Comment - I thought this was a great speech that clearly explains that while war is bad, it does not necessarily follow that "not war" is better.

Here's a quote: "So if the result of peace is Saddam staying in power, not disarmed, then I tell you there are consequences paid in blood for that decision too. But these victims will never be seen. They will never feature on our TV screens or inspire millions to take to the streets. But they will exist nonetheless. Ridding the world of Saddam would be an act of humanity. It is leaving him there that is in truth inhumane."

Another British politician reinforced the point on Sunday. "A great moral choice has been put before us by the people on the march yesterday," John Reid, the Labor Party chairman, said on a Sunday morning talk show. "Let's face that moral choice. It is not a choice between peace and war. It is a choice between doing something and not doing anything. If you take the view that we should not do anything, you too have a moral responsibility, because by doing that you are sustaining the status quo under which there are people being murdered, tortured and dying and starving."

News -- The smart way to be scared -- stay calm: http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/16/weekinreview/16EASTE.html?pagewanted=1

Comment - For some reason, I'm running across all kinds of articles this month by Greg Easterbrook. Anyway, he says the best way to prepare for a possible terrorist attack is to think about how to stay calm. For example, he notes that even if terrorists set off a nuke next to the White House, most people in Washington D.C. would survive. But, they'd have to stay indoors for at least 24 hours to avoid the radioactive fallout. So, they better plan to have some stocks of water and food on hand and not go running and screaming out into the streets.

News - Tough week of basketball coming up for the Spartans, who play at Illinois on Tuesday night. MSU's schedule is rated as the 10th-toughest in the nation and the toughest in the Big Ten, according to http://www.Collegerpi.com. That should help the Spartans get a NCAA Tournament bid. MSU, which had a RPI computer ranking of No. 36 entering Saturday, has beaten four teams in the RPI top-50 -- No. 2 Kentucky, No. 30 Illinois, No. 34 Indiana (twice) and No. 42 Virginia. The Spartans also have lost to six in the top 50 - No. 7 Oklahoma State, No. 9 Oklahoma, No. 20 Purdue, No. 24 Wisconsin, No. 43 Minnesota and No. 50 Villanova.

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10:55:30 AM