READ THIS ARTICLE

This is an amazing article on Iraq, from a journalist that's there all the time, not living on a US base or embedded with the troops, but out talking with the people and being among them. It's sad to hear. I think too many of us in America are still under the impression that the 'Iraq War' is about the US and the new Iraqi government against insurgents... no, this is pretty much a full-on civil war already according to this article, with more civilian casualties than militants.

Life in Hell, A Baghdad Diary

The numbers are staggering, as the author points out, the worst casualties coming out of Lebanon and Israel pale beside the average daily figures of Iraq--and it's almost all Iraqi v. Iraqi now.

How long will it take for peace to come? I'd say 5 years is a minimum, so it's a tough call, yes, but I think the US and the UN needs to get out of there now except for humanitarian efforts. It's hard to watch a gang war occur down the street from your balcony without wanting to intervene, but much like Palestine and Israel for the past few decades, some things just have to be solved by the involved parties. I know that's an isolationist point-of-view, but I think you have to face facts after you make a determined effort to be the world's policeman. Some problems just can't be solved by outsiders, and we can't enforce our wishes on the people as a whole (the Hussein regime DID need to go).

Taking a closer look at some of the worst places in the world definitely reminds me that most of us have it really really good. Remember that when you fill up your tank and you are annoyed with the price of gas.