In matters of personal freedom, there is much that is possible in spite of thugs in government.  One can choose, for example, to thumb one's nose at the immoral drug war, and to back it up not with mere words, but with action.  One can choose to engage in work for cash or for trade, thus avoiding the obscene taxes demanded by the criminal IRS.  One can post web pages for the world to see, that call George W. "Shrub Junior" and John Ashcroft "Ugly," and that proclaim the illegitimacy of these "men" on no uncertain terms.

But when the nation's military acts in a brutal fashion, supposedly on our behalf and in our name, what can we do?  More importantly, what can we do to stop a tragedy unfolding, that seems like a surreal dream of a fatal car crash in slow motion?

Specifically, what can be done to stop the upcoming disaster in Iraq?

When I say disaster, I certainly mean for the Iraqi people, men, women, and children.  People who are every bit as human and as deserving of protection as we are (though some American writers, like the odious Ben ("I am getting really sick of people who whine about 'civilian casualties.'") Shapiro seem to want to cast doubt upon this obvious observation, for reasons I will leave it to them to explain).

But by disaster, I also mean for America.  Most immediately, an unknown number of our troops will be killed on the spot, and/or horribly mutilated for the rest of their lives.  Will Saddam employ nerve gas, or biological agents?  We can only guess.  Old fashioned explosives and bullets also accomplish the same destructive end, and he's guaranteed to have some of these.

Then there are the long-term consequences, starting with an ever more virulent hatred for the United States in the Middle East, which will inevitably lead to more terror for us at home.  Anyone who likes the endless waves of suicide bombers in Israel should definitely support an Iraq invasion, because that's exactly the kind of response we'll be reaping soon if we act as arrogantly as Israel has (more in my column here).

George W. Bush is a small, mean-spirited man, who seems to want to do his best to pretend that he has not a trace of human spark within him, nor a trace of understanding of the Constitution (which he nevertheless has sworn to uphold).  His Daddy didn't get Saddam, and was even targeted for assassination by Saddam (or so we're told), so W. is going to get Saddam, no matter what the cost to the world.  The guy is a jerk, deserving of zero respect and zero obedience.  If I were in the military today, I'd probably have to go AWOL, if I couldn't get out by some other means.  The men and women who have volunteered to serve deserve someone several notches higher than W. as their commander-in-chief.

There are legitimate reasons for taking up arms.  Defending one's right to freedom, for example, as our brave forefathers did in the 1700's against the government thugs of their day.  Or repelling a genuine aggressor nation (I'm trying to think of an actual example from our history that is not tainted, as Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor was by Roosevelt's crippling embargoes).

Charging around the world bombing and shooting people to effect "regime changes" is not a legitimate reason for starting wars, however.  I don't care how many sorry excuses for men like Bush, Cheney, Ashcroft, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, et al pretend otherwise.  Their pages in history are already poised to be written in the chapter about mass murderers.  Hitler is there.  Stalin and Pol Pot are there.  Why anyone would WANT to add his name to this list of killers is a mystery to me; I can only conclude that Bush is as feeble-brained as his clumsy and inept speech would suggest.  Here's a man who makes Dan Quayle sound like an intelligent, articulate speaker!  He should get some kind of prize for such an amazing accomplishment.

But let's not forget to mention the enablers in Congress, Senator Joseph Biden first and foremost.  This pompous fool proclaimed that he would hold impartial hearings on the Iraq question, but refused to include Scott Ritter, the man who knows more than anyone else in the world about the state of Iraq's weaponry.  It seems that Ritter's conclusions don't match the ones Biden, Bush, and Co. want, so guess what?  He's outta there.  Let's pretend he doesn't exist, and hope nobody notices.

Well, Mr. Biden, and Mr. Bush, and all you other would-be armchair killers, I notice.  And so, I'm guessing, will the history books, where your shameful stories will be told in full and graphic detail.

But meanwhile, what can the rest of us do, as our illegitimate leaders try their best to drag this nation into the dirt?  Perhaps not much, but we CAN protest.  My own chosen method (besides writing this column) is to flood the nation's newspapers with letters to the editor.  None may print them, or some may with no change to the U.S.'s destiny, but at least I know I have not been silent.  I would urge others to do the same.