[twowords]

1)Why was Afghanistan acceptable to attack, but Iraq was not?

More importantly the latter was not in our interests to attack.

2)Are we truly at war?

Not truly, no. Only our volunteer army and their families are sacrificiing. We're not, we even keep our tax cuts. We are at war with al-Queda but thats not an inter-state war and shouldn't be a military-intensive war.

3)Is the Patriot Act a good thing?

Overall who knows, but some parts don't seem too useful. Also, it was created before 911 and passed after, so I wonder if a similar bill taylored to 911 and the actaul threat would be more relavent, then this pre-911 bill that the admnistration had always wanted to pass.

4)Which is more important: our lives, or our freedom to live them the way we choose?

That is merely a false choice this admnistration presents. Accept domestic spying/intrusions or you risk your life. Ugh.

5)Why is Iraq so important?

A very strategic country for many reasons, most importantly oil and its central location in the crucial middle east continent.

6)What is our goal?

A democratic ally to begin turning around/transforming the middle east. This may require a long-term US presence and continuing bloodshed, an Al-Queda recruiters' dream come true.

7)Four years later, have we overreacted to 9/11?

More of a mis-reaction as far as Iraq and a limitless WoT is concerned.

8)Have the lives we've lost in Iraq been less than the lives we've saved in doing so?

Who have we saved from death?

9)Is this a temporary state, or a new paradigm of America?

Hopefully temporary, since even the election of a moderate Republican would improve our foreign policy vastly over Bush I would hope.

10)Are things better?

...than 9/11/01? No.

"I realize that many of these questions are unanswerable."

Well I tried.