1 i will never get used to this concept that news must be neutral. I would not be surprised if we were to be given articles on rape from the perpetrator's side. Sometimes you just have to pick a side and ride with it.

2 Sarah - thanks for the links. I recognized Capt. Chontosh's name immediately, and the tribute was wonderful. The story from Mark Steyn is just stunning to me. All of the PC/bend-over-backwards crap is now beyond silly, it has become dangerous in today's world.

3 Maybe this doesn't affect the main point, but it looks like the man in her office was not really Atta: http://edwardjayepstein.com/nether_fictoid11.htm

1 Typical right-wing thinking, Prager is an utter pin-head, you think the mission is FUBAR, but you can't support the troops? Praytell me then what was the "care package" I sent to the Army about?? I think the troops should not be in Iraq, but if the miserable pile of excrement that is our government insists on placing them in harms way I can send some stuff to them to make their time a little easier, doesn't mean I approve of the mission foisted upon them though. What a schmuck.

2 Oh yeah Sarah, Go ask some of the "chickenhawks" how much they have sent to Iraq to "support the troops". I bet you'll be surprised at the answers you get.

3 There is one clear sense in which I think all Americans support the troops, which is that we wish for their well-being. I support the troops in another sense, too; I fervently hope that their efforts to patch Iraq together into some kind of functioning society succeed. But I do think it was foolish to launch the war when and as we did, and I continue to say so. Does this mean that I don't support the troops in the sense that you care about? It isn't hard to find quotes on the net where conservatives (including people in the Administration now, like Cheney) criticized the decision to deploy forces in the Balkans. This even while fighting was taking place. Does this mean that THEY failed to support the troops?

4 Conservative voices from 1999 on the war in the Balkans. http://slate.msn.com/default.aspx?id=27730

5 Gee, Bubba: I thought the point of supporting the troops was... supporting the troops, and not bragging about how great you were for doing it.

6 There are plenty of people on the Left who do not wish for our servicemembers' well-being: Democratic Underground is full of them. A perfect example was the thread I hope the bloodshed continues: The only way to get rid of this slime bag WASP-Mafia, oil barron ridden cartel of a government, this assault on Americans and anything one could laughingly call "a democracy", relies heavily on what a shit hole Iraq turns into. They need to die so that we can be free. Soldiers usually did that directly--i.e., fight those invading and harming a country. This time they need to die in defense of a lie from a lying adminstration to show these ignorant, dumb Americans that Bush is incompetent. They need to die so that Americans get rid of this deadly scum. It is obscene, Barbie Bush, how other sons (of much nobler blood) have to die to save us from your Rosemary's Baby spawn and his ungodly cohorts.

7 You can't pull some random quote from a place like Democatic Underground and take that to be representative of how "the Left" thinks. Or even significant portions of people on the Left. That is no more fair than my going to Free Republic or Little Green Footballs (?) and choosing the nuttiest thing someone posted there and saying "This is how conservatives think." From a site like that, you can't even be sure that the craziest quotes don't come people who are actually on the opposite side of the spectrum, trying to discredit their opponents by making them look like whackos. That post you quoted might have come from Karl Rove. In criticizing a view held at most by some weird fringe element, you are arguing with a strawman. There are plenty of serious-minded critics of the war; it would be a better use of time to engage their arguments. When people you love are risking their lives in a war, I can understand how it must be frustrating to hear people say things like "This was the wrong war." or "Even if it was the right war, it was the wrong plan." But don't shoot the messenger. And don't think that it means that the people saying these things have less respect for people in uniform.

8 So here's how you support your view of the LEFT: You link to Vodka Pundit who links to Sullivan who links to a message board (Democratic Underground) on which anyone can post anything. That explains everything. You need to get out more.

9 Hey Chesty, I didn't mention it to brag, but rather to point out how specious the argument raised by Prager is. As usual the right manages to mis-interperate the most simple of sentence constructions.

10 Stupid comments wouldn't give me my usual nick-name, and e-mail.

11 Sarah, Nobody expects you to standup to the flak you're getting here. But I hope you at least think about it.

12 Bubba wrote: "Hey Chesty, I didn't mention it to brag, but rather to point out how specious the argument raised by Prager is." Uh huh... and your saying "I have put off paying bills to send supplies to the troops" combined with attacking all the icky people who disagree with you as not sending much isn't bragging? Pull the other one, it's got bells on it. Hm. I wonder where I said I was on the right or the left? Oh wait, I didn't. Are you claiming to be on the left? If so, I will address you as such. Otherwise, I don't need to know your political leanings to know you're just another loudmouthed little braggart.

13 Chesty I dare your ass to come to Clementon NJ and say that to my face. First, after I disply my DD214 to you I'll proceed to feed it to you ok?? You will discover that I do not brag when I say: "I take shit from no man, woman, child, small mammal, or vending machine".

14 Main Entry: brag·gart Pronunciation: 'bra-g&rt Function: noun : a loud arrogant boaster Odd, how I never said anything about whether or not you'd been in the military and discharged yet here you are using it in a threat against my well-being. Oh well.

15 Typical mouthy blog coward eh Chesty? Only further illustrates the "Chickenhawk" meme.

16 Odd. You emailed me and offered to take this to email. How unsurprising that you did it after making your last post. Ah well. Make one last post, I guess. I am through with you on this topic.