Freeeeeedooooommmmmmm!
Watching last night's Republican Convention, gave me at times the urge to imitate William Wallace's dying shout in Braveheart. Almost every other word referenced the freedom gained in the middle east and how we were safer as a result. News flash to Republicans - I like you guys, and I sometimes want to vote for you, but since this is a vast right wing conspiracy, let's at least be honest with ourselves. We don't want a democratic regime if that regime will nuke us or give nukes to our enemies - witness our support for Musharaf in Pakistan. Freedom and Democracy will not make us more secure if covertly aiding our destruction enjoys wide popular support.

Now since this is just between us fellow members of the conspiracy, what is important is not necessarily freedom, but the championing of it. By commending freedom and the rights that come with it on a surface level, we at least provide an alternative world view that has a shot in the battle of ideas. In this age where achieving weapons of mass death has become cheaper by the day, this is seemingly our best in a series of bad options of saving ourselves from the disaster of a nuclear, biological, or chemical attack on our shores.