the war

This needs more thought than I can give it on my lunch half-hour (or the shreds I have left after eating and reading others' posts), but this quote struck me. It's from an article on the congressional primary in the NC county that's home to the US Marine Corps' Camp Lejune (and thanks to wcg for linking to the article!)

"There ain't no gray area between supporting the troops and supporting the command," said Bob Pruett, chairman of the district's Republican party, who must remain neutral in the race. "You can't go around bashing Bush and the decision to go into Iraq and also say, 'I'm supporting the troops.'"

I can't agree with that statement, and I have a fundamental problem imagining how any freedom-loving American can make it or agree with it. Our government is *elected* by us; we do not owe its members unquestioning and unthinking support. And we *can*, most definitely, support our service members and wish them the best without automatically supporting the decisions that sent them to war, the decisions that keep them there, or the men and women who made those decisions.

I have to think, and write, more about the war and related topics, but this reaction I knew I could, and had to, describe briefly.

what an amazing place!

A TOTALLY fascinating landform! Look at those simply MASSIVE escarpments! And the volcano... and... just so cool!

Anyone recognise it? *grins*

southern Italy!

As part of my regular pimpin' of the coolest travel journal ever, I observe that last week saw several more updates to The Slow Road. Our dauntless heroines have been experiencing all that is good and bad about southern Italy. As always, it sounds fascinating as hell, and just a little like hell in other ways, too... soccer_fox, I suggest that you never take a bus ride along the Neapolitan coast... So, if you're minded and have a moment, go read about their impressions of coastal Italia, Magna Graecia, the historic remains of Roman towns, and the modern remains of the city of Naples itself (without illustrations, as you'll understand if you read on...)