[Dan in Pasadena]

Perhaps Shaun's abbreviated comments are a bit naive but to call him ignorant? That IS being a hater. That comment has no place if our intent is discussing differing points of view. Its only intent was to be demeaning.

Overall, I agree that this Administration has not shown much of a grasp for effective foreign policy. Bush's (or was it Cheney's?) cowboy, shoot-from-the-hip,"...you're either with us or against us" statement felt good to us in our collective pain and outrage following 9/11 but was certainly not the approach a President with any true understanding of diplomacy and its impact on implementing an effective foreign policy would make. Those were not the words of a national leader, those were the angry words of someone reacting.

In those days following 9/11 we had the concern and indeed the sympathy of a huge portion of foreign nations and have managed to summarily tick most of them off. In addition, I feel that we have CREATED more future terrorists by our policies than we have likely stopped with our actions. The damage done will not be easily undone whether the incoming President is Obama OR McCain. Just my point of view. Don't like it? Fine. At least I have a point of view without resorting to calling names.