Mr. Vail - Thanks for that reply. I certainly will take a look at your book. And I'm sorry if I got the bias / agenda wrong. I'll check it out. I will also give you a warm welcome because its especially valuable to be able to discuss these issues with the broadest possible grouping of opinion. I did check out some of your writing and found it very thoughtful. I just want to make the point that the human suffering in Iraq is something not often brought up on this site, and I think its important to remember that dimension, and come to some understanding of all of our complicity and the connection to our level of consumption. I'll look forward to your articles and the chance to respond.

I am an ardent opponent of the war and of the empire that wages it. I am not an opponent of the nation in which the empire is based any more than those who opposed Hitler were (necessarily) anti-German. However, I have close friends who very much disagree with me on all this. Moreover, I respect their opinion on various other issues no matter how strongly we might disagree on the empire project.

Likewise, the TOD is not an anti-war or anti-empire site even though there might be a lot of that kind of sentiment here. There is no reason to exclude someone for their views on the Iraq war if they can bring something to the party on the issue that is central to TOD. People with expertise, or just interest in PO, range all over the political map. That has to be reflected in TOD.

Mr. Vail,

Would you mind giving me a source for the Noam Chomsky review.
I followed your link :

positively reviewed by Noam Chomsky, John Zerzan, and Daniel Quinn.

And found the lonely and solitary word "Fascinating", I am sure Mr. Chomsky said more? I would like to see what context this positive review of "fascinating" was used.

As well on a quick scan of the positive review:

"Fascinating"

--Noam Chomsky, author of Hegemony or Survival, described by the New York Times as "arguably the most important intellectual alive."

on that quick reading, I would get the idea that this fascinating book was written by "arguably the most important intellectual alive"

I would think that this sort of self promotion a reason to be wary of your opinions.