MJ,<br />Thanks for your note.<br /><br />Phil,<br />First, I don't speak for America, only for myself. Others see things much differently than I do. Anyway, the atrocities against Americans that you speak of are downplayed in our media. Where you see and hear the other side are from the more conservatively oriented outlets like Fox News and the various radio programs that have sprung up over the last 10 years, Rush Limbaugh being the most famous.<br /><br />A bit off-topic, but to confirm a point you were making and to illustrate the overall modus operandi of the media, let's take the issue of abortion. The left wants total, unrestricted abortion rights, even to the point of so-called partial-birth abortion. Any attempt to show photos of aborted babies, or the horrendous procedure of sucking out the brains of a fetus with its head out of the womb, but the rest of its body still undelivered, will absolutely never, ever, been shown. Another famous conservative commentator, Matt Drudge, was fired from Fox News because he insisted on showing such a photo, but management refused. He was told either don't show the photo, or don't show up for work. The photo was not shown, and Drudge was out of a job. Even the conservative press plays along with the left at times.<br /><br />Another hot-button liberal issue is gun control. You will never, and I mean never, hear the mainstream media report how many crimes are stopped, or lives saved, because the intended victim had a gun.<br /><br />Once again, I can only conclude that the refusal to acknowledge facts is based on the blind desire for raw power. The issues the liberals hold dear are easy to get people worked up about, and then get their votes. I have to believe that people at Kerry's level are smart enough to see the hypocrisy of their positions, and the failure of their programs. The average liberal, though, actually believes that the liberal approach is best. Those in power, or seeking it, are opportunistic and take advantage of the underpriveledged and uneducated. They have no conscious -- cases in point, Bill and Hillary Clinton.<br /><br />What does all this have to do with the war in Iraq? The war, and its reporting, have been politicized in order to discredit Bush and put a democrat in power. Getting the truth out would only hurt that cause. That's the goal, not the successful liberation of the Iraqi people and the establishment of a democracy there. Personally, I think the behavior of the left at this time borders on treason. In fact, a book has been written on the subject (Treason, by Ann Coulter). I'll have to read it to see if we hold the same opinions.<br /><br />While I'm on my soap box, let's touch on the issue of WMD's (weapons of mass destruction). All we have heard about is that none were found. Bush and his adminstration are fools, we're to believe. No longer reported is the fact that for 10 years or so, Saddam Hussein went out of his way to do everything possible to convince the world that he had them. Oops, we believed him, and the rest is history.<br /><br />I think I'd better get back to satellite tracking, or I might go overboard here. By the way, we had a beautiful ISS pass here in Atlanta last night.<br /><br />Paul<br /><br />Edit:<br />P.S. -- Evidence of WMD's, if not WMD's themselves, has been found. It's not widely reported.<br /> <br /> <small>[ 17. May 2004, 01:29 AM: Message edited by: Paul Marsh ]</small>