BuddyLee said:
I don't think my experience or intelligence level is anywhere near that of which to lecture you on whatever subjects it may be. I have learned much but still have much to learn. That doesn't erase the fact that you may be amiss on certain things just as I or anyone else, it's human fault or error, naturally.
I am not questioning your native intelligence. I have no knowledge of that except my observance of how quickly or not your learn on this board which is very limited by its very nature. I think you, like many young people, are an idealist. I hope as you grow in experience and, hopefully wisdom, you will become more pragmatic realizing what the ideal may be but also realizing what really works. Liberals in the true sense tend to be idealists. Conservatives tend to be pragmatic.
I think that most people would agree that war is bad. Idealists want to avoid war at all costs. Pragmatists know that war is bad but know that it is necessary at times. An idealist will tend to want to talk about it and be "touchy feelly" it the hope that any solution can be had except war. They will only attack after being attacked and then only in a measured response. A pragmatist does not want war but would rather fight war somewhere other than his backyard and would like to get it over and done with with overwhelming force.
Bush employed a mix between the two scenarios. It would have been easy for the U.S. to completely level Iraq (the war would be over if we had). Our forces did not. We could have carried the war completely on our own; we did not. We have approached the war, on President Bush's direction, as liberators (most Iraqis are happy to have Saddam gone), not occupiers (a delicate balance in number of troops is required - more, as Kerry wants, and we will certainly look like occupiers).
Anyway, at your age, it is OK to be an idealist. At some point I hope you realize that idealism, as much as it would be nice, does not work because of the very nature of human beings. For idealism to work, humans will have to be ideal, and as you have pointed out, we all have failings.
