Americans support protecting the environment at the expense of economic growth - Economic growth can be attained just as well with a good and careful environmental policy.


Americans believe that global warming is happening - I agree it is happening

Americans believe that it's the government's responsibility to provide health care - If its not the past 15 years certainly show that turning it into a for profit business with middlemen involved (wait I thought we rejected socialized healthcare because it would bring in middlemen) Anyhow there is no way I would believe that healthcare could get any worse under government supervision, at least it would save us money.

Americans support the decriminalization of marijuana (55 percent) and support the legalization of medical marijuana (78 percent) - Light those bongs and require ID showing 21 or older to do it.


Americans think we've lost the war in Iraq - There was never anything for us to win there.

Americans are opposed to attacking Iran - Yes I am opposed.

Americans support labor unions - Someone has to care about the rights of workers.

Americans want government funding of embryonic stem cell research - Agree

Americans believe that free trade hurts American workers - It has been great for Walmart.


Americans believe rich people and corporations aren't paying enough taxes - The loopholes are excellent.


And overall party affiliation - The republican I have voted for recently is Arlen Specter

• Americans are pro-choice Yup.

• Americans support the Geneva Conventions with regards to torture Yup. Torture doesnt provide good information, and is morally reprehensible.

• Americans don't want the government snooping in their bank and internet records Fuck you big brother!

• Americans want the USA Patriot Act changed or eliminated entirely Fuck you big brother!

• Americans support protecting the environment at the expense of economic growth I gotta say I disagree here. I think that we have to deal with more immediate problems. I'm not sure that we'll even survive as a race to when global warming will actually become a pressing issue.

• Americans believe that global warming is happening Yup. It's real - even Bush acknowledges this now. The only people who dont are the backwater Republicans who havent plugged into the hivemind for their new worldviews.

• Americans believe that it's the government's responsibility to provide health care For children, yes. Anyone else? It gets iffy

• Americans support the decriminalization of marijuana Yes and yes!

• Americans think we've lost the war in Iraq Um, yeah.

• Americans are opposed to attacking Iran YES. No more unilateral foreign policy!

• Americans support labor unions Yup

• Americans want government funding of embryonic stem cell research Bring it on!

• Americans believe that free trade hurts American workers We do need to rework some of our free trade agreements

• Americans believe rich people and corporations aren't paying enough taxes Yeah.

• And overall party affiliation? 54 percent of Americans are Democrats Duh

• Americans are pro-choice To a point. IMO late term abortions are murder. Once a baby can survive outside it's mother's body, it is a person not a thing.

• Americans support the Geneva Conventions with regards to torture. I agree. Torture (including waterboarding) may be effective but it is immoral and counter to our principles.

• Americans don't want the government snooping in their bank and internet records. Hell yeah! Keep your nose outa my business!

• Americans want the USA Patriot Act changed or eliminated entirely. I think it needs to be scaled back but not eliminated. Border security needs to be maintained, but with intelligence not a blunt instrument. Our civil rights need to be protected more than they are at present.

• Americans support protecting the environment at the expense of economic growth. Only to an extent. At some point economical difficulty will overpower the desire to protect the environment.

• Americans believe that global warming is happening. Yes, but not necessarily as the direct result of human activity.While our industry may be speeding up the process, it was inevitable through natural processes anyway. We need to adapt and not freak out about some climatic doomsday.

• Americans believe that it's the government's responsibility to provide health care. I disagree. At some point people need to take responsibility for themselves. First it is health care, then jobs. I'm not buying into the socialist model.

• Americans support the decriminalization of marijuana. I'm ambivalent on this one. I think pot is harmful to one's health when chronically used, but I also think decriminalization will decrease the violence on our border and make some space in our jails/prisons for real criminals.
• Americans think we've lost the war in Iraq. Hardly, as much as the democrats might wish it to be so.

• Americans are opposed to attacking Iran. Agreed, at least until they do something really stupid like attack us or Israel. Or openly try to seize control of Iraq.

• Americans support labor unions. Not anymore. Their time and the need for them is past. Now they are often just one more criminal organization.

• Americans want government funding of embryonic stem cell research. OK by me.

• Americans believe that free trade hurts American workers. It certainly forces us to innovate. But yes, the American blue collar worker has suffered.

• Americans believe rich people and corporations aren't paying enough taxes. Certainly the wealthy and corporations are best able to take advantage of loopholes. Close the loopholes but more equitably design the tax rate structure to reduce the penalty for success. An offset flat tax rate would be my preference.

• And overall party affiliation? 54 percent of Americans are Democrats. I'm not. I am registered as independent and frequently vote for individuals in both parties each election. Neither party represents my views adequately for me to choose one over the other.

By the way someone else asked but so will I.... what is the source?


• Americans are pro-choice (67 percent) This is hard to be black and white on for me; but I do lean pro-choice. And, not just b/c I am a woman and feel the choice is mine b/c it's my body. I think there are certain times when abortion should definitely be allowed and likewise I think there are times when it should not be allowed. If you are a minor, I think the parents/guardians should be informed and involved and not the sole choice of the minor. If you are an adult the choice is yours within reason. I believe at a certain point in the gestation the fetus is a baby and therefore aborting it is murder. I think there are many other instances/situations that can hold sway over aborting or carrying to term and that they should be defined. This just isn't a black or white belief; I can see both sides of the fence and can argue either side. To be honest however, I never let a politicians view on this subject influence my decision in them as a leader b/c I feel this is too much of a personal issue to use as something by which to choose a leader. And, I am not sure if our gov't can adequately enforce any decision it chooses to pass regarding the issue. At best I think it can say yes it is allowed and try to enforce some common sense measures. Yes, there will always be extremes but we can't efficiently govern when we always create laws with the extremists in mind.

• Americans support the Geneva Conventions with regards to torture (57 percent) Geneva Conventions are good in theory but in practice are not likely. I do not think we should torture individuals in an inhumane way. But I recognize there are times when having knowledge can help the greater good. I do not feel qualified to make those choices, but think we should just inject them all with truth serum, get the goods, and release them :p

• Americans don't want the government snooping in their bank and internet records (67 percent) I am in agreement with this! You don't need to be in my shit unless you're investigating me for a crime. Just b/c you're the gov't doesn't give you free reign to snoop that is an abuse of power.

• Americans want the USA Patriot Act changed or eliminated entirely (81 percent) You bet I do. I hate any and all legislation that is rushed b/c of perceived panic and the need for Congress to do something. I support our law enforcement and want them to have the tools they need to do their job but there are definitely some things in the Patriot Act that infringe on my constitutional rights; they should be examined and amended to be more in line with our Constitution.

• Americans support protecting the environment at the expense of economic growth (55 percent) Yes, stop building strip malls all over the place when there are plenty of existing structures sitting empty and just need renovations. Stop building mfc. cheap, shitty, housing in cornfields! Make people buy existing structures, research other methods besides just gobbling up everything you see within reach and try to think about things that are possible outside your reach.

• Americans believe that global warming is happening (86 percent) I don't really know to be honest. Do we really know enough about this to not think we're just in some cycle? Do I think our growth and industry affects our planet? Absolutely, do I think we can help the env? Yes, yes, yes. I just don't know enough to make an informed opinion about global warming. I do worry we are negatively affecting our planet with pollution and do contend global warming could be a by-product I just don't know.

• Americans believe that it's the government's responsibility to provide health care (69 percent) I think it is the gov't responsibility to help regulate health care, pharmaceuticals, insurance companies, doctors, nurses, etc. I think if they did a better job at this health care would be more affordable so that everyone could have it. Based on my personal experiences with military hospitals both as a soldier, a patient, and an employee hell no do I want the gov't providing my health care.

• Americans support the decriminalization of marijuana (55 percent) and support the legalization of medical marijuana (78 percent) legalize it and tax it and help pay for healthcare!.... I'm kidding sort of, I do think it should be legalized, and I think it should be taxed, and that tax income should then go to help with healthcare costs if we do wind up having a national healthcare program...

• Americans think we've lost the war in Iraq (64 percent) There are no winners in war, the concept of winning by killing someone and bombing them and causing turmoil and strife to a nation's people is vile. I'd much rather see the money we've spent on bullets, bombs, and tanks go to our people; imagine how the economy would boom with that type of stimulus plan...

Or...given to the Iraqi people by building schools, hospitals, roads, and factories. I think a building mission would have been more successful than using bombs but that is just me. We blew an opportunity to really help and replaced it with more hate and anger at our country as a whole. We've destroyed homes and roads and instead built airstrips and bases. I know getting in there we had to come out with our guns blazing but the moment we focused our attention on Iraq from Afghanistan is the moment we lost any chance we had at really helping that region.

• Americans are opposed to attacking Iran (68 percent, according to a CNN Poll) It would be completely and utterly retarded to attack Iran. We've already committed financial suicide for a failed 2 front war. We lack the funds and morale of the people to even consider a 3rd front. And why would it even be necessary? For what reason do we need to invade/attack yet another country? In this day and age knowledge and education, respect and honor are more powerful than bombs. The idea that we even need to have war is baffling, we already exist in an era where one nation can obliterate not just another nation but the whole world, what good does war do? Why not try to find other ways to improve ties?

• Americans support labor unions (60 percent) I do not. I think unions used to serve a purpose in a time when rules and standards for employees did not exist. They were useful for making sure its' workers were properly compensated and given decent rights. But in this day and age there already exists labor laws and having a union now actually hurts companies, jobs, and workers. Unions are more self-serving than they are good.

• Americans want government funding of embryonic stem cell research (56 percent) I think the gov't should allow stem cell research; I see no issue with allowing grant money be available for it either. I do think some auditing should occur in the allocation of grant money but that's another topic.

• Americans believe that free trade hurts American workers (65 percent) I do, I think it has allowed for too many things to go unchecked and in present times when co-exist with nations that have lower standards than we do. This free trade has hurt us but helped them. I just don't think there are many things that can happen on a global level without good oversight.

• Americans believe rich people and corporations aren't paying enough taxes (66 and 71 percent respectively) I think individually we pay too much in taxes and I think the tax code is so wordy and confusing you need a lifetime of studying it to understand it and even then you may still not. I think there exist far too many loopholes for companies and if those were closed we wouldn't feel so cramped and the need to constantly lay blame.

• And overall party affiliation? 54 percent of Americans are Democrats (with leaners) and 39 percent are Republicans (with leaners). I'm registered Independent. I lean both ways.

1) Abortion shouldn't be simply used as birth control.

2) We dont' have Free Trade when other countries in said Free Trade agreement place tarrifs on our goods....wth

I do not think we should torture individuals in an inhumane way

Torture by its very nature is inhumane Fild, you can't have one without the other.

Bringing a determined individual, whose very existence relies upon not giving up certain information, to the breaking point will always involve "inhumane" practices. The mind is usually stronger than the body. Getting the mind to break is very, very difficult.

If you come up with a "humane" way to torture a human you could probablay make a very good buck with the Bush regime... I mean government.


Cheers,

Torture by its very nature is inhumane Fild, you can't have one without the other.

Bringing a determined individual, whose very existence relies upon not giving up certain information, to the breaking point will always involve "inhumane" practices. The mind is usually stronger than the body. Getting the mind to break is very, very difficult.

If you come up with a "humane" way to torture a human you could probablay make a very good buck with the Bush regime... I mean government.


Cheers,

Please don't quote me out of context and then proceed to lecture me. You clearly did not understand my meaning and missed the last line about truth serum and the " :p "

The overwhelming reason that abortion ends up getting used as 'birth control' is due to lack of education about, or shame-free and affordable access to, birth control. There's no shame in basic public health and hygiene! Ironically, it is pro-life activists, and their implemented polices (see the 'gag' rule preventing family planning clinics who even *mention* abortion, even if they do not provide referrals or provide such, from receiving Federal funds, see 'conscience clauses' which permit pharmacists to opt out of filling prescriptions for birth control, see Medicare/Medicaid funding for Viagra, but not the birth control pill, etc) which result in abortion/infanticide/abandonment being used as the 'birth control' of last resort.

No-one who has ever had to deal with the hormonal and emotional upheaval associated with an unplanned pregnancy and even a safe, legal, and early abortion (not to mention the expense, as there's no publicly funded abortion, and that 'easy' first trimester abortion will run you around 750.00 now!) would *ever* want to use that particular method of 'birth control' again, unless they were in pathological denial about the whole issue. That having been said, *all* forms of birth control, even sterilization, have failure rates.

/soapbox off

I'm at work, and swamped, but I'll run down the rest of the laundry list later.

Regards,
Nydia

• Americans are pro-choice (67 percent). Damn straight. That having been said, public-health counselling about birth control (not being shown an ultrasound of your fetus and sent home to 'think about it' (implication: you're a soulless sociopath if you don't put your whole life and health aside to carry to term and beyond) ) should be a requirement.

• Americans support the Geneva Conventions with regards to torture (57 percent) Absolutely. If we don't want it done to us, we shouldn't condone doing it to others.

• Americans don't want the government snooping in their bank and internet records (67 percent). Excepting 'probable cause' and a warrant with regard to legitimate criminal activity (not 'fighting terrorism') or tax evasion, stay the hell out.

• Americans want the USA Patriot Act changed or eliminated entirely (81 percent). And the horse it rode in on.

• Americans support protecting the environment at the expense of economic growth (55 percent). Badly worded question, but the short answer is that there's more than one way to skin a cat, but we can't breathe or eat money.

• Americans believe that global warming is happening (86 percent). Incontrovertible.

• Americans believe that it's the government's responsibility to provide health care (69 percent). Either that, or we can continue to suck up the massive loss of productivity and GDP to preventable morbidity and mortality, not to mention the huge amount of waste thrown down the maw of Big Insurance and Big Pharma.

• Americans support the decriminalization of marijuana (55 percent) and support the legalization of medical marijuana (78 percent). Again, we can leave these as is, and continue throwing millions down the toilet on the ridiculuous 'war on drugs' and sacrifice yet more productivity due to morbidity, mortality, and incarceration (all paid by taxpayers), or take a more rational approach.

• Americans think we've lost the war in Iraq (64 percent). Depends on your definition of 'win'. Was the war a more or less pointless waste of hundreds billions of dollars, and nearly a million civilian lives? Absolutely. Did it achieve any of our long term objectives for the region or our economic policy? The jury is still out, but it doesn't look good.

• Americans are opposed to attacking Iran (68 percent, according to a CNN Poll). Ludicrous, accomplishes nothing productive, and we can't afford it even if #1 and 2 weren't issues.

• Americans support labor unions (60 percent). Unions provide a sometimes necessary counterbalance to potential abuses by management/government. Some things (education for one) can't be run on the widget manufacturing least expense = best model (or should I say, we've found out the hard way that you don't want them to be).

• Americans want government funding of embryonic stem cell research (56 percent). No more nor less than for other promising technologies/basic science, based on the merits of the work. I could write a book on how badly the profit motive has skewed scientific research funding in this country, but that's another topic :).

• Americans believe that free trade hurts American workers (65 percent). Unless you like the idea of working 12-18 hour days in hopelessly degraded environments for a pittance, we aren't 'competing'!

• Americans believe rich people and corporations aren't paying enough taxes (66 and 71 percent respectively) Ask T. Boone Pickens about this - when the richest man in America says publicly that something's wrong with a system wherin his secretary pays twice as much in taxes as a percentage of income than he does (which he did at a fundraiser for Hillary Clinton in June), you know something's rotten in Denmark.

• And overall party affiliation? 54 percent of Americans are Democrats (with leaners) and 39 percent are Republicans (with leaners). I've been a registered Democrat since 1981, so I guess that makes me a 'yellow dog' ;). That having been said, those things that I have indicated as the 'rational' responses on many of these issues would have, at one time, been seen as 'conservative' positions.

Regards,
Nydia

Update on the Iraq question, from today's BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7683151.stm . Note the picture at the bottom of the massive protest against continued US presence, which hardly looks like the work of 'terrorists'...

Source?

I have to ditto this; where are those percentages coming from that are cited?

http://www.gallup.com/poll/topics.aspx

If we prosecute a war on terror by implementing terroristic tactics ourselves, how are we any different than them?


Although there is nothing I can say that would make a spit of sense for you, Sanchek, and we would have to agree to disagree, the key here is the word "war". Whoever thinks that there should be rules to a war and that war is in anyway a humane and just act (or should be held to those standards) is a naive fool who might need to spend some time in a war zone. You do what it takes to get the job done. Alot of why this war is dragging on is due to having our hands tied in how we can go about achieving military goals in Iraq without completely having the media undermine what is left of support at home. The war on Terror could be a lean and effective machine, but chances are the home front won't stand for it. As a result we might be better tucking tail, going home and taking our chances just like every other nation that a terrorist act will kill innocent civilians.

Also, "terroristic tactics" implies that these prisoners are innocent non-combatants. Terrorists usually don't take the time to hit hard targets, such as military compounds or installations. They hit soft targets, like the crowded market full of women and children. Terrorists aim to keep the civilian population afraid and angry in order to undermine the governments that those civilians have ruling over them.

So from the US government stand point, those incarcertated in Gitmo are enemy soldiers. Granted they might not have been treated how we would "prefer" to be treated if the roles were reversed but going as far as to say that our government is no better than terrorists might go a bit far. Also, reguardless of what the official stance is, its still up to the warden and the guards as to how they conduct business and how groups like Christians In Action guide them. Mistakes get made all the time.

Best thing for you to do, Sanchek, is to vote all those prosecuting the war out of office and win or lose, and end the so called Global War on Terror.

Also, one last thing about Labor Unions and how they apply to education:

Its amazing there is no question on this poll as to whether or not American's believe the educational system is broken.....

Seriously though, how many civilians have died in the Middle East as a result of the last eight years? We aren't affecting solely hard targets over there, even with these supposed handcuffs on.

vote all those prosecuting the war out of office and win or lose, and end the so called Global War on Terror.

Not so worried about it in the long term. We're bankrupt. The wars will end soon, one way or the other.

Although there is nothing I can say that would make a spit of sense for you, Sanchek, and we would have to agree to disagree, the key here is the word "war". Whoever thinks that there should be rules to a war and that war is in anyway a humane and just act (or should be held to those standards) is a naive fool who might need to spend some time in a war zone.

I don't know, about fifty countries, us being one of them, had a big disagreement with you for the last few hundred years resulting in the laws like the Geneva Convention. You are basing your argument on the false assumption that we had the right or privilege to insert our armed forces into a sovereign country from the beginning -- if you allow that we are able to occupy another country and forcibly change its government at will with no justification or legal grounds, then yes, the way we've being doing it is horribly ineffective.

This is probably the great tragedy of political discourse in this country, the slavish media allow politicians to frame the debate in non-constructive terms from day one. However, there is no simple checkbox poll that allows you to carefully explain that.

Malse. I am the bad guy for you. I work for the government and to boot, I serve in the armed forces. I am not as educated, nor do I have as big a payroll stub to brag about. What I do have is experience doing the dirty work of being boots on the ground. If you want to preach to me and all others who have the job of professionally conducting this war, then please, go vote or write your congressman or start a revolution and put yourself in charge. I don't care. Heck maybe we could even be admitted to the EU one day!

I don't support Bush and I don't by any means think the GWOT is the correct approach, but I still have to live in the real world because I don't make enough money nor do I have enough degrees on my wall to look through that pair of rose colored glasses perched on the end of your nose. Orders are orders and its not decided at my paygrade if they are moral or just. Thankfully I don't work at Gitmo.

I wasn't specifically criticizing any particular activity you may or may not have been involved in, just pointing out that this is by no means a new debate, and there are quite literally mountains of literature on the subject by both soldiers and scholars. I don't need anybody to play "bad guy," there are enough of them out there already.

Its amazing there is no question on this poll as to whether or not American's believe the educational system is broken.....

The educational system *is* broken in the US... but it sure as hell isn't the much- reviled teacher's unions that broke it. We have 30 years of systematic defunding (and any money we *do* get goes overwhelmingly into layers of bureaucratic 'accounting' (read: bloated do-nothing administration salaries) or new prison-style buildings) and trying to shoehorn the living process that is education into a widget-manufacturing model in the name of 'results' under threat of further defunding (bubbling in regurgitated memorized lists onto scantron forms doesn't measure meaningful education, folks!) to thank for that catastrophe. Wonder why your elementary and middle school kids don't have art, music, PE, or *recess* anymore? Wonder why elementary school students get ONE HOUR (national average) of science instruction per week? (and we wonder why they avoid science and math like the plague when they get to high school). I'll give you a hint: Actual teachers had *nothing* to do with those decisions; they were the decisions of bean counters, frequently bean-counters with a *political* agenda, and those 'bad teachers unions', despite their problems, really do care about students and fought those changes tooth and nail, doing their best, and reasonably effectively for a long time, to forestall the inevitable catastrophe.

I'm not saying that there aren't problems with teacher education, nor that there aren't incompetent teachers out there (and knowledge of what sort of hellish persecutory conditions one signs up to work under in public education, and for how little, doesn't inspire the best and brightest to turn out for it as a career, either), but teachers' unions also for the most part serve a necessary counterbalance to the often angry, ignorant, and self-serving mob that runs school boards, government entities, and controls not only the purse strings but ultimately the guidelines and definitions under which your children will receive their education.

Regards,
Nydia

P.S. I just wanted to add that most of the activities that teachers' unions actually engage in (bargaining for a living wage, insurance (our governor simply decided to revoke community college funds that were earmarked for our insurance this year), and minimal protection from firing without cause, bargaining for meaningful standards) are education-neutral to positive; the benefits to education of longevity and loyalty in career outweigh significantly the 'drag' created by retention of the poor teachers that occurs as a result. Incidentally, ever heard of TIAA-CREF? It was originally founded due to a recognition (by Carnegie) of a sore need, namely that the majority of schoolteachers and college professors ended their careers *indigent*. But yeah, we're all a bunch of lazy scammers ;).

Malse I am probably more on your side than you suspect. I do believe that war fighters need all the tools available. Go large or go home some might say, which implies we need to be able to freely wage the war, or the war needs to end. Right now we sort of half ass everything because we have to look over our shoulders to see if there is a TV camera connected to someone who might be offended.

I am more on the bent of the war needs to end. There is little support, little guidance and we have vastly over spent. The Coalition of the Willing does not include the American people anymore, and if the bulk of US citizens feel its wrong, than it has to end. It will end. Period.

Just to give folks an idea of what we are fighting down here in San Antonio (the Alamo Community College district *was* for the most part an excellent place to get the first two years of a college program until a couple of years ago): Our widget-manfacturing model loving new district Chancellor (came from the automotive industry via an ignominious stay in Houston) and our board, in the face of a massive budget shortfall that has left us without full-time temporaries, with a hiring freeze on tenure track positions (and none will be replaced that are lost to attrition for the time being, either), a new and probably illegal (successfully sued and found against in two districts here already) 'streamlined' revenue aquisition and distribution plan where all tuition and fees are pooled and go to the district, which then doles it out according to its whims (in other words, that lab fee and library fee don't actually *go* to that 'non-revenue-generating' library or lab in anything resembling the prorportion that was paid), not to mention huge increases in class size due to the loss of those personnel, has decided that it needs a 116 million dollar new administration building containing a restaurant, a spa, and a dental clinic (to allow students in those programs to serve the public directly), among other things. There was a protest over the move last night at the board meeting, with faculty from all five colleges, and a large number of students attending, not that it will make much difference in the long run:

http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/education/2008/10/playland_park_proposal_stirs_i.html

When a school district is bleeding out its committed faculty and replacing them with people who have to teach out of their cars (adjuncts get no office space here), so that the district administration can get their teeth cleaned and a massage while on their lunch break (not that having real world experience isn't valuable for students in those programs, but when your house is burning, you don't work on painting the eaves), something's definitely wrong with *someone's* priorities. One of my nonmajors sections (of which I have three, plus two other courses, all of which have labs, seeing that those of us full-timers who are left all have maximum overloads) has 33 students in it this time out. Think those kids (or any of my students, given my overload) are getting much of that 'personalized attention' that was once a major selling point of community colleges?

Regards,
Nydia