Give me the thousand hacking at the branches and I'll show them the roots - yes Terry, Carl Rove is an expert at showing us the branches most of which he planted - its amazing, this government creates the roots and and gets the media to show us the brances.

Mostly

Anon it was the English philosopher Edmund Burke. Yes, that's indifference, and only seeing what you want to see - a good trio...

Yes, and this is the cause of all inhumanity and misery in the world. Open your eyes to understaning, tolerence and compassion and the humanity may, just may, have a chance.

Forget the individual behind the words it's the words that matter. The point being made stands on solid ground and should be judged on that alone. Indifference is the harbinger of hate and cruelty regardless which faith base or political party you belong to. Indifference is standing by idly by while an injustice is being perpetrated. Indifference is the course of injustice, despots, and dictators.

Every parent, politician, theologian, and business owner should have that pinned in front them.

There are many who were bad and now better and likewise many that were good who are now worse

Knowledge grows from loss as it does from gain

How true this rings allowed today

I would prefer : others judge us by what they hear, while we judge ourselves by what we have done"

Richard III did not heed this lesson... Forgiveness is often your death warrant.

Too many I'm afraid...

Hope is eternal...

Stalin killed over 20 million so he knew what he was talking about - Ken and Warren you really must learn the difference between socialism and communism the US is more aligned to communism than socialism - without socialism the people of America would have started a war - we already have socialism in the US and if we are to succeed we are likely to get more of it - so I suggest you read up on the origin of Socialism. Socialism and Liberalism are the two main factors that keep the cogs turning without the need for war.

Warren, there is a list of covert wars we have started and we have financed - its the same thing if not worse - we didn't wait two seconds before jumping into Iraq. There are other words for waiting on the side-line when there is no benefit for taking the high road.

Very good Mike. Though I do not believe in organised religious based churches I am sympathetic to you point of view. Another example of the reality of war is in Wilfred Owens great poem 'Dulce et Decorum Est' Nothing will change in this world or the next while we continue to think of ourselves as separate peoples and countries. Unless there is a fundamental shift towards understanding and compassion we will remain ignorant and continue our wars.

John, your statement would be a little more honorable if America came into the WWII in 1939 but they waited two years, and ONLY came in because of Pearl Harbor and that was suspect too. They left Britain and its allies to fight Hitler... Poland was invaded and America did nothing ■ where was that courage for fighting despots in 1939

It was stopping the oil from flowing, trading oil in Euros, pride, and making a few VERY rich - I'm sure there were other reasons...

Unfortunately its idiots that start wars and we have a lots of them... and then we send our boys and girls to the front line as fodder to loose their lives for greed and foolishness. Smedley hits the nail on the head.

Nearly all wars are at the behest of greedy swine's and religious nut jobs.

Thanks everyone for sharing your points of view - let's cool it on the name calling - I'm off to NYC see you next week. My last thought on the subject: These small units of friends and neighbors armed with rifles and hand guns would be isolated except for joining other small units and combining their strength. These units would NOT have a local government to provided orders and process – in other words America would be overrun with unorganized units not knowing who are government forces or true friends and neighbor militias/units (The Feds would catch onto that in a flash) – the chain of command would be so fragmented without leadership or knowledge of any strategic plan. Do you think the strongest armed forces in the world would be sitting around doing nothing while all these units are trying to gather themselves into an effective militia. Furthermore, if it got to the point of an armed uprising there would be no command at a local government level or higher level. In the end America would be just another Somalia and not 1776. There is only one exception and that’s called strategy, strategy that needs to be in place well in advance of any tyranny.

Bruce and Archer, thanks for the explanation. Just a couple more points. Aren't all States really subordinate to the Federal Government with regard to any militia or armed force? In which case the National Guard would be just another arm of the government. In essence there is no militia that represents the people other than the arm forces of the government. Trying to rally a militia of concerned citizens who have weapons would be a daunting task, one which would be chaotic to say the least. So to end my discourse, Americans have no militia to protect them from a tyrannical government other than a few brave men with their rifles and 9mm hand guns against the strongest arm force in the world?

Excellent Reston - but tell me, who are this Militia and do they exist? Would they rally in time (and how would they rally) to mount an effective campaign against a tyrannical government that had Generals who would be ordered to kill any Militia - can someone tell me how this would work when the threat of our democracy/Republic is threatened by a government turned despot. Or, as Reston rightly pointed out, do we run amuck doing our best to protect our independence? Who are these organized forces that are formally lead by leaders appointed by the "subordinate governments"... and where do they exist. We have some really intelligent folk on this Blog and I have wanted to ask this question for a long time.

You found a winner! On the lines of Benjamin Franklin: "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety" Everyone, have a great weekend, Robert

In support of Archer: It all depends how you muster your troops and promote your propaganda for support - unfortunately the vast majority will believe anything and give support without any knowledge of what they are supporting. I am always amazed how people give support for something that gives them less and and/or kills their children.