Then pay your own money for mercenaries. (And get some exemption from prosecution for it -- "letters of marque and reprisal," to note the Constitutional way of going about it -- by way of Congress.) Don't seize my money at IRS gunpoint.
As for "loss of national prestige," that is never a proper excuse for bloodletting. And as for supposed "increasing vulnerability to terrorism" if we do not invade, just wait to see what we're going to get a few days after our first strike goes in.
The USA helped the mujahadeen in Afghanistan. In Kosovo, America took the side of the Muslim Albanians. This bought no credit with those who hate America for what it represents and the threat it presents to the slavish doctrines of Islam. Just "withdrawing" from abroad will not make you any less of a target, rather more so, because you will have shown that you are weak.
Therefore it is necessary to hunt this evil where it lives. Knock out Saddam and you take out of one large piece in the edifice of terror; it is clear now that not only Saddam funds terrorism, he also gives aid and comfort to Al Qaeda.
The US and Britain will take Saddam out. He is a dead man walking. Your right to life and liberty will be protected in the process by the sacrifices of the brave men who are going into battle. The least you can do is maintain a dignified silence. But that presumes you have any dignity beyond your libertarian hauteur.
Ivan
I am not so gullible.
Were you not listening to Colin Powell?
As an aside, national prestige is tied to national respect, and when you do not have it bad people think they can do bad things to you without reprisal.
We are going to have terrorist attacks here again, for sure. You sound suspiciously to me like the democrats, who know attacks are coming and set up pseudo-reasons so that when they do occur, Bush can be blamed.
This is a long, costly, and dangerous war, but one that is necessary. You obviously have decided that if we simply pull within our borders we will be safe. You couldn't be more wrong.