This is not a solution. It's a new problem, or two new problems, or maybe just a reframing of some "older" ones.

Facts: I've wantched Michael Moore's "Bowling for Columbine" and read his page. It's "election time" and life goes on regardless. Michael Moore calls Bush a "deserter" and a few other things.

Problem 1: Democracy is adversarial. In order to win you must crush the other. It's ugly to say the least, and it's said to work. But it doesn't give me any reassurance about an important point: would the new candidates, specially those who excel at critisizing, be better at the actual job?

Problem 2: Many US of A citizens are scared, and that makes them do (and support, and vote) foolish things. Maybe we should find ways to diminish their fear. Make them psychologically stronger - not tougher. It's easy to be tough and to complain, but there's at least one third way.

Some solutions I'd like to see a "cascade of uplift" (a la Tom Munnecke). I'd like to see people doing enough of whatever it takes to realise there's no need for many of the fears that are thrust on us. (Some fears are reasonable. Others aren't.) There may be a need for specific "counter-information" about specific sources of FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt): the truth about crime, weapons of mass destruction, etc. Maybe it's a matter of spreading some tranquilizers from airplanes.

Fear is a serious issue. And so is adversarial thinking.