When I was in Iraq, I saw small shoots of hope and positive progress springing up there as the Iraqis, with the help of many dedicated and enlightened members of the US military, worked really hard to try to put the pieces of their poor country back into place. And then I came back to America -- only to find that the cold, clouded atmosphere of "Bomb them back to the Stone Age" still prevails here.

Back in the USA, I realized that what is actually happening in Iraq has nothing to do with what people here preceive is happening in Iraq.

Everyone here seems to have his or her own agenda regarding Iraq. The media seems to put the emphasis on "war" and its bloody bomb-throwing aspects because that's what sells air-time.

The neo-cons in the White House milk Iraq for all it is worth as a grand excuse to tax-and-spend. They have stolen the name of "Conservative" and gone off on a tangent of elaborate spending and international meddling that should make any true Republican angry enough to chew nails -- but doesn't.

And the Progressives here appear to hate Bush and Cheney so much that they seem to actually WANT Iraq to stay a bloody mess just to prove that Bush and Cheney have failed. Guess what, guys. You can have your cake and eat it too. It's okay to acknowledge that Iraq might actually be recovering from Shock and Awe -- even in spite of the White House -- but at the same time it's also okay to send Bush and Cheney to jail!

Back in the USA, I have also been feeling extremely frustrated that the main goal in life for all too many of our leaders in Washington is to try to blow other people up -- and so I wrote the following satirical attempt at black humor in an effort to vent. However, upon re-reading my efforts this morning in the cold light of day, I came to the sad realization that many of the people who might be reading this simply won't comprehend that it's a satire and will even start cheering me on. "Yeah, those evil Vermonters! Let's do it! Bomb them now. Let's keep America safe!"

Have our forefathers' great dreams of a brave American Republic finally degenerated down to this? Have our so-called leaders now become no better than the "terrorists" that they claim to eschew? That's pathetic.

PS: If anyone anywhere wants me to speak on the subject of Iraq, I am ready, willing and able! And I have photographs too.

Iran, Israel, Pakistan, Russia, China, Vermont: Let's just bomb ALL their nuclear plants!

Why stop with just bombing Iran's nuclear facilities? Pakistan is falling apart and everyone knows that Pakistan, unlike Iran, actually does have The Bomb. We gots the capability. Let's zap them now. End of problem.

And what about Israel? They got the bomb too. Plus they are aggressive sons of birches, can't seem to keep themselves from attacking their neighbors. Let's drop a few bunker busters on THEIR bomb-making plants.

And everyone knows that Iran is a member of the Axis of Evil. Push the red button. Let's stop talking about it and "Just do it". A picture is worth a thousand words. Ahmadinejad has got to be stopped.

Russia has the bomb too. And Putin just can't seem to keep his mouth shut. A few surgical strikes and he's toast. He won't retaliate. Not him.

What about China? It's just common sense. Bomb them before they bomb us. Do you really want another 9-11? It could happen if we don't get to them first!

Fallout? Nuclear fallout? No problem. Americans will just take extra baths. That stuff washes right off.

Vermont? There's hecka lot of troublemakers living in Vermont. And they gots nuclear capability too. Let's bomb Vermont. And Texas? Conservatives down there are starting to complain too much about the neo-con tax-and-spend budget. And California...and Detroit..and central Florida.... We got a plan!

America is so lucky to have strong leaders in the White House right now and a Congress that follows their lead.