Artful Dodger: "I was referring to the 750,000 Iraqi civilians you say we murdered."

The way I see it is this. Bombs are intended to kill. When we knowingly drop them on civilian targets (and we do), we know we are killing civilians. I think that meets the definition of murder-with-intent.

Some might say, this is war. Sure it is. And death in war has several causes, including acts of self-defense, accidents, and even temporary insanity (like acts of rage, 2nd degree murder). But war doesn't change the fact that the pre-meditated killing of innocents is murder. In Iraq, as in Vietnam, as in Hiroshima, etc., it is mass murder, i.e., genocide.

You're right, I don't spend much time pointing the finger at the atrocities committed by other peoples and nations. My first responsibility, as I see it, is to point the finger at myself (i.e., the U.S.), before pointing it at others. And unfortunately, the U.S. commits many astounding atrocities.

I know the U.S.S.R. murdered millions. I know there are Muslims who murder people. I know about the Khmer Rouge, and many genocides the world over. Most, unfortunatedly, we don't use our power to try to stop. And in some cases, we've actually instigated them, by supplying arms, etc.

I know you want to focus on the one issue for now, and as I said, I completely understand that. But in answer to your point about calling the deaths of Iraqi civilians murder, I wanted to clarify my position.