With all due respect, Chip, if you follow this now ridiculous thread, you'll see the intent of my words, complete with clarifications. I don't deal solely with academics and their authoritarian lefty friends. I deal with real working people who have kids, mortgages, neighbors, and the rest. These are the people that must be reached and spoken to, and I've found that since 9-11, issues like US policy in the Middle East and Palestinian rights are much easier to raise than they were two months ago, much less ten years ago, when I slogged through the domestic howling in favor of the Gulf War.
I've more than made myself clear on this, and do not need civility lessons from the likes of Yoshie, who links arms with those who support the slaughter of dissidents and sees the "Left" as some kind of club.
DP