No prob msfogg, and with the new year beginning if you'll allow we'll just let this thread drift and take things up in the future when time allows. And I still say that if there were a red button Americans could push to bring all US troops home today, most of us would push it. Every poll that allows for that choice (many don't even allow it in discussion) shows that's what Yankees want. Now we're constantly told we should stay, that it's the right thing to do etc but Americans are and always have been notoriously isolationist as a people. I assume you're belly laughing by now.

The hypocrisy of "support our troops" has been with us since war began. The "troop supporters" want them to stay and risk being killed, the liberals want them home and safe. But the US has no corner on that brand of hypocrisy. It's been around since the battle of Marathon.

Happy New Year and happy trails! I won't be checking here so much (I'll be back in the spring, like weeds) but if you want to yell at an American you can always send a shout out to egomet_bonmot at the big Y dot com. Cheers.