I have a lot of opinions on the emerging situation in Iraq, but for some reason, I don't want to post them here. Some of it is just being a chickenshit about holding an unpopular opinion, in that I think you actually can justify a military action. Of course, it's one of those things where you have squint really hard in order to read the signposts, but I almost feel guilty about it. Perhaps it's because I'm not sure if I've reconciled all the propaganda and half-truths with the facts that I pick up between the lines on my own, or if I've been bludgeoned into submission and acceptance by the Bush administration and its lackeys in the media.

But mostly, it's because this particular soapbox is where I natter on about things I think are right, things that I think other people might not have noticed. On Iraq, I have no inclination to believe I have the right answer. It may be the same reason I never posted to my old site in the thick of the 2000 presidential election. While I reached my own conclusions on that, it wasn't the kind of choice I felt I could foist on the two or three people who actually read this. I don't want to convince you of anything. Sure, I'd like to encourage critical thinking, but that's a byproduct of discussion, and this hasn't quite been the interactive forum that I was hoping for. At least not yet.

Of course, posting my opinions on Iraq could generate more attention and more comments, bringing the discourse up to an acceptable level to broach exactly that sort of topic, but I'm not convinced. So I'll continue to skirt the issue for now. Unless I change my mind.

The one political bit I will comment on is that Retired General Wesley Clark is formally talking about a presidential bid. Out of all the names floating around for 2004, I find his to be the most interesting by far.