[dinosaur]

I've followed this thread with increasing dismay.
We are all prog heads and take some pride in having that certain more discerning taste, compared to most music fans. Some would say this comes from a more intelligent viewpoint, and an acceptance of things new and different.
Unfortunately, that open viewpoint appears to be lacking in much of the above political discussion.
"I am right and you are wrong, futhermore, you're a weenie."
Can it be possible that we have learned nothing from the VietNam war?
Then, those with an anti-war philosophy (including many of our music legends) were also branded 'anti-patriotic', whatever that is.
I believe Saddam must be removed from power. I also believe that since the USA could not convince the UN to take action, then more evidence needed to be gathered, and presented in public.
It is extremely difficult to argue that a country should be converted to democracy while at the same time acting unilaterally.
Instead, the USA, along with the UN, should have found a way to remove Saddam without the use of bombs. A true embargo beginning ten years ago would have worked, but we allowed people to buy oil from Iraq, resulting in a pile of money for Saddam, who used it to build palaces with nasty weapons hidden inside.
Worse, once the world finds out that we've already begun to split up future profits from Iraqi oil, our problems will have just begun. Doesn't anyone else notice the rotten smell cause by the fact the Dick Cheney's Halliburton has already won a contract related to rebuilding Iraqi oil production? (Note: if the last election had gone differently, it very likely would have been Gore, and his own oil companies, instead of Cheney.)
It is not necessary that people must fall into one camp or the other. One can be firmly in favor of removing Saddam (for the sake of Iraqis) without resorting to violence.
Now that I've added my two political cents (in this forum, which not a program!), I'd like to add my support for Avian's decision to keep political rhetoric (whatever flavor it might take) out of the programming itself.