Free will, free choice, free minds, decisions; choose or they will choose for you. When consciousness of existence arose, people had just seemed to show up. That was 125,000 years ago, but then along came God, and along with Him His murderers; "He is dead," His supporters would say. We're here for a short while, with no particular reason why and therein lies such meaninglessness. "We are condemned to freedom," (J.P. Sartre).

Those cohorts, lost whom lead us into action - and it has always been about action, being physical, for by actions do I define thus -  it is fairly plain to see, simple really - there can be no hesitation, no waiting for the other shoe to drop. Keep it simple, stupid. Peaceful lives will not deliver freedom; the all volunteer army has become very nearly involuntarily relieved of duty, short of its goal to apprehend Bin Laden. A self-indulgent Baby-Boomer vote may very well see to that. Congratulations to the United Paussified States of America, whom see fit to pack them up, redeploy back home - to eating from TV trays, tuned in to Happy Days.

But the question remains: can one of these so-called pacifists actually explain, Do you want to live forever? and if so, how are you going to do it? C'mon!

- Al U Mann

Ars longa, vita brevis