I have been wondering why Germany has been one of the few outspoken voices of reason against an invasion. The majority of Germans are strongly opposed to this aggression, and their chancellor, the pathetical populist Gerhard Schröder, has predictably followed along and voiced the nation's abhorrence on the international stage.

My conclusion is that this stems from the sensitivity of the Germans to being branded apathetic, when confronted with rhetoric that extolls the virtues of starting a war. Today's chant about "taking care of business" seems to have stirred the soul of this nation, which bowed its head in shame for decades after starting a devastating war which was preceded by a very similar rhetoric by its 'elected' leaders.

Long forgotten speeches, proclaiming a need for "Lebensraum" and for staving off an "immediate threat" from the east by means of "preemptive military actions", seem ominously close now.

But, since history is written by the victor, the likelihood of a similar moral lesson being learned by the agressor of our times is sadly slim.