Winston Churchill once said, "Victory at all costs, victory in spite of terror, victory however long and hard the road may be; for without victory there is no survival.  Strong words from a strong man... ah the good old days.  What?  Who on earth would say the bleakest days of WWII were the good old days?  The answer to that question depends on who you ask that question to.

At this point there are a thousand directions to go, but goal here is to focus on the kind of people we have become.  With all effort, I will veer away from why we have become what we are, and how to fix what we are, if needed, and whether what we are now is a good thing or a bad thing.  Trust me this will be very difficult, as most people who know me know me as a rather opinionated person.  I am going to do my level best to avoid telling you what to think, and when to think it but if you ever need help in that area...

First, I believe we must analyze where we are right now: Jan 2003 and heading into a war.  We know we are going to war because the US Army has now deployed it most lethal division.  The 4th division from Fort Hood Texas.  This division inflicted some of the worst damage the Iraqis experienced during the Gulf War, and more than likely they will do it again.  One year four months, and eleven days ago we were attacked by Al Qaeda terrorist forces, that were trained in Afghanistan, funded by Saudi Arabian nationals, and whose leader met with a top intelligence man from the Iraqi intelligence agency

Do you remember where you were on that day?  I do.  I had been laid off from one of the flash in the pan internet companies, had gotten out of the market because of volatility and was intending to sleep late due to a hangover and self pity.  My sister called to tell me we had been bombed.  I took little faith in this because my sister tends to over react to such things.  She continued almost hysterically... planes...  world trade center... fire... smoke... pentagon.  I was awake, though still not convinced.  I had already begun a reasonable explanation as to why we could not have been bombed when I turned on the news.  I can't tell you what I said next.

There I sat glued to the screen, and then I saw the sparks.  Just a little at first from the edge of the second tower that was hit.  The angry that had been building in me turned to terror as I knew what was about to happen.  Let me tell you, knowing didn't help at all.  I began this crab like crawl over the back of the couch as I asked, what was that?  I could see the sparks shooting out and then it happened, a chunk fell out and the tower started to fall.  I think I was on the phone with my ex-wife at that time.  I can't tell you what I said then, though it was all I could say, and more repeatedly than a machine gun.

The tower went down and I started to cry, I knew the other was a mere matter of time.  I told my ex-wife I would call her back and I began to call my friends and tell them what was going on.  The anger was coming back, stronger and more powerful than ever before.  I started calling people I knew in the military, trying to pull strings and sign up.  At the time I was 37, and while I was in very good shape, the military cuts off enlistment at 34.  I knew that we were going to war and I knew I wanted to help my country fight this evil (whoops)... this group of people who had attacked us without notification of war and without provocation.

I am sure that I am not alone, and that even some passive people were ready to attack those that had attacked us, but where are we now?  How many stand ready to fight and defend their country?  How many have forgotten the nearly 3400 that died over a year ago?

Trying to find accurate polls of who thinks we should go to war is a difficult thing to do.  I suggest that there are more reasons given as to why we shouldn't go to war than there are polls these days.  There is the race reason, religion reason, the poor reason, the oil reason, and the ever popular no reason reason.  Where is the resolve that Americans had just a few months ago?

I understand that we want peace, and that we want to attack the right people... resolve.  In the days following the WTC attacks we endured another round of attacks.  The anthrax attacks, remember those?  On Iraq we should consider this; the Anthrax that was found in Tom Dashiel's office and around the country was nearly identical to that found in Iraq in 1994 by weapons inspectors.  This may be key as to why Iraq does not want inspectors there now.  Iraq uses bentonite to keep the anthrax separate and floating in the air as long as possible.  There were traces of bentonite found in the anthrax attacks here.  Iraq is the only country to use this agent.

Now I know that as Americans we want to do the right thing, but have we become too lazy to do the right thing?  Too guilty maybe?  We feel bad that other people are hungry, be we don't make them hungry, we send them food.  Is there any possibility that other countries try to help create guilt in America?  Try to help us feel bad about our prosperity while others are not prosperous?  What about our survival?  Is it assured?  Can we be positive that we will not go the way of the Soviet Union?

So in doing the right thing doesn't this information suggest that attacking Iraq is the right thing?  But American's are no longer galvanized by what happen all those long months ago.  The tears are gone and the Sopranos are back.  Sun Tzu wrote you must know your enemy as well as yourself.  To know your enemy and not yourself invites defeat.  Has Iraq already defeated us?  Who are we anyway?  Who are you?

Who we are now are a lot of bleeding, heart want to do good, can't maintain concentration for more than 30 seconds peoples.  We barely remember the Gulf War while we have enemies who can remember the Crusades.  We are a people who just it to be over with while the enemy is one that just wants to win at all costs.  We are the Pepsi generation.  We want to stare at Brittany's breasts scantily dressed body, and drive our gas guzzling SUVs down the highway while listening to we are the world and pretending we care more than the guy next to us who drives a "real" gas hog, and a polluter to boot (a 1976 Ford Truck).  Wisps of smoke come out of the tail pipe with every acceleration.

We are the feckless population that gave up the teachings of Thomas Paine yet grasp to equal rights in the hopes it will save our souls from eternal damnation.  We are a generation so weak and spineless that if we ever did get the courage to stand on our own feet, our torsos would flop around like noodles.  Who are we?  I think you know.  I also think that is why Americans are dreading this war; we do know ourselves, and we are weak, mindless sheep.  We are cowards talking about saving the children of the world as long as we don't have to fight for it.  BUT WE ARE NOT THE FRENCH!  The war hasn't started yet and they have already surrendered.

We are Americans and Americans, REAL America, love to fight.  Allow me to show you part of a speech made by a very prominent General:

"Men, this stuff that some sources sling around about America wanting out of this war, not wanting to fight, is a crock of bullsh--. Americans love to fight, traditionally. All real Americans love the sting and clash of battle. You are here today for three reasons. First, because you are here to defend your homes and your loved ones. Second, you are here for your own self respect, because you would not want to be anywhere else. Third, you are here because you are real men and all real men like to fight. When you, here, every one of you, were kids, you all admired the champion marble player, the fastest runner, the toughest boxer, the big league ball players, and the All-American football players. Americans love a winner. Americans will not tolerate a loser. Americans despise cowards. Americans play to win all of the time. I wouldn't give a hoot in hell for a man who lost and laughed. That's why Americans have never lost nor will ever lose a war; for the very idea of losing is hateful to an American."

Once again times gone by.  Losing is no longer relative.  In an era where you can't spank your kids, or grade your kids, or exercise your kids or work your kids, we have lost the edge that allowed us to be winners

We remember inequities of the past quicker and more clearly than we remember our greatness.  The perplexing thing to me is do our sins tarnish our greatness but our greatness does nothing to reduce the inequities?  A country that strives to be better, improve itself, and create a life where all men are created equal is a reality, is bound to make mistakes, but we should remember that WE the people stopped Hitler, and defeated an Empire that would have enslaved the Chinese people.  We freed France (though that may have been a mistake) and signed the civil rights laws.  We have championed human rights in the world's courts and have fed and rebuilt countries destroyed by fire famine, earthquake, flood, and war.

It has taken bold people to make these changes in our country and in our world.  Those who sit back and watch events need to remember all of those of the past. 

So who are we, where are we going, and who do we want to be?