Bob in Long Valley, NJ

I think the war in Iraq had more to do with proving America was still Top Dog than in avenging 911, stopping weapons of mass destruction or protecting our national and corporate interests (oil).

Our aggressive nature is a constant force - from the schoolyard bully to the need to win in sports, from labor negotiations that end in strikes to hostile political 'campaigns' that preclude rational discourse to resolve differences or intelligent compromise. Ultimately - everything simply deteriorates into the need of one Alpha group to dominate their adversary and prove they are Top Dog. This is not a gender aspect - there is a pecking order for males and females - and just as many wars begun by women leaders, from Margaret Thatcher to Cleopatra, just to name two most people know.