Freak Flag Fly

Corrective mechanisms in the U.S. political system appear to be exerting themselves:

Election '06, the Rumsfeld resignation, the Hamdi decision, the Libby conviction, the Imus ouster, the Gonzales embattlement, and the cracked-up confusion of the Republican presidential primary.

America appears to be starting to learn important lessons from 9/11, perhaps for the first time.

Lessons such as

• People hate America for its aggressive foreign/economic policy, not for its "freedoms," and
  
• The world must move beyond an imperialist, oil-based system.
  

Most Americans realize that the Iraq war has ensured decades of widespread hatred towards America, but they have been unable to re-envision U.S. policy, stop the war, or adopt a sustainable way of life. Further, the Bush administration appears prepared to widen the Iraq war to include Iran.

This is a plea for open hearts and intelligence.

America needs to send a collective message to the world that we are sorry for Iraq.

Lock-step Republicans and quiescent Democrats must take responsibility for the decision to invade Iraq, and admit they were wrong.