i agree with your points on America's foreign policy. "thus always to tyrants" means that tyrants will always get the screw, because you can only oppress so long.

and i am concerned that our man Bush, judging by the international policy changes he has made so far, will only further heighten our "tyrant" status.

but on the other hand, you question the line between defense and retribution. and in my mind, are they really two different things? as they say in duckpin bowling, the best defense is a good offense. this whole mess is such a catch-22, because i really can't see any way that good will come of it, no matter what our country's reaction is. we don't retaliate, we're seen as weak, and more attacks are invited. we do retaliate, and we martry a whole bunch of somebodies, and more attacks are invited. we change our foreign policy and finally quit dicking around in other countries' affairs, we send the message to the world that 'acts of terrorism' can change a superpower's policy, and more attacks are invited. i just don't see how any of our options, even the option of doing nothing, is going to do anything but invite more violence.