[The Other Harry]

Since America stands not for tyranny and barbary but for freedom and justice, since patriots stand for American values and since Freepers are fiercely patriotic, I guess I won't meet one in a hurry.

You have not met one in me.

But "American values" are not something we can impose on Iraq. The more we try, the more of our valient soldiers will get killed. They will resist us. Every day, all the time.

[Atlantic Friend]

I concur, Harry, American values - that in fact, are truly universal values since every man must crave for justice and freedom - won't be imposed militarily. They will grow out of peace and prosperity, as they did in Asia and Europe, albeit in a more favorable terrain.

However ugly the things may look after Fallujah, the fact is Iraq is not insurging. Some groups are, whether they are linked to the old regime, to neighboring countries or to terrorism.

These groups act like insurgent groups have always acted : they try to defeat their enemy by bleeding him slowly, until he does something dumb like pulling out or venting his frustration by some massacre that will bind the population to the insurgents.

I can understand the anger, and the wish to wage the same kind of war. I felt the same when I saw the bodies hanged by the bridge, and even though I don't have a relative risking his life there I just wanted to rain down terror and destruction upon the cheering crowd.

Fact is, I still want terror and destruction to rain down, but upon the real perpetrators, those we saw on the pictures, those we didn't see but who planned the attack and the riot.

Maybe there were many other people who did not took any part in the attack but nonetheless hate you and me because we are Evil Westerners or something. But since when loving or fearing me is mandatory, and since when failure to comply is punishable by death ? If some Iraqi people hate my guts and stop it at that, they're clean in my book. If they're not afraid of me, that's still their business. No need to call the Thought Police to shoot them "pour encourager les autres".