Ways in which Lou Dobbs is UNLIKE a lobotomy:

A lobotomy isn't orange.

A lobotoby doesn't have a mellifluous speaking voice.

A lobotomy doesn't quote dubious sources.

Lou Dobbs has a big megaphone, reaches non-conservative viewers, and has probably done a fair amount to make more Americans aware of the immigration crisis. I'm glad he's there.

I don't watch CNN, and I don't watch Dobbs. But from what I understand, he's done a great deal to throw some light on America's immigration situation. And for that, he deserves to be praised, not derided.

I disagree with Dobbs on some things, but he's much more of a patriot than neocon shills like Limbaugh. At least Dobbs opposes the neocon war in Iraq, and he opposes the third-world invasion of the U.S. Mind you, fifth columnists like Bill Kristol think the U.S. should give billions to secure the borders of Israel, but they simultaneously support the third-world, open-borders invasion of the U.S. Isn't this treason?

All I can say is that if you look at the open-source intel, the War on Iraq was completely justified.

This is pre-9/11 thinking, but I still don't know how a war is justified if your opponent hasn't made the first move against you. Or any move, come to think of it.

Piker, recall Nelson's famous line: "The defense of England begins in the ports of her enemies."

War is not pugilistics. You're not trying to give the opponent a clean shot at you.

Here's a for instance. Kimmel sent Halsey and his fast Carriers out to probe in the days before Pearl Harbour. So say you're Halsey, your scout planes report the Japanese fleet moving East, behind a squall, NORTHWEST, NORTHWEST of Midway. So far the Japanese have initiated no hostilities. Six Japanese Carriers, moving East, some distance Northwest of Midway, apparently heading for the Hawaiian Islands, maybe further East, maybe California.

What do you do?

Now let's change the scenario. Now you're not Halsey, {you've been demoted...} instead you're a Submarine Skipper. You fueled at Wake Island and took your Sub Northwest towards the Japanese home islands. You pick up a MAJOR Japanese task force, made up of Six Carriers heading East. Moreover, because you've trailed them some way off, you've determined that the Japanese fleet is maintaining radio silence.

What do you do then?

Now let's change that scenario again. You've been bounced from the Navy for conduct unbecoming, you made a move on the CNO's daughter. Now you're in Army Intelligence, but you've been promoted rapidly, and you've stars on your shoulders. From a reliable source, who has never misled you before, you learn information of Japanese intent, which is hostile, and which is using ongoing negotiations not for a peaceful resolution of the issues between Japan and the United States, but is using negotiations to mask her military preparations for a full scale attack. This information is corroborated by a source in the German high command. What do you do now?

My point here is that there can't be any hard and fast line about the initiation of hostilities. In ages past, when there wasn't such awesome striking power as there is today, countries could wait on events, as you suggested.

But today that is most unwise.

What we require is a GOOD FAITH ASSESSMENT of all intelligence. That's what we need, that's what we require. And we ALL have to understand that such intelligence is RARELY crystal clear. Even prior to the battle of Midway, Washington did not agree with Nimitz's analysis of the broken Japanese code. Nimitz was convinced that they were going for Midway. Washington was convinced that the target was further East.

Even with Magic, even with Ultra, the Western Allies were surprised by the German Winter offensive in 1944. Intelligence is not always rock solid. Often a wily opponent will deliberately send out mixed signals, hoping to induce analytic paralysis in his opponent. That's EXACTLY what happened prior to the Yom Kippur War. The intelligence of an imminent Egyptian attack was available, but it was intermingled with other pieces of data that indicated no such attack was in the wind.

That's why it's so important to have men and women of genuine character in positions of leadership. Lincoln could wait for the Confederacy to start shooting first. But it's not a good idea to think that we can sustain another Pearl Harbour. Or another 9/11.