>>"If, on the other hand, we're stuck with Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and Rice for the next three years, as the only arbiters of what America does in Iraq, then I expect the worst."

>> "H.T.F. could we rid ourselves of this pestilence. "

Ashton, I know how strongly you would like to see things change in this administration, but it ain't gonna happen. 60,608,582 people voted to retain them in power, and they took this as an overwhelming approval of their work. Unfortunately, I think that most of those people would vote the same way again, given the opportunity. I have talked to folks who say - "Hey, there's one less dictator in the world! What's so bad about that?" I can only shake my head.

The only pressure that I see comes from the number of American deaths in Iraq. Now standing around 2,100, it isn't enough to raise the ire of the general population. The tipping point is probably around 6000-7000, which, at our current rate, will be reached right around the 2008 elections.

In another forum (Science), you recently quoted Shelley's Ozymandias: "Look upon my works, ye mighty, and despair."

There is hope, but we're going to have to let this run it's course over the next 3 years.