Very good essay by R.U. Sirius on the difficult position traditional leftists are in… torn between knowing how evil the Taliban is and how important it is that they be removed on one hand, and a deep distrust for the Bush regime and bombing campaigns in general on the other. I can’t say, as he does, that I feel stuck in neutral. I support the anti-Taliban effort whole-heartedly (though I pray for sanity and care). But I have been doing battle with my own emotions over all of this. I think a lot of people I know have been. Slowly, though, I am realizing that my complaints are basically irrelevant to the situation at hand. Sure, the U.S. has had problematic involvements overseas. Yes we’re responsbile for the death of innocents all over the world. That’s all important stuff and needs to be addressed at some point. But right now, we have more important things to do, like preserving freedom. Who cares if that sounds corny and jingoistic? It’s important, it’s real, and it’s here now.