In the name of honesty and respect for whatever may be left of the Western, democratic virtues that our veterans died for, Nov. 11 “Remembrance Day” should be abandoned in favour of Nov. 29 “Catastrophe Day.” It, at least, is relevant to our times.

"This all should have been understood before the war began, but was not. And that is why one of the principle recommendations of the Iraq Study Group is as valid today as when it was written. And that is the necessity of creating a regional security pact which brings together all the component groups inside Iraq, along with Iraq's neighbors, under the auspices of the United Nations, so that problems of this sort are not tackled piecemeal. Iraq's neighbors have a direct stake in the stability and unity of Iraq, and are better made partners toward that goal than a collection of allies and rivals."

"...instead of urging reconsideration of the Roadmap, Arab interests would be better served by developing an actual Road to Peace. More than a poorly-conceived and ill-prepared conference, an Arab diplomatic offensive, at this time, might help breathe new life into the peace process and set the table for future talks."

"Superior violence, according to countless scripts, was righteous and viscerally satisfying. Television and movies, ever since childhood, presented greater violence as the ultimate weapon and final fix, uniquely able to put an end to conflict. Leaving menace for dead -- you couldn’t beat that. But at home in the USA and far away, the practical and moral failures of violence became irrefutable. In Iraq, sources of unauthorized violence met with escalating American violence. In the United States, war opponents met with presidential contempt."

"With all the media attention to sectarian violence in Iraq, the favorite motif of coverage is the suicide bombing that underscores the conflagration as Iraqi-on-Iraqi violence. American reporters and commentators rarely touch on the U.S. occupation as perpetrator and catalyst of the carnage."

"The information revolution made possible by advances in communication technology, has also been accompanied by negative consequences. There is an information overload with too much news becoming no news at all, and too much information leading to confusion. There is also the ever-increasing danger that those who control dominant forms of media can control or direct the flow of information, turning it into a more effective means of propaganda, or exploiting it through sensationalism for crass commercial gain."

"If only the U.S. could seriously and forcefully resolve the Israeli-Palestinian issue, much of the animosity of the Muslim world toward America will dissipate, and with respectful dialogue and constructive diplomacy the Muslim world can be enlisted to solve what is essentially a Muslim civil strife in Iraq; ergo an exit strategy, although American bases will remain to ensure SUV's live on cheaply with Muslim oil."

Against the Soviet one-party state, we in the West used to boast that ours was a multi-party democracy where the electorate had a choice of representation, yet for all the good Nancy Pelosi, John Kerry or Hilary Clinton and other Democratic drones have done, Congress might as well be called a two-faced Supreme Soviet.