The Buds Have Already Flowered The world has learned a valuable lessons from the Realpolitik of the Bush Administration: There is a threshold of acceptable loss for the U.S., and if you can guarantee that you're able to surpass that threshold, you've accquired a bargaining position. Might makes right. Arm your country to the gills and we might leave you alone. It's now obvious to even the most partisan that Iraq wasn't targeted because it was an immediate threat, but because it was presumed to be weak and easily overtaken. Cheney et al. would argue that we're "getting the terrorists before they get us", and that we're "nipping it in the bud" rather than leaving it for a future administration...They're the adults here, right? The problem is, the buds have already blossomed, and the seeds of hatred, mistrust, and resentment have been carried away by the four winds. The injustice of preemptive warfare has made us less safe, and we haven't seen the worst of it yet. When Pakistan and India accquired nukes, they accquired prestige and insurance. Is it any surprise that other nations are following suit? Our newest nuclear power? Brasil. The world is getting safer as we speak. How do we get out of this mess? One step at a time. Step One: Vote these clowns out. "Brasil Building Bombs"