1 still don't know the sex though Never heard of a woman called Florian, fwiw.

2 I think you handled that well. I read sites from both sides of the issues. I listen to NPR in the morning and Sean Hannity on the way home. I find clear thinking more prevalent on sites to the right of center. I don't always agree, but there is at least a logical thought process involved. We will not know all there is regarding Iraq for many years to come. Florian has an opinion, and will scratch to find substance to support that opinion. Unfortunately, all that he brings to the table is the opinion of others. That is the prime error in argument of those on the left. Opinion is not fact. They cannot abandon this misuse because all their arguments then fail. Instead, they will ask why you don't believe these opinions rather than explaining why these views are valid. Just the facts, ma'am.

3 Nice job, Sarah. "I said that an American life is worth more than any other nationality's life..." Even more than that: The U.S. government, by the people, for the people, is authorized only to act on behalf of U.S. citizens--not on behalf of any other. As a servant of the people--not a *ruler*--the federal government should only act in Americans' interests. No matter what, even if florian (or anyone else) thinks that an American human life is equivalent to any other, the U.S. government *must* not--is not permitted to--and therefore must always value the lives of Americans more than the lives of any others.

4 Carla, "the U.S. government ... must always value the lives of Americans more than the lives of any others." You just "proved" that the Bush regime* is "racist," "nationalist," and that ultimate of evils, SELFISH. Bring on the UN. Iraq doesn't need conquest, er, occupation - WE do. Perhaps Sudan** can teach the United Satans a lesson or two about human rights. We've got it all wrong. We always do. Forgive us, o world. *Let's not call it a government since Bush wasn't elected by 100% of the voters like Saddam was: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2331951.stm You gotta love the caption: "Voting day brought many public displays of patriotism." Can't beat the BBC. **http://www.littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=10919_UN-_Genocide_and_Slavery_Compatible_with_Human_Rights

5 I find it completely sad that florian continues to read your blog when he/she really has just latched on to someone with whom he/she totally disagrees with and chooses to tear your blog apart at every opportunity. I respect a person's opinion, whether I agree with that opinion or not. However, I believe florian is somewhat crossing the line when he "attacks" you the way he does. When I come across people like florian, I often wonder how they grew up, if they were nurtured enough, disregarded, dismissed or unloved. I bet he's a very lonely person who just takes the wrong approach to be noticed. Sarah, you've handled the situation well; now it's time to move on.

6 NICE fisk Sarah. Now ignore the troll. By the way, there's nothing like 'puppy' love when you're sad and lonely! There's just something about unconditional love that gives the warm fuzzies, and we all can use some of that! Hang in there!

7 Amritas, I, like you (I believe--correct me if I'm wrong), hold selfishness as a virtue. Nancy, I think the important thing to remember is that florian is not "tearing [Sarah's] blog apart," s/he's just providing a little bit of an annoyance. Of course Sarah has the right to respond in whatever way she wishes--I think she did good--but, florian's arguments don't really stand up to scrutiny. So, even if they're a pain in the neck, they don't affect the integrity of Sarah's blog, which is as strong as ever.

8 A bit late to the party. Florian is a boy's name (Romanian). If he remembers the Cold War--he either lived in Communist Ro, or knows people who did. As such, him mentioning Stalinism and you in the same sentence is highly suspect (unless, of course, you happen to be a ruthless dictator-ess, who killed a few million people).

9 Ok, I will respond and move on too. Sorry about its length in advance, but it won't happen (ever) again. I sometimes think this blog is secretly run by an antiwar person, aiming to discredit the war cheerleaders by portraying a seemingly benign war supporter who suddenly blurts inhuman things or obvious falsehoods, like the leading post today about moderate Muslims not denouncing the extremist Islamic violence (they are all over the place. Check CAIR). Generally: What is a “troll”? Apparently someone who disagrees too strongly. It is funny to watch bloggers huddle with their ideological mates, talking to themselves, then freak when strong dissent comes along. And call it an “attack“. You link to and slam people. But when someone responds he is an attacking “troll”? According to you, the rules of the game are that the dissenter must be -----“creating his own blog and taking what he dishes out” -which I don’t understand. I am taking it, with your and others’ responses. And I am not interested in having a blog. I see it as a product of the reality-TV generation: a self-obsessive, narcissistic urge to display your private life to a vicarious world. Yet founded on insecurity, so when someone makes an obvious observation (the US torture policy revelations>crying jags/puppy>denial continuum) on what you have revealed, you say -----“Nice dig there though. Way to mock my personal life. My grandma died last fall too; wanna make fun of that?” I never mocked or made fun; I showed you what you had written in your own blog. (You asked me why I read it. Maybe you should ask yourself why you write it.) More specifically, your responses are logically skewed and continue the, yes, denial. On the torture policy and “just a few idiots did it“: You say you are not in denial about the use of torture as US policy and to prove it you say-- “the morons are being court martialed and dealt with, and everyone I know wants to see that happen” --which is the “just a few idiots did it” argument all over again. Unless by the responsible to tried and jailed you mean Gen. Miller and those in the White House who “loosened” the restrictions on torture after 9/11? The use of torture has been overt US policy in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay since 9/11 and a covert US practice and export since long before. The photos have just made people face it. On your dishonoring soldiers and dissenters: Yes, there IS more inherent value in the words of a dissenter who puts his or her career and security on the line than in the words of those mouthing the convenient platitudes of the power structure. That is why we don‘t disgrace the service of the Gen. Butlers and Scott Ritters by dismissing their testimony as “personal decisions and emotional responses” and calling them “turncoats” (you should apologize. I really can‘t believe you would disgrace Gen.Taguba, who simply conducted an investigation as was his duty.) You say I cite only four soldiers as if their number affected the weight of the point, but I cited only four so I wouldn’t cram verbiage into your space (as I am surely doing now). There have been and are more every day, as every truth teller gives courage to the next one. Most recently, US military lawyers representing inmates at Gitmo are strongly and publicly denouncing the entire apparatus as a lie. On your authorities: You say I should listen to the ones you cite. But of course you can cite dozens of representatives of ruling power and its party line, that is what the party line is all about, and is what you call Truth. 20o-odd years ago, you would have been citing Tory authorities on the need to combat the terrorism of the Boston Tea Partiers and their radical leader Washington and I would have been citing King George’s tyranny. And if you had been born in Russia just a couple decades ago you would have been supporting the liberation of Czechoslovakia, and slamming the dissenters pointing out human rights violations and gulags. On Stalinism and the party line: You said I called you Stalin, when I said your thinking was reminiscent of Stalinism. Either you are ignorant of the Cold War (despite studying Rocky movies) or you intentionally twisted my words. Stalinism is a way of thought, involving conformity with a party line and a swift rejection of dissent even from loyal colleagues, in order to forward expansionistic regimes. Sound familiar? You say your mindset is based on -----------“thinking that the military as an organization is more important than your four individuals' opinions” But it is not a conflict between “four individual opinions” and the military as an organization, but a conflict between unpleasant facts from voices WITHIN the military versus the lies of an rogue superpower bent on taking over other countries. The Mai Lai Massacre started out as a few individual people exposing horrible facts (“opinions” in your world view). The Gulf of Tonkin was the massive lie used to start up the Vietnam war; there were whistleblowers then that we should have listened to, and there are some now. Fortunately modern technology is getting their story to us faster and easier. On Saddam and 9-11: So you don’t believe Saddam supported and 9/11, and never did? Which other of the White House’s lying excuses to invade don’t you believe in? Saddam’s WMD and support for Al Queda? Are you saying Saddam supported terrorism but not Al Queda? Or did support Al Queda but not 9/11? Or what? And yet with ------------“the lesson of those countries in the world who let Hitler build and build until he was powerful enough to kill all those people” you still compare Saddam to Hitler, and allege a military buildup, now that it has been proven that Saddam’s army was a shell (as the quick invasion proved) and the WMD were a lie (both of which Ritter‘s “opinion“ told us). Incredible. On Pathologies and passports: I did not twist your words, but I did offer an image that shows your inhumane views on human life: Two children, one has an American passport and one doesn‘t. You say the one on the left has more worth. How is it twisting when you plainly state it -----------“an American life is worth more than any other nationality's life, no matter if it's a woman or child” right after? I had hoped you would take the chance to rephrase this, with its obvious echoes of Ruwanda and Auschwitz. Pretty sick that you don’t. Speaking of obvious, you are a woman who uses femininity, “vaginitis”, to equal weakness, cowardice. Calling Dr. Freud. ---------------“I don't see that as pathology, just honesty.” That you are being honest doesn’t cancel out it being pathological. Speaking of being honest, I have often felt guilty in reading your blog, like rubbernecking at an car accident. So this is the last hurrah, sorry it is so long. BTW the crack about becoming a carrot was funny. Have a good war!

10 Bye.

11 Yawn, what a maroon.