I don't think we should emulate Republican fear mongering. Although successful, at least in the short term, it is reprehensible, as it places us on the road to facism.

I do think, however, Americans could use a dose of reality, and the message is fairly simple. If you accept Bush's argument - that "winning" in Iraq is critical to winning the so-called war on terror, you'd better be ready to sacrifice the life of your son or daughter.

It's clear that Osama Bin Laden set in motion a chain of events that devastated America, perhaps irreparably. As a direct result of 9/11, the Bush administration, using patriotism like a race card, launched a pre-emptive war in Iraq that ultimately will cost us trillions and already has devastated our armed forces. It will take generations for us to recover economically and our troop strength likely could not be brought to pre-war levels without reinstituting the selective service system. And while we are trying to recover, China, India and other nations will move forward. Our stature in the world likely peaked in 2001 and one can make the case, as Pat Buchanan does quite eloquently in his book, "Where the Right Went Wrong," that we now are a society in decline.