from the same letter: "The same thing goes for the U.N.'s so-called "peacekeepers," who have been accused of child rape in the Congo and killing unarmed civilians in Haiti"When I lived in Oakland my Haitian neighbor used to tell me stories about the "peacekeepers" in that country. She said the disdain was palpable and that they were widely regarded as tourists by the natives.

Great. You're suggesting that our UN ambassador should take advice from a convicted felon? A man who sold weapons to terrorists to send money to other terrorists against our own laws?

Dan T:When you are in the military, or you work in any government security or defense agency or branch that involves covert ops, you are there to do your country's business. If you're not at the top of the chain of command, that business is what those who are say it is. North was executing a strategy on behalf of the Administration he served.Believe it or not, every country in the world indulges in clandestine activities that are illegal in order to do what they believe they must to preserve and protect their citizens, even those you probably feel adulation for, like France.In such scenarios, the end, as they say, often does justify the means. Protecting a country is a tremendous, multifaceted and often unpleasant job that entails making a lot of difficult decisions. If you listen to the left, of course, that concept doesn't seem to be mentioned anyplace. North's "felonious activities" weren't acts of terrorism nor the theft of funds for his personal use, nor were they acts of genocide ala Saddam, hero of the liberals, butt buddy of the French.He got "caught" in the act of selfless patriotism. For shame!North is the kind of person I'd trust to watch my back any day: The kind of standing up he did by bearing the brunt of the media and prosecutorial focus and watching his career get flushed quicker than a Koran at Camp Durbin, in order to shield his superiors says a lot about him. It's a thing called loyalty.Whether the job was right or wrong, North did what he did to serve his country as his country asked. Liberals should stop sniveling and show some gratitude that they have people with North's kind of committment out there protecting their right to sneer at and attempt to dismantle their country.A person with his kind of contacts is generally in a position to be "in the loop" where information and therefore knowledge is concerned, so yes, I would take his advice. Where do you think our diplomats get half their "ammo?" They get it from the spook community, not from the New York Times.And, finally, North's advice looks pretty damn sound to me.

Policy HawkI've heard a few Haiti stories also, though I've never been there myself, it sounds like the kind of place to get out of as soon as one turns 5. Those UN "peacekeepers" are the usual bloodless scum who figure they're in a troubled country, full of people of unlimited vulnerability and they(the UN temps) are the people with the weapons, so why not exploit the situation. On one hand, they're following Kofi Annon's policies, on the other, his morality.

Another catch 22 Seth is whether it's better for the peacekeepers to exercise force (with poor judgement) or remain a toothless US-funded peace parade. I urged my Senators to support The Henry J. Hyde UN Reform Bill and I would encourage others to do the same. Text for the bill can be found here:http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/F?c109:4:./temp/~c109ywcZZ6:e802:

I think Hyde deserves our support, and I'm going to do the same re writing to Pelosi.Pelosi, bummer!Our relationship with the UN needs to be approached from a corporate perspective:The U.S. is a major shareholder, and we're entitled to an honest, accurate annual report and an honest, accurate balance sheet, as well as voting power based on the size of the block of shares we control(22% + all our other massive cash contributions), which is considerable.

In the army, they are trained to NOT obey "illegal orders." It may be half-hearted, but part of the military instruction is to learn when to say No. Reagan/Bush's orders were factually illegal orders. Period. North, as a member of the military had a military obligation to disregard those orders and turn in those issuing them. Am I wrong?

Sorry, Dan, what branch did you say you were in?I'm not going to try to explain the facts of life to you. Instead, I'll focus on a single reality: National Security.I attempted to define the functions of some of the people involved in protecting the country to you a couple of comments back.We engage in covert ops, just like everybody else does(yeah, dude, a community thing, a whole bunch of people from a whole bunch of countries who are "colleagues" that speak the same language, one you'll never learn).Col. North is one of those people, the ones who know how to do the serious black bag stuff that few civilians might even dream up.He is not "an ordinary soldier or Marine."I would really hate to think you obtuse, Dan, but can you actually think that any powerful country doesn't have to manipulate global politics to some extent?Has it ever crossed your mind that stuff has to be done to perpetuate this country wherein you can verbally debase your government to your heart's content?

Brotherman, you live in a scary world. So you think some people are above the law? So do the terrorists. You think some people can kill at will because they're following orders? So do the terrorists.Before you or your friends accuse me of not being peaceful or of being a meanie or something, I'll just point out I'm not name-calling. I'm not berating you. I'm pointing out that, factually, you, North and the terrorists share the same philosophy.It's a philosophy with which I disagree and will stand in opposition to with my all that I can. But relax, dude, I'm a pacifist. I won't be killing you over our disagreement.

Dan--You're right, it IS a scary world, and you should be damn glad there are people who are willing to do the things you so deeply deplore in order to protect you and yours from those that make it a scary world.You can "stand in opposition" all you want, but the realists who protect our country and those who protect other countries have been doing what they feel they must since the dawn of civilization, and they will be doing what they feel they must long after you're gone. Live with it.

I didn't say it IS a scary world. I said you live in one. I live in an imperfect and sad world full of imperfect friends, Christians, Muslims, Jews, atheists and bloggers. But it is also God's beautiful world in which I live, filled with wonderful families who love one another, God's wonderful creation for us to love and tend to and unbeatable friends who are there for you when needed. And it is by God's word that I choose to live."So do not fear, for I have overcome the world..." Embrace the love (and I'm not proselytizing, that's not my style. I'd just like you to be more at peace yourself, friend. What can I say? My son's middle name is Seth and I have a soft spot for ya).Peace.

I'm a realist, Dan.I've also lived in the south, and I know how laid back y'all can be. It's good, living in what the "cultural elite" consider the "Flyover Zone", the vast majority of the country that lays between coasts, where the coastal left feels the people don't count, can't think for yourselves or make the right life choices without their guidance. It's nice that you have harmony in your life. Really.Where you live, how likely do you think it is there would be a terrorist attack? My guess is, probably not very, perhaps 1000 - 1 odds, right?The large coastal cities that comprise the bulk of the rest of the country's marketplace and assets management are the most attractive targets because successfully striking at them can disrupt the flow of our nation's economy.Enter other factors, such as the real possibility that there are briefcase nukes and bio weapons in the hands of governments and individuals that support and supply terrorists. These big population centers are also attractive targets because of the larger kill ratios involved(the more infidels butchered, the better, right?)We have enemies in this world we cannot reason with. Passive resistance is utterly useless, diplomacy is a forum where they lie and sign agreements they have no intention of keeping(it is okay to lie to infidels, since we're not "of the faithful", and anyway, Allah wants them to kill every infidel in the world who cannot be converted to Islam and live under Sharia law). This crusade of theirs is not a new phenomenon, they've had extremist sects trying to pull this same thing off since Islam began, only this time they've got a better chance, because it's the age of the computer, instant global comms and faster travel and there's a plentiful supply of weapons and explosives on the market.Given the environment that is the sum total of all the above, IT is a scary world(My own is not at all scary, these days it's actually much quieter than it was from my late teens to my mid thirties).We are facing an enemy who will cheerfully blow himself up in order to kill American civilians, old folks and infants no problem.You don't bring Queensbury Rules to a street fight, dude, and this is a street fight we need to win to survive.Whatever the government has to do to protect America and Americans and to perpetuate our way of life, I'm for it. If they have to use a few unorthodox methods to achieve that end and break some rules, fine: This is not a game, it's stark, brutal reality. If a few people have to be inconvenienced, through "racial profiling" or whatever, so be it. If most terrorists bombers are Arab males in a certain age span, that's where you look.If the g'vmnt has to run covert Ops that interfere with the running of a foreign government that sponsors terrorism or involves assassinating a strong and willing asset to terrorism, legal or not, I say "go for it." The necessary abduction of a terrorist for the purpose of extreme interrogation? Do it. The people who draw such missions are often folks who settle for $50k or less a year protecting their country and enforcing its policies when they could be making three and four times that figure, very nearly in entry level brackets, in the private sector.The soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and coasties who put their asses on the line for considerably less, many of whom also participate in black bag missions, for their country are by and large young(and not so young, LOL) people who serve their country out of patriotism, and they are people of great courage.You should be thanking every one of these people and praying for them, because they are the people whose bravery and in too many cases mortal sacrifices allow you to bask in what sounds like a Land of the Lotus Eaters existence, munching granola and veggies(I'll have my T-bone rare, please) and entertaining Utopian fantasies while sniping at the very machinery that enables your secure, peaceful life and the freedom you enjoy as an American.Awraht, da meanderin's complete.My best to your son, it's always good to know there's a new generation of Seths in the world. Maybe someday I'll tell you a story about my naming that was pretty funny.

"Whatever the government has to do to protect America and Americans and to perpetuate our way of life, I'm for it. If they have to use a few unorthodox methods to achieve that end and break some rules, fine..."Again, I'll point out that this is the same philosophy as the terrorists'.

Dan, the terrorists deliberatly target civilians. They seek to harm people for their own benefit. This is very different for covert ops.

NY Girl--Do you realize how lucky we are that Dan's philosophy is a minority philosophy?If it were not, America probably wouldn't even exist as we know it, certainly without the freedom we enjoy here.Dan--I used this quote recently during email correspondence with someone at Stop the ACLU.org a couple of weeks back, we got a good chuckle, and I think it applies here: "Trying to argue sense with a liberal is like standing in a bucket and trying to lift yourself up by the handle."

As long as I'm bringing a little joy to your world, I'll be satisfied...