1. Re War:

No trip on my part sir. I saw that quote about war. I doubt that Mill meant to support wars of imperial aggression, which our wars in Iraq and Viet Nam essentially were. I venture to say that if anyone invaded the US everyone from one end of the political spectrum to the other would do their bit to defend the country.

1. My rut:

You would have a good point, except that what I and everyone else who was different in any way, or even simply wanted to think for himself, endured 40-50 years ago must always be kept in mind. As the religico-traditionalists strive to take us back to that grim world, we who have been there have a duty to remind people born to late to experience it just what it was like.

(E.g., Now your side is going after contraception. Even I, who thought I knew the enemy from intimate early experience, was surprised at this development:

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