"By raising the specter of nuclear use, President Bush is already defining the war he is about to initiate as a war without moral limit. Having imagined choices and consequences to that extent, alas, he does not seem to have considered what follow from an American return to the exercise of power by nuclear terror: a savage century. To his credit, though the president has given the world and his nation a fair description of what he imagines he might do. A fair warning, and not only to Hussein.

Have we heard it? On this Christmas Eve, which is nearly the eve of an aggressive American war, the nation goes down on its knees to pray for peace. We worship memories of our own virtue. What lies we tell ourselves! Santa Claus is coming tonight. We are the forces of good arrayed against evil. Yes, and Nixon's Christmas bombing brought us peace with honor." - James Carroll, The Boston Globe, 12/24/2002

In the face of President Bush's doctrine of preemption, his claims of Jesus being his "role model" ring hollow, especially at the celebration of Christ's birth. He, like so many others in both Democratic and Republican ranks, don the garb of sanctimonious piety so that they may appear as good and decent people. People who share a common set of values represented by the teachings of Jesus. But nothing could be further from the truth, they simply give a wink and a nod towards Christian values in order to secure the votes of those masses who fail to truly understand Christ's message of peace, tolerance and charity.

Being a Buddhist, I can only shake my head sadly, and wish them success on the path to enlightenment, for it seems certain that they will not reach it for many lifetimes yet.

I wish you, and the world, peace in the coming year.