Interesting that it's not a matter of just skimping, perhaps, on one of those four points.

Not one of them has been even remotely met. And while this war at least was not the product of a complete falsification of reasons to enter into it, it is pretty shameful that once again we have a bunch of elite bookworms (well, okay, maybe the Bush Admin folks were just worms) making the decision from their comfy little gardens of paradise for other people to offer up their lives.

There is only so much wisdom you can get from passing law school exams with an "A" and then teaching other well-scrubbed students to do the same thing.

It's more than frightening to think about how much power the law school classroom holds over our entire way of life, from the robed pronouncements of our august courtrooms, to the orchestrated media charades playing daily in the hallowed halls of our legislature, to the revolving door of appointments whirring around in our well-financed executive branch, and of course, all the way out to those obscure lands halfway across the globe where our nation delivers ruination of lives and ways of life to just about everybody but the deserving, and where nary a law school graduate is to be found.

Sir; ... Shared sacrifice is not just moral authority, if I have you right, but is the price all people pay to belong... Christians were put out of society because they would not sacrifice to the Genius of the Emperor, even if this meant just a pinch of incense in a bowl... What one man gives his life for, another will not give treasure for...Is the cause just??? We have many who will not pay taxes... By what authority is their wealth held??? If the society does not defend the geography of this place, or the rights they claim, then how can they defend their rights, or themselves, for that matter???The people are the law, and the people are the morality, and regardless of the form -whether it be marriage or society, all people sacrifice for their relationships... No one should believe they own their wealth free and clear, but understand that while one sacrifices life they must sacrifice taxes... If the wealth of the commonwealth were all in private hands it must still support the population, and it would be better if such a population were not encouraged to predation, but if so, then before any should die -the people should be commited to the act, and see the benefit of it...Democracies are not designed for offense... Democracy is a defensive form of social organization... We should not do what we cannot do well, but those who would do us harm, or injure others in our names should finance themselves and their own crimes... In European history it was the war chiefs who lived on their plunder who became the kings who lived off every body's sweat and toil... Their sacrifice for the spoils they enjoyed were non existent... When their society crumbled to put up more dead wood for us to bend over for, their societies did not miss them one little bit, because they, the lords and kings took everything, and contributed nothing... That is our rich class in a nutshell... They want all, and sacrifice nothing... They demand sacrifice, and offer nothing... They start the wars the poor fight for gains the rich alone realize... These people deserve none of our protection, but need to be turned out of society like the criminals they are...If we realized that we cannot have more security by the destruction of every other person's security we would be miles ahead...If we would demand of all -the same level of sacrifice; from the poor their lives, and from the rich their wealth, then we would be a just society... The more the rich can keep their wealth unencumbered by the demands of just taxation -the more poor and desparate we will become, and so, more war like, and irresponsible in our international conduct...What we have we should defend, and defend also from the predation of the rich who use the taxes they avoid to empoverish us all while they enrich themselves... Now, the poor must pay for the very wars they alone fight with wages they will never enjoy... If the rich paid, as they did once when this country was new, then they would be more careful in their choice of conflicts...Thanks...Sweeney