Matthew did a fine job pointing out the current inconsistencies with the
popular opinion of the war and the Bush administration in general.  I would
only add a couple of thoughts:

>> 4) Now, if the US Vice President uses one of the unprintable words and
> makes it without even a slap on the wrist, how do I explain my kids that
> they have to choose their words carefully ? Is that an example to use
> unprintable words ?
...

Also, tell them not to read Rolling Stone magazine - specifically the Dec 2,
2003 issue:

"When I voted for the war, I voted for what I thought was
best for the country. Did I expect Howard Dean to go off to
the left and say, 'I'm against everything?' Sure. Did I expect
George Bush to f**k it up as badly as he did? I don't think
anybody did."

- Sen. John Kerry [D-MA]

>> 5) As a European, I do not vote in the US Elections. So I
> tend to hold no real political interest in the coming US Election. As
> such, I am not involved in Cheney-blasting contests.

Frankly Christian, it really doesn't matter what Bush does or doesn't do.
In the States, and maybe abroad, politics has become a team sport.  People
root for their team regardless of the elected officials on that team.  Bill
Clinton, who came from a right to work state (anti-union), set the U.S.
Democratic party back decades by losing control of Congress after 40 years,
passed trade pacts, reduced welfare and got in very tight with corporations.
George Bush has raised education spending to the highest level ever, limited
our free speech by passing flawed campaign finance reform, raised steel
tariffs and instituted a very expensive prescription drug entitlement.
While both presidents have done wonders for what has traditionally been the
other party's issues, they still have made no friends across the aisle (as
we say here).  Why?  Because they are not "one of us".

I have found it quite impossible to discuss politics with anybody these
days.  The conversations quickly degrade into some form of hate for one
party or another and any discussion of fact is shoved aside in favor of
emotional attachment/detachment.  I don't think that we are as divided as we
were during our Civil War days but I would say that intellectual discourse
is the lowest I have ever seen in my lifetime.  (And IIRC, it's about the
same as yours Christian - so it's not a very long time but it's all I
know...)

Mark W.

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