A letter to the President:

Dear Mr. Bush:

I thought I'd post a letter here, because let's face it - you'd never read it anyway if I did mail it to the White House. Instead, I'd get some crappy card thanking me for my interest in the US Government or something. But I digress.

I wonder if, during your dating years, you ever had a friend who dated someone totally wrong for them. You know, the kind of person you told your friend to break up with, but they were so in love, they couldn't. And when it all went to hell (as it always does), and they told you that you were right all along, you bought them a beer and commiserated with them, and talked about how others can see things in a relationship that you can't.

Well, you're that person now. The one dating the lousy person. Only it isn't a dating relationship, it's Iraq. The fact that almost every other country in the world refuses to back you up should give you pause. But it doesn't, because you're too headstrong, and too in love with the idea of finishing what your father started. Sure, Bill Clinton was scum. But right now, Saddam wouldn't have a friend in the world if Clinton were running this thing.

Don't get me wrong; I think Saddam is a big scumbag. But so is North Korea's Kim. And that's the funny thing. You talk tough about Saddam, but that's like being a kid who claims he can beat up the class geek, while the bully shouts threats at him. Saddam has screwed over the people of Iraq. He's poisoned them, shot them and raped them. He needs to go. But not like this.

Perhaps you should have studied abroad, as Clinton did. Then you'd realize how much damage you're doing by continuing down the path you have us on. You'd realize that two hundred years of diplomacy is about to go out the window to satisfy your ego. And normally, I wouldn't care. But what you're doing will reflect upon me. I will pay the price of your actions, because I am an American. I will be the one who gets blown up on a plane, or in a club, or shot by some kidnapper, because of your decisions. You will give the orders, but others will drop the bombs, and give their lives, in the name of "freedom", and "democracy". But what you offer isn't freedom, or democracy. You can't because you can't control the citizens of other countries. You can't guarantee what works (for the most part) here will work there. You don't recognize that this country has its share of problems, which we shouldn't wish upon the world.

But you're too wrapped up in conquest to see that under the veneer, the wood is rotten. This country needs to be fixed. The people here need food, work and shelter. That's what they want. They see no benefit to them by sending their hard earned tax dollars to fix some other country, provide food and shelter to people thousands of miles away who will have no qualms about charging us exorbitant amounts of money for gasoline, while people here have such glaring needs.

What we need to do right now is to step back. Find out why no one wishes to support us. Are they too afraid of losing precious contracts? Fine. Leave Saddam alone. Let them pay the price for inaction. Why do we always need to ride to the rescue? We do it so often, no one appreciates it anymore. They just figure we'll fix it, and they won't have to do anything. Well, I'm tired of being taken advantage of. Let France play cop for a while. After all, they've shown how well they can defend themselves, right? They know everything, so let them deal with explaining how they were so smart for doing nothing. Let Chirac be the modern-day Chamberlin, waving the piece of paper in front of the plane, and claiming "peace in our time" while spouting the benefits of appeasement.We'll still have to ride to the rescue, but at least it will be willing partners, not as a bully.

For your sake, and mine, I hope this all goes the way you want to. Otherwise, I'm voting for the other guy in 2004.